Nanaimo Daily News, December 19, 2015

Published since 1874

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New union deal for city firefighters, Page 4

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RCMP in Creston said the cheetah was spotted along Highway 3A on Thursday at about 4:30 p.m., in the Crawford Bay and Kootenay Bay areas. » B.C., 10

TERRY PEDWELL THE CANADIAN PRESS

Gag is lifted for federal biologist Sarah Boyle, a conservation biologist with Parks Canada is now free to share what she and her colleagues have been doing in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. » News, 30

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Feds end withholding First Nations funding

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OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government showed more solidarity with Canada’s First Nations on Friday as it lifted sanctions against indigenous communities that have not complied with a Conservative spending transparency law.

The decision was quickly condemned by the Opposition Tories and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which warned that the move would leave First Nations people in the dark about how their elected leaders spend public money.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said her department will stop imposing punitive measures — such as withholding funds — on those communities not in compliance with the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. Bennett, who described the changes as part of Ottawa’s new “nation-to-nation” relationship with indigenous peoples, also said she’s suspending court actions against those First Nations not complying with the law.

“Transparency and accountability are paramount to any government, whether it is municipal, provincial, federal or First Nation,” she said in a statement.

“We will work in full partnership with First Nations leadership and organizations on the way forward to improve accountability and transparency. This cannot be achieved without the engagement of First Nations and its members.”

Under the Act, First Nations are required to publicly disclose audited financial statements and information about the salaries and expenses of chiefs and councillors.

Those failing to do so by July 29 of last year faced escalating consequences ranging from public shaming to court action.

One community, the Onion Lake Cree Nation on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, took the government to court, unsuccessfully trying to convince the Conservatives to talk with First Nations about their finances.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with a residential school survivor during the release of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation commission this week in Ottawa. [THE CANADIAN PRESS]

Bennett said she’s hopeful that lifting sanctions will open the door to talks with indigenous communities and help both levels of government to work together.

“These initial steps will enable us to engage in discussions on transparency and accountability that are based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership and that build towards a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples.”

Aaron Wudrick, the CTF’s director, said the move makes no sense.

“A law without consequence for non-compliance is a toothless law,” he said. “As such, soon many First Nations people across the country will again be in the dark as to how

their elected leaders spend public dollars.”

Wudrick noted that the vast majority of First Nations were in compliance with the law both last year and in fiscal 2014-15.

“Suspending enforcement of this law is wrong, and completely undermines the very principles this government claims to be advancing.”

Not surprisingly, the Conservatives were also critical, accusing the Liberal government of gutting a federal law without going through proper parliamentary channels.

“For all practical purposes, this is a repeal of the act, being carried out without actually bothering to give members of Parliament any chance to debate it,” said indigenous affairs critic Cathy McLeod.

CRIME

Edmonton slaying arrests include boy, 13 CHRIS PURDY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Edmonton’s police chief says the community should be outraged after two convenience store clerks, who were working alone and didn’t fight back when masked robbers walked into their stores early Friday, were shot dead for small amounts of cash.

Three suspects have been arrested, including a 13-year-old boy.

“This was a barbaric and gratuitous act of violence upon two innocent persons resulting in a senseless loss of life,” Chief Rod Knecht said on Friday.

He went on to describe the crime as “overthe-top violence, absolutely unnecessary, gratuitous — evil.”

All three suspects have criminal records and were prohibited from possessing fire-

arms, he said. He described the youth’s criminal past as violent.

Charges are pending against the three.

The other suspects are 26 and 24 years old.

Knecht said the violence started about 3:30 a.m. at a Mac’s store on the city’s south side. A panic alarm call came from the business. When police couldn’t reach staff by phone, officers were dispatched.

Karanpal Singh Bhangu, 35, had been shot in the stomach and was rushed to hospital, but died of his injuries.

About fifteen minutes after that alarm came in, a 911 call was made from another Mac’s store. A delivery man had found a trail of blood leading to a storage room.

It’s believed the clerk at that store had been shot in the front and dragged to the back area, said Knecht.

The 41-year-old man, whose name is not being released until family can be notified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In both cases, the culprits made off with cash. Knecht said there would have been small amounts of money in the registers, as convenience stores typically put most of their sales in floor safes and armoured cars pick up the bulk each day.

Using video camera footage from the stores, police next dispatched a description of the masked suspects and their clothing.

And because the targeted locations were both Mac’s, officers were tasked with checking in on other stores.

A short time later, officers spotted them in a stolen vehicle near another Mac’s, which led to a brief chase along Whitemud Drive, a major city freeway.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

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Homes light up the night Some family displays involve more than 25,000 bulbs for Christmas

T

here are homes in Nanaimo that are putting the Griswolds from the film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation to shame.

Spectacular Christmas light displays, with some homeowners using more than 20,000 bulbs, are lighting up the city.

Every year this publication seeks submissions for the Nanaimo Daily News Christmas Lights Map. The map, which can be easily found through a Google search, has approximately 75 addresses in Nanaimo and Ladysmith.

Steve Sargent’s house, Aaron located near the corner of Hinks Bush Street and Townsite Reporting Road, was recommended for the list several times.

Sargent says he has anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 bulbs on his property. He said he ran out of room and the only place left for lights is the driveway.

“I started about 20 years ago when I lived at my parents’ house. They had the old c6 lights, the ones that used to blow the breakers every year when you put too many together. The beauty of LED now is you can put a whole lot more together,” Sargent said.

Boxing Day is traditionally a good time to buy more lights, he said.

“You have to build on it year after year especially now a days with the prices and what not.

It’s something you just keep buying, look at the

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, portrayed by Ken and Sharon Dalton, and Paige Sargent, 4, were waving to cars at the Townsite Road and Bush Street intersection on Friday. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]

sales and add on to it little by little,” Sargent said.

He starts putting together his display shortly after Halloween. He puts in an hour of work every day for three weeks.

“There’s about 30 hours of solid work in it,” he said.

Thursday evening his friend and colleague, Ken Dalton, and wife, Sharon, dressed as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and waved to motorists as they drove by. Dalton said it’s an activity they look forward to year after year.

Costco and Canadian Tire are Sargent’s favourite stores to buy lights.

The Hornbys, located at 1755 Harvest Pl., make use of inflatable decorations, such as a singing Christmas tree and a snowman riding a reindeer.

“This is the sixth year at this house, we were down on Kelsie Road before. I didn’t have as much but it was a tradition that my dad passed on. He didn’t do as much as this but we always had Christmas lights up. It was a big thing for him,” Lance Hornby said.

“The Santa and snowman plywood cutouts are originals from him. He made them from a design he had gotten in probably the 1960s.

I copied them with transfer paper and made some for myself and brother.”

Hornby teaches at Cinnabar Valley Elementary school, he says his students often compliment him on his decorations but one student made a complaint about the singing Christmas tree.

“We don’t turn it on too much, well we do until we put the kids to bed. There’s a student that lives kitty-corner to me and last year we were talking about my display. He said he liked my display but the tree kept him (awake). So now we turn it off a little bit earlier,” he said.

Aaron.Hinks @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4242

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

HEALTH

Drug overdose kits doled out by hospital DARRELL BELLAART DAILY NEWS

Drug overdose kits now being distributed from Nanaimo Regional General Hospital have already been used to prevent deaths across Vancouver Island.

NRGH became the first Island hospital to offer Naloxone kits, not only to stop heroin overdoses but to address a growing problem with fentanyl deaths in the Harbour City.

As of this past summer, Nanaimo had the highest per-capita rate of fentanyl-related deaths of any city in the province.

Island Health initially started making the kits available to address that problem.

“What’s new here is it’s coming from the emergency department at NRGH,” said Dr. Paul Hasselback, Island Health chief medical health officer for the central Island.

GOLFERS!!

“We already had them available from a number of sites on the Island, including Nanaimo. They tended to be used by people habituated in the use of drugs and at risk of overdose.”

The kits are often given to drug users’ family members, and ideally, at least three people close to the addict are trained in administering Naloxone.

Between Jan. 1, 2013 and late August, coroners detected fentanyl in

47 of 156 illicit drug overdose deaths on Vancouver Island.

Twenty-seven of those deaths happened in Nanaimo, two fewer than the city of Vancouver, which has a population more than six times that of Nanaimo.

“This is part of the reason,” Hasselback said.

“We’ve already had a number of these kits in Nanaimo to deal with fentanyl.”

More than 100 Naloxone kits have been distributed, and about 300 people trained in their use, in the Nanaimo area.

Data specific to Nanaimo is unavailable, but already 21 overdoses have been reversed across Vancouver island, Hasselback said.

Darrell.Bellaart @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4235

NANAIMO

Ourr A O Apologies! pologi l ies!! D Duee to the Cit City of SSurrey rre stealing o ourr SSurrey rre location, we cannot be there for the Christmas season.

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www.riversidegolf.ca for great ONLINE gift ideas!

Or by calling 604-531-2362 or email sales@riversidegolf.ca to arrange for items to be shipped to you.

Riverside Golf Thank you for your continued support!! – Ken & Gord See our petition at change.org (search Riverside Golf Mayor Hepner)

from the

Nanaimo Fire Rescue firefighters Melissa Finnie, left, and Trevor Workman practice with hoses during a training exercise at Station 2 in March. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]

New collective agreement in place for city, union firefighters SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS

NANAIMO DAILY NEWS PUBLICATION Fri. Dec. 25 Sat. Dec. 26 Tues. Dec. 29 Wed. Dec. 30 Fri. Jan. 1

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The City of Nanaimo and its unionized firefighters have reached a new collective agreement for the next four years.

The agreement, announced in a press release Friday afternoon, will lock in annual wage increases for 2.5 per cent for firefighters.

Both the city and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 905 highlighted the relatively short time it took to negotiate the agreement.

“I would like to emphasize the speed by which this important document was agreed to,” said Mayor Bill McKay. “Bargaining is often a lengthy and complex process involving many rounds of negotiations,” the mayor said. “The parties who came together to prepare this agreement covered a tremendous amount of

ground in a short period of time.”

Negotiations over the new contract began in October and wrapped up over four main bargaining sessions, said Mike Rispin, president for the local IAFF. Rispin noted that both sides had also successfully negotiated a retroactive contract in June that implemented 2.5 per cent wage increases from 2012 to the end of this year.

He said it’s not unusual for contract negotiations between cities and firefighters to stretch on past six months.

“These have all been relatively quick,” he said, adding it benefits both sides.

“It gives us some stability for sure,” Rispin said. “We know where we’re at, where we’re going to be.”

It also sets a positive precedent for future negotiations, Rispin agreed.

“I would say it will because it sets a pattern,” he said.

“We generally have a good idea where we’re coming from.”

Rispin said the contract also deals with minor “housekeeping” details, but he said that pay was the major issue.

This latest agreement is another tick under the labour peace column for the city. The municipality inked a retroactive agreement with its CUPE workers last December, however that agreement expires this year.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

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NEWS 5

EDUCATION

Number of international students on the rise ROBERT BARRON DAILY NEWS

There are currently 313 international students studying in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district.

That’s a huge increase from the 216 that were enrolled in the 2011-12 school year, according to a report tabled this week by Mike McKay, a consultant hired by the district to conduct a review on its international student education program.

Of those students, 268 are secondary students, and 45 are elementary students. Dover Bay Secondary has 25 per cent of the secondary students

enrolled, while Wellington Secondary has 24 per cent.

Currently, the majority of the international students in the district are Asian, with most from China, with the rest of the students coming from all around the world.

Superintendent John Blain said one of the main reasons the students want to come here is to learn English, considered to be the language of international business, and to learn more about North American culture.

Each of the international secondary students pay the district $12,000 per year in tuition, and elementary stu-

dents pay $13,000 each year.

That’s significantly more than the approximately $8,600 per student the Ministry of Education provides districts for the education of domestic students. The district is always exploring ways to increase revenue generation, and the ISE program does bring in additional money.

But Blain said it’s not a good idea to plan to expand the program to help the district deal with its financial shortfalls in future budgets.

Blain said some international incident could occur at any time that could see the number of

international students coming here dry up.

“There’s no doubt they are a benefit to the district, in regards to education and funding, but the money we make from ISE is put back into the system to support the program, and is not put towards the district’s overall operational budget,” he said.

Blain said the current number of approximately 300 international students spread throughout the district is “where we want to be right now.”

He said the district is currently in the middle of a series of school closures and consolidations in which

many students will have to be transferred into other schools.

So, Blain said, having more international students come to the district at this time could prove counterproductive.

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HEALTH

Christmas season brings ‘a whole bunch of diseases’ DARRELL BELLAART DAILY NEWS

Islanders have largely avoided the aches and chills of influenza this winter, but that could change with annual travel around Christmastime.

The flu virus is highly contagious, and as travel increases, more germs circulate, spreading illness.

So far Islanders have been lucky.

Island Health has not seen a substantial number of flu cases this winter. Health care officials are bracing for a possible shift in coming weeks.

“We’ve not had a lot of activity here on the Island, nothing out of the ordinary,” said Dr. Paul Hasselback, central Island medical health officer for Island Health.

“If you look at the numbers, it’s kind of on par for the 10-year average. Last year we were a bit early and a bit more severe.”

The big question mark this year will be how closely this year’s flu shot matches the virus that

HASSELBACK

will prove to be the dominant flu strain.

“Influenza typically comes from December through January, it could be later or earlier.”

The flu virus is able to mutate, and when that happens it takes time for the human immune system to learn to recognize the strain, to fight it.

With an increasing segment of the population choosing to immunize themselves against the

flu, scientists’ accuracy in matching flu shots to the most dominant virus strains will be key in determining the mildness or severity of the 2015-16 season.

The test will be over the next couple weeks.

“Christmas is the time when we get a whole bunch of diseases being generously given to others as gifts, which they take home with them and re-share,” Hasselback said. “Last year the spike started happening over the week of Christmas.”

Knowing this, Island Health urges friends and family members to postpone hospital visits with a cold, cold sores, flu, diarrhea or vomiting.

Wash hands before entering the facility, cover coughs and sneezes and get your flu shot or wear a mask.

Darrell.Bellaart @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4235

POLICE

RCMP officers and emergency personnel ready during holidays DARRELL BELLAART DAILY NEWS

Christmas is a time for family and celebration but police know the celebrations can get out of hand.

As much as RCMP officers appreciate time with loved ones over the holidays, the job requires them to be ready and available for anything.

Officers work four-day shifts, similar to the same as a fireman, nurse or a paramedic The force tries to arrange schedules so young officers with their new families over Christmas, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

“As a police officer, you know, if you’re home, you will get called in. That’s the reality of the job,” said Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP. On Wednesday, the Nanaimo detachment logged more than 100 calls for service in one 24-hour period. Calls ranged from disturbances through domestic violence, property crimes – even a report of shots fired and on weekends call volumes “can increase 25 to 30 per cent, easily,” O’Brien said.

“There’s always quite a few domestic disputes.”

Families get together for Christmas, the alcohol starts to flow, and “after two or thee days, things start to fester.”

Officers know time spent with family can be cut short on a moment’s notice.

“When I started I did general duty work for 12 years – it’s part of the territory,” O’Brien said.

“One year I went to midnight mass in uniform.”

Darrell.Bellaart @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4235

NOTICE Please be advised that dredging and marine drilling/blas ng works will be carried out within Hammond Bay (just offshore from Morningside Park) to facilitate the installa on of a new marine ou all pipe for the Regional District of Nanaimo.

Work will take place from Dec 22, 2015 to February 15, 2016 (excluding Sundays). Working hours: 7am to 7pm.

Please keep a safe distance of 150 m from working barges and tugs.

Crews will be monitoring marine channels 16 and 11 at all mes if you require assistance transi ng the work site. Please contact them by calling out for “JJM barge at Hammond Bay” and wait for direc ons before passing within the 150 m setback.

Immediately before and a er blas ng, horns will sound and work boats will be patrolling the outer areas of the blast region. Please comply with all direc ons from the crew members for your safety and theirs.

Emergency Contact for the Project Superintendent is 604-612-0008.

HAREWOOD DENTAL CLINIC on behalf of:

Dr. Crosson Dr. Walsh Dr. Toth and all our staff

We would like to wish all our patients and their families a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

6

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

EDITORIAL

Still much work to be done on global warming front D id the United Nations climate conference in Paris save the planet? Not by a long shot.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognizes, there is “much tough work” ahead if we hope to bend the carbon curve in a better direction, and hold warming to 2 degrees or less. As the Citizens’ Climate Lobby in Canada points out, it will take a lot more “scientific rigour, political will and real deeds” than we have yet seen, to make a difference.

But Paris was a breakthrough for all that, because the world has finally rallied behind a universal agreement that promises to mark the beginning of the end of the fossil-fuel era. And it was good to see Canada playing a supportive role again.

The Paris deal “sends a much-needed signal to trigger the massive sums of public and private investments needed to drive economies toward a carbon-neutral world,” says World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. Over the next few decades the United States, China, India and 190 other countries, plus savvy asset managers and investors will be shifting wealth away from carbon-intensive sectors and toward those that support decarbonization.

That promises to bend the curve in a positive way.

It’s a prospect that should help focus minds when Trudeau and the premiers meet to discuss a “pan-Canadian framework” to do our bit.

Canada’s current target, set by the

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Conservatives, involves cutting our emissions by 30 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. It can’t be described as ambitious.

Our leaders need to build on the sense of urgency in Paris by agreeing on a truly ambitious national carbon-cutting target.

They need to agree on robust (if painful) carbon pricing. To review high-carbon energy projects with the national climate target in mind.

And they need to put into place strong regulations and incentives to support green technologies and conservation, including clean public transit, clean energy and efficient buildings.

The Paris Agreement, which comes into effect in 2020, encourages them

to aim high. It commits countries to hold global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to “pursue efforts” to hold it to 1.5 degrees, from 1 degree today.

It calls for a global peak in greenhouse gas emissions “as soon as possible,” and for “carbon neutrality” (balancing human emissions with what nature can absorb) by the end of this century. That implies phasing out fossil fuels by 2050.

Fully 187 countries have pledged eCritics of the Paris deal fault it for aiming too low (or too high), for being more aspirational than binding, for not specifying a date for the peaking of emissions and for shortchanging poorer countries.

Yet for the first time, major polluters have agreed to work together to slow global warming. They have put forward serious pledges to cut fossil fuel use. They have agreed to be held to account. And they have set up a process that will prod them to do better.

At root, Paris is a powerful call to action grounded in science, driven by hope and fuelled by smart money.

It is not the endgame, by any stretch. But it may just be a game changer.

— THE CANADIAN PRESS (TORONTO STAR)

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Several years ago people in Ucluelet told me that they had told the gas stations, we won’t pay more than in Port Alberni.

Since their price recently was $1.13.9, I’m thinking we should tell the gas stations here the exact same thing.

Grant Maxwell Nanaimo

Develop new alternate energy sources in B.C. I am grateful that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown the courage to lead our country in a new direction.

It is like a breath of fresh air! I am also grateful for the work done by our Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, and Green Party leader, Elizabeth May at the Paris climate conference.

There are so many issues of concern nowadays. For me, the environment needs the most protection, for without a healthy planet, we all suffer and face increased costs, personally and financially, including our health.

Here in B.C., Trudeau’s “second home,” many of us cannot find any wisdom in promotion of the LNG industry. It goes against the direction we must adopt if we are to clean our environment.

The fracking required is dangerous with use of chemicals, waste of water and cause of earthquakes. In addition, the proposed Site C dam, will flood valuable land, from the viewpoint of First Nations, wildlife, farmers and the future of food production in this changing climate we face.

Furthermore, it will release methane, which will add more pollution in our atmosphere.

The electricity from this additional dam is not needed for BC residents, since usage of electricity has fallen

here by about two per cent. It will be needed for LNG plants and mining, both forms of resource extraction that have been causing damage to our environment.

I implore the prime minister to help the provinces, especially B.C., to find other ways of developing our economy.

He must persuade Premier Christy Clark to halt the Site C dam project, before it is too far gone.

It is unnecessary and outdated. I think that developing the alternative energy sector would make the most sense.

Make the cessation of the Site C dam project one important step in our collective Canadian efforts to live up to the Paris climate agreement.

Lavonne Garnett Nanaimo

Apology from church to First Nations is required The Harper government was notorious for ignoring problems, which has become all the more evident regarding the Aboriginal Truth and Reconciliation report. Ten years of political foot-dragging has caused this problem to exacerbate out of all proportion making it more difficult and costly to overcome.

The good news is that we now have a prime minister who cares enough and has the guts to face this pitifully neglected situation head on.

The demands are many, and could be quite challenging and difficult to achieve. In meeting with Pope Francis, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might find it difficult to get an apology. An apology would almost be an admission to guilt of doing something wrong.

That wouldn’t be difficult if it was something new, but the Catholic church has been covering up these incidents of sexual abuse for hundreds of years.

I’m sure Pope Francis has the courage and faith to know that owning up to these shortcomings is the only way to clear the conscience of many and restore peace to all concerned.

John A. Martin Nanaimo Letters must include your hometown and a daytime phone number for verification purposes only. Letters must include your first name (or two initials) and last name. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, taste, legality and for length. Unsigned letters and letters of more than 300 words will not be accepted. Email to: yourletters@nanaimodailynews.com

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

@NanaimoDaily

TOFINO

NEWS 7

COWICHAN VALLEY

First Nation questions Shawnigan soil dump SARAH SIMPSON COWICHAN VALLEY CITIZEN

The pertussis bug is hitting Tofino particularly hard this year and can be fatal for young locals so Island Health is urging parents of West Coast infants, like three-month-olds Crimson and Clover Bailey, to follow their children’s immunization schedules. [ANDREW BAILEY/THE WESTERLY]

Rise in whooping cough has Island health officials on alert ANDREW BAILEY WESTERLY NEWS

A rise in whooping cough has health care professionals urging locals to vaccinate their infants.

Island Health has confirmed six cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in Tofino, according to Central Vancouver Island’s Medical Health Officer Dr. Paul Hasselback.

“That certainly is not the sort of clustering of disease that we have seen in that area for quite some time,” Hasselback said.

“Typically we probably would be going many years with no cases or just the odd case that comes to our attention, not this sort of cluster where not only are we seeing six cases but we can actually see where one person transmitted to others.”

He said whooping cough is on the rise across Vancouver Island with about 300 cases reported this year.

“The 300 cases this year is the highest we’ve seen in many years,” he said. “Part of that may relate to a change we made in the vaccine about 15 years ago now and while the newer vaccine has far less side effects it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s giving the same level of longer term protection.

“We’re starting to see more students in the middle grades, before they get their booster (shot) in Grade 9, coming down with it.”

He suggested the disease is little more than an annoyance to most patients but can be fatal to infants.

“For an adult or middle aged child it’s an annoying illness, it’s associated with a persistent cough that can literally go on for weeks,” he said.

“What we’re really concerned about though with pertussis is protecting very young infants from birth through to about one-year of age because, at that age, the tubes going

to the lungs don’t cope very well with the infection and rather than having just coughing and coughing fits, they may actually present as having problems breathing and on occasions we’ve had tragic events and we’d so like to avoid them.”

He said the most effective way for locals to keep themselves and their community safe is to stick to their children’s immunization schedules.

“We provide that immunization schedule in the first year of life very specifically to provide protection against pertussis so don’t delay.

There’s no value in seeing if you can hold off until an older age; it’s really important, particularly when we start to see pertussis in a community, to be sure those young infants are protected,” he said.

The new chief and council of the Malahat First Nation have written to Environment Minister Mary Polak regarding “serious concerns that have been alleged about the scientific information” used to grant South Island Aggregates its permits to operate a contaminated soil treatment plant and landfill on Stebbings Road near Shawnigan Lake.

The letter, dated Dec 9, requests the original scientific information provided by engineering firm Active Earth in support of the application, subsequent scientific documentation, testing and information undertaken by the ministry and documentation and explanations of the most recent materials to be deposited at the site “as it has been alleged that those materials have the potential to leach into the water system.”

The letter goes on to say given the environmental impacts of the project, “an independent review process of the science that was submitted is critical to establish that the Malahat Nation and the broader community can trust the adequate steps have been taken to respond to the allegations and that sufficient information has been collected for proper consultation to occur.”

The chief and her council asked Polak to take “immediate action” to respond to their requests.

“If the ministry is unable to provide the requested information or had not undertaken an independent re-assessment, the Nation must reconsider its position on the permit,” Chief Caroline Harry and her council wrote.

The letter earned kudos from both the Shawnigan Lake Residents’ Association and at least one CVRD official.

“If the ministry is unable to provide the requested information or had not undertaken an independent reassessment, the Nation must reconsider its position on the permit.”

Caroline Henry, Malahat FIrst Nation Chief

“The citizens of Shawnigan Lake are extremely grateful to Malahat First Nation for their letter to Minister Pollack questioning the decision-making of her ministry with regards to the granting of the permit to South Island Aggregates,” SRA president Calvin Cook said. “The voices of the Malahat First Nation have been added to the chorus of complaint by Cowichan Tribes, elected officials, residents of Shawnigan Lake and over 15,000 citizens across this province demanding our provincial government review this decision.”

Shawnigan Lake Area Director Sonia Furstenau said she was grateful to the band for stating their concerns and asking for accountability from the ministry.

“The Cowichan Tribes have also made their concerns about this contaminated landfill clear to the ministry, and have been firm in their opposition from the beginning,” she said.

“I would expect the ministry to take very seriously the many questions raised by the two First Nations on whose traditional territories this site is located.”

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

OIL AND GAS

◆ KEREMEOS

Kinder Morgan still pushing project

Drivers charged after collision with sheep

JEFF NAGEL BC LOCAL NEWS

Kinder Morgan pressed ahead with its argument for the Trans Mountain oil pipeline twinning Thursday, even though the project is now cloaked in uncertainty with a new federal Liberal government intent on reforming the review process.

Trans Mountain lawyer Shawn Denstedt argued the 150 draft conditions for the project can address all environmental concerns, and he stressed the strong economic benefits to Canada from getting world prices for Alberta oil.

“We cannot accept that our resources will be forever held hostage and sold at a discount,” Denstedt told the National Energy Board. “Real and important benefits for all Canadians should not be cast aside based on improbable risks.”

The company hopes the NEB will recommend approval by a May 20 decision deadline — following arguments by interveners in the new year — and the federal cabinet will give the $6.8-billion project the go ahead.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking Thursday in Vancouver, reiterated the need for changes to restore public trust and ensure such projects have social licence to proceed.

Kinder Morgan Canada president Ian Anderson said federal ministers have indicated projects like Trans Mountain that are already under review will continue and “not go back to any restart or square one review.”

But he said they’ve also been told there will be some sort of “transition treatment” for all projects, even those under review.

“We don’t know what that means yet,” Anderson said.

“We don’t know what that will do to our process.”

The addition of a second pipeline would nearly triple Trans Mountain’s capacity to 890,000 barrels per day, increasing oil tanker traffic from five to 34 each month.

Anderson said shippers that have contracted to use the pipeline have not wavered from their firm commitments to 707,000 barrels per day of capacity. The rest is to be sold on the spot market.

If approvals are issued on schedule, he said, construction could begin by the end of 2016 and the twinning would be finished by mid-2019.

“It’s the most highly scrutinized pipeline project by the NEB in history,” Anderson added.

He said the project would bring

major improvements to marine spill response capabilities along the shipping route from Vancouver past Sooke outside Victoria, with more than $100 million invested and 100 jobs created at five new bases.

Anderson stressed Trans Mountain’s 60-year history of operations and the fact the second pipeline largely follows the existing one or other brownfield corridors.

Next month, project opponents will respond.

The NEB will hear intervenor oral arguments Jan. 19 in Burnaby.

The City of Surrey will be the first intervener. » We want to hear from you.

Send comments on this story to yourletters@nanaimodailynews.com.

Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.

Two drivers from B.C. are facing multiple charges after a motor vehicle collision with a herd of Big Horn Sheep on Highway 3 near Keremeos in October.

A 75-year-old male and a 56-yearold male are facing charges under the Motor Vehicle Act of failing to report the accidental killing of wildlife on a highway, failure to remain at the scene of an accident and driving without consideration of others.

On Oct. 1 South Okanagan Traffic Services received reports of a collision involving multiple vehicles and a herd of 12 Big Horn Sheep crossing Highway 3. Westbound vehicles were stopped for the crossing herd, and an eastbound Ford F250 pick-up truck driven by the 56-year-old man as well as a Dodge Ram pick-up operated by the 75-year-old man both failed to stop for the crossing herd, killing five sheep and injuring two others.

– PENTICTON WESTERN NEWS

Christmas

Church Service Directory NORTH

RINITY Y

NIT NI TED

The Salvation Army Calvary Fellowship Nanaimo Community Church

505-8th Street (corner of 8th & Bruce Ave.)

6234 Spartan Road d • 250-390-251 250-390-2 250 0-251 0- 13 00-2 13

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www.TUC.Churchos.c urchos.ca r s.ca Rev. Foster terr Freed

Christmas Eve Service

Sunday, Dec. 21 10 am

Welcomes You to Come Visit Us!

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SUNDAY, DEC. 20 at 11:00 11:0 :00 00 0 AM AM

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(Children’s Church held at the same time) Christmas Eve Service 6:30pm

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Calvary Chapel homepage http://calvarychapel.com

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Thursday, December 24 • 7:00pm

Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Service Sunday December 27th • 10:00am

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Minister: Rev. Sally Bullas

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Christmas Eve

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Carols, Lessons & Candle Lighting

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Christmas Celebration – 10 am

Dec. 24th Dec. 25th

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www.nanaimodailynews.com

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NEWS 9

CAMPBELL RIVER

Care home spat reaches city hall chambers MIKE DAVIES CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR

Some staff of New Horizons Care Home, their union and family members of those living in the facility are crying foul again after what they say is a proposal by the facility’s operator to cut staff hours beginning in the new year.

This week they took to the streets, town hall forums and city council chambers to express their displeasure.

Meanwhile, New Horizons management says the allegations being put forth by the union are inaccurate.

An informal gathering of concerned parties gathered along 16th Avenue beside the facility on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

Two days before, Lois Jarvis, representing Campbell River Citizens for Quality Health Care, a group devoted to ensuring adequate healthcare

“The profit model that is being used in seniors’ care facilities is proving to be a total failure.”

Lois Jarvis, Campbell River Citizens for Quality Health Care

facilities in the region, and Barb Biley, regional vice-president of the Hospital Employees’ Union for Vancouver Island North, who represent the employees of New Horizons, presented their views on the topic at the last meeting of the calendar year of Campbell River city council.

Jarvis and Biley were asking council to write a letter to Dr. Brian Carr, president and CEO of Island Health and Health Minister Terry Lake to

request a review and investigation into the alleged cuts, “and the negative impacts they will have on our vulnerable seniors.”

“The profit model that is being used in seniors’ care facilities is proving to be a total failure,” Jarvis told council.

“Individuals should not be profiting from residential care. We object to our tax dollars being used to provide inadequate care for our seniors and a lower standard of employment for their caregivers.”

While some people see it simply as a dispute present in many businesses — employees arguing with management over staffing levels — and not something worthy of public or political discussion, Jarvis feels differently.

“This is not just a union/management issue,” she told council. “It is about care being provided to our seniors in their final year.”

And that care is threatened with the upcoming cuts to hours at the facility, according to the HEU. A letter recently sent out to residents of New Horizons and their families, signed by Sandra Murphy, director of care at the facility, seems to disagree.

“There are no layoffs or reduction in direct care hours at New Horizons Care Home as claimed by the HEU,” reads the letter.

In the letter, Murphy outlines the upcoming changes in scheduling, saying they actually improve the work environment for staff, improve care for residents, “and also meet the health authority’s care model for increased hours by registered nurses.”

Laurel Albina, marketing representative with HEU, said at Wednesday’s meeting that they can’t speak to the hours of LPNs and registered nurses,

but the cuts to RCAs are “significant.”

HEU claims that in the two years since Care Corp has taken over operations at New Horizons, there has been a 63 per cent staff turnover rate, which is indicative of the conditions of their employment. Staff turnover also negatively impacts residents’ quality of life, as they are unable to form bonds with their care workers when they lack continuity, Biley says.

Murphy’s letter, however, claims that continuity will actually increase under the new scheduling, as the schedules are designed to have staff cover the same shift every day.

“Our caregivers welcome this change,” the letter reads, “since they can better schedule their lives around a standard shift.

“Our residents enjoy the consistency of seeing the same caregivers at the same time each day.”

Christmas

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

JUSTICE

RCMP to investigate police chief Embattled Victoria official steps aside until investigations into growing social media scandal are done DIRK MEISSNER THE CANADIAN PRESS

Victoria’s embattled police chief has stepped aside as the RCMP and two retired judges oversee multiple investigations into a growing social media scandal.

Police board co-chairwoman and Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins told reporters that Frank Elsner informed the board he will remain off the job until the investigations have been concluded.

They were sparked after the chief admitted that he was “truly sorry and humiliated” for taking part in

inappropriate social media exchanges with the wife of one of his subordinate officers.

But in the weeks since then, British Columbia’s police complaint commissioner Stan Lowe has been digging deeper into the file.

On Friday, Lowe announced investigations into allegations of disciplinary breaches of public trust and discreditable conduct, saying he had called in the RCMP. Desjardins said deputy chief Del Manak will immediately become acting chief.

“It’s tragic,” Desjardins said. “I know the community is concerned.

I know there are members of that police department who are hurting.”

A notice for investigation issued by Lowe alleges Elsner provided misleading information to an investigator and contacted a witnesses during an internal investigation, including the officer whose wife the chief had messaged over Twitter.

“I think the commissioner described that he feels these allegations are extremely serious,” said deputy police complaint commissioner Rollie Woods said.

“That’s the way we are treating it.”

Elsner has not been available

for comment. He apologized on Dec. 6 after a police-board investigation found Twitter messages he’d sent to another officer’s wife were inappropriate.

Lowe said in a statement that he received more information last week from Victoria’s police union about four employees alleging workplace harassment by the chief related to ongoing conduct starting in early 2014.

In addition to asking that the chief’s conduct be investigated by the RCMP, Lowe has asked retired judges Carol Baird Ellan and Ian Pitfield

to look into the separate allegations and decide whether misconduct is involved.

Lowe stated that there is an overriding interest in going ahead with the investigations as a matter of public trust.

“The climate within the department appears to be in a state of tension and dissonance.”

“The public must have confidence in the effective and efficient operation of a police department: harmony and discipline within the workplace have a direct impact on its operations.”

CRESTON

VANCOUVER

Police on the lookout for stray cheetah

City to buy $205-million tower for new offices

THE CANADIAN PRESS

CRESTON— Conservation officers are looking for a cheetah seen wandering the snowy roads near a school in southeastern British Columbia.

Area residents and staff at Crawford Bay School were notified Thursday about a cheetah spotted on a nearby highway, said Principal Laury McPherson.

“We all knew by the time the Christmas concert started, which was at 6 p.m.,” she said on Friday.

McPherson said students at the elementary and secondary school will stay indoors during recess and lunch.

She said the children are generally excited about the chance to see a cheetah in the area where wild animals, such as bears, are not uncommon.

“Some of the little ones are a little bit worried because a cheetah is exotic. So we’ve talked about what you do when you encounter a cougar or a cheetah, like making yourself large.”

Creston RCMP released this photo of an adult cheetah seen along Highway 3A on Thursday afternoon.

RCMP in Creston said the cheetah was spotted along Highway 3A on Thursday at about 4:30 p.m., in the Crawford Bay and Kootenay Bay areas.

A motorist who saw the animal sent photos to police. The witness told RCMP the animal appeared to be wearing an orange cloth collar.

Insp. Joe Caravetta of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said Friday that three officers are hunting for the cat and also looking for its owner.

He said the provincial wildlife veterinarian doesn’t believe the public is at risk but the situation is being treated seriously.

“We want to be able to find this

cheetah and for its own health and benefit be able to capture it and get it to a facility and have it checked out,” Caravetta said in an interview from Cranbrook.

“It could be hungry, and any animal that is hungry may do things that may not be in its character.”

Caravetta said cheetahs are typically shy and less aggressive than other big cats, but noted the animal is out in the cold rather than in its normal tropical habitat.

He said staff are trying to determine if anyone in the area has registered the cheetah, adding the jungle cats are legally allowed with a permit.

“It could simply be a pet, but at this point we haven’t been able to talk to the potential custodian.”

RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said people should keep a close eye on small children and pets until the animal is located.

“Regardless of it having a collar on, it should be considered and respected as a wild animal.”

CHILLIWACK

Man jailed for defrauding senior citizens PAUL J. HENDERSON CHILLIWACK TIMES

A man who stole or defrauded thousands of dollars from dozens elderly people in Chilliwack and Agassiz was sentenced to four years in jail in Chilliwack provincial court on Thursday.

Donald Quinnell pleaded guilty to 22 counts of fraud and theft under $5,000 — he was originally charged with 15 counts of fraud and 14 counts of theft — for a string of incidents before and over Christmas of 2014.

Quinnell preyed upon vulnerable, older and trusting individuals with complicated, confusing and calculated scams.

He had a variety of scams. In some he would convince a Good Samaritan to “lend” him money for a tow truck after a supposed accident, others were giving someone a deal on carpets or appliances, others were simple distraction thefts.

“These offences can only be seen as predatory in nature and premeditated,” Judge Wendy Young said in handing down her sentence Dec. 17.

“Their collective trust has been shattered,” Young said as she recounted parts of the 16 victim impact statements provided to the court.

His defence claimed these were crimes of opportunity by a drug-addicted man, but the research into the names of neighbours and familiarity with some victim’s situations illustrated quite the opposite.

Young recounted all 22 cases in court, which included: stealing $100 and a camera from a man; convincing a woman to give him

$600 to buy appliances; stealing a wallet with $100 and irreplaceable photos of grandchildren; and taking more than $400 in cash in an envelope in a tea cozy from a 93-year-old woman in her retirement home.

Victims said they longer trusted people at their door, others complained of a loss of sleep, one man said he has spent money to retrofit his house with security, and yet another woman complained of having to spend Christmas giving statements to police.

JEFF NAGEL BC LOCAL NEWS

Metro Vancouver has decided to buy a new 29-storey office tower in Metrotown for $205 million to serve as its new headquarters.

The regional district will sell the two office towers that house its existing office complex just northwest of Metrotown.

Those buildings are assessed at $82.5 million and are around 30 years old.

At 414,000 square feet, the new Metrotower III building is bigger than Metro needs to house its 800 employees, so the regional district will occupy 13 floors and lease out the rest.

The move is expected to cost the average household an extra $5 to $6 more on their regional property taxes each year starting in 2018. It won’t affect 2016 taxes.

Board chair Greg Moore said Ivanhoe Cambridge’s new building was the “most economically and environmentally responsible” choice after an extensive evaluation of options.

Metro faced rising costs for its current location, including the need for costly renovations for other tenants.

The move will result in a net decrease in operating costs of about $1 million a year, largely due to the LEED Platinum building’s green features – it consumes 26 per cent less energy.

It also uses 40 per cent less water, due to a collection system that channels rainwater to toilets and landscaping.

Metrotower III is at SkyTrain’s Metrotown station, equidistant between Surrey and downtown Vancouver.

www.nanaimodailynews.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

◆ VANCOUVER

◆ KAMLOOPS

Man in Surrey Six case jailed

Fine for illegal moose hunting

A man who arranged a fateful meeting that ended with the execution-style shootings of six men in a Surrey highrise will serve less than a year for his role.

Sophon Sek pleaded guilty Friday in B.C. Supreme Court to break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence for his part in the so-called Surrey Six slayings.

Sek had been facing a manslaughter charge, but it was stayed — to the dismay of Eileen Mohan, the mother of 22-yearold victim Christopher Mohan.

“He just got away with murder,” she said outside court, visibly shaken. “He cut himself a sweetheart deal, and that’s what I’ve got for Christmas.”

Sek was sentenced to one year minus 80 days of time served. He’ll serve the time consecutively with the six years he’s already serving for drug and firearms charges.

Sek’s lawyer Terry La Liberte said he was “shocked” when he learned of the deaths.

“He had no knowledge that this was going to happen. He had no knowledge that there were going to be innocent people there,” La Liberte said outside court.

A 49-year-old man has been fined about $8,500 for illegally hunting and

then abandoning the remains a bull moose in the B.C.’s Interior.

Xin Xiao was found guilty in Kamloops provincial court on Thursday of hunting out of season, possession of an animal

@NanaimoDaily

and abandoning the bull moose at the side of a logging road in the Nicola Valley in October 2013.

Judge Chris Cleaveley found the Crown did not have enough evidence to convict co-accused

Wei Li of the same three offences.

“I don’t believe a third party killed the moose, and Mr. Xiao came upon the moose and decided to take it,” said Cleaveley.

He fined Xiao about

RCMP say they will recommend drug-trafficking charges against five people following raids in Chilliwack, B.C. Police say search warrants were executed at five homes in the Fraser Valley city as part of a so-called dial-a-dope investigation involving organized crime.

Officers seized firearms, thousands of dollars in cash, luxury cars, bulletproof vests, various drugs and chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine and heroin.

Mounties say material believed to be used for packaging products was also found to be part of an illegal drug operation that was allegedly run out of two locations.

Cpl. Mike Rail says the arrests will help prevent the production and sale of illegal drugs and make the community safer.

The suspects have been released from custody pending charges.

— THE CANADIAN PRESS

$8,500, with $4,000 going to the provincial Habitat Conservation Trust Fund.

He also prohibited Xiao from hunting for two years.

A surveillance camera at a gas station in Merritt

recorded Xiao and Li the morning before the moose was found. Food and gas receipts from Merritt were also found inside the truck.

— THE CANADIAN PRESS

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

COURTS

Man who killed senior is denied early parole TRAIL TIMES

A man who beat a Rossland senior to death in his own home 18 years ago has been denied early parole.

Wayne MacMillan then a resident of Castlegar, was twice convicted of first degree murder in the brutal death of Edward Vertere, 90.

“He continues to downplay his responsibility for his actions in the murder of Mr. Vertere,” states B.C. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kelleher in his ruling, denying MacMillan a faint-hope hearing in front of a jury.

“The murder, coming after torture and a beating, is particularly egregious.”

MacMillan’s case began in the Rossland Court House following his 1998 arrest, but was subsequently moved to Vancouver following a violation of a pre-trial publicity ban by a Vancouver newspaper that was ruled could affect the impartiality of a local jury.

After being convicted of murder in 2000 and sentenced to life without parole for 25 years, MacMillan was granted a new trial after the B.C. Appeal Court ruled that a scribbled note from a juror indicated jury

members may have been confused about a key point of law when they found MacMillan guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Mr. Vertere.

He was re-tried and convicted on Dec. 14, 2003, again sentenced to life without parole eligibility for 25 years.

MacMillan filed for earlier parole under section 745.6 (faint-hope clause) of the Criminal Code, a provision allows prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment with a parole eligibility period of greater than 15 years to apply for early parole once they have served 15 years.

Kelleher said that “generally speaking” MacMillan has done well in custody.

“Although the application has explored other factors contributing to his offences, he continues to characterize the murder of Mr. Vertere and the manslaughter of Mr. Luis Martins as event arising out of self defence,” he wrote. “It is the totality of the evidence that results in this application being dismissed.”

The judge concluded MacMillan can apply for early parole in another five years if he continues to make “sufficient progress.”

MacMillan has an extensive record, with 22 convictions for criminal offences between 1979 and 2001, apart from the Vertere murder conviction, as well as a second homicide.

Two months after killing Vertere, MacMillan beat an Okanagan man to death. He was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Luis Martins.

He met Martins in an Osoyoos bar, beat him to death, then drove Martins’ truck into the mountains northeast of Osoyoos and disposed of the body in a wooded area.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

MIDDLE EAST

BUSINESS

PM in tricky spot over Iraq involvement after offensive

Trade war averted as U.S. meat label law is repealed MIKE BLANCHFIELD AND JOHN WARD THE CANADIAN PRESS

Smoke believed to be from an airstrike billows over the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar in November. Islamic State militants stormed the Iraqi town killing members of the Yazidi minority and forcing women into sexual slavery. The millitants no longer hold the town. [AP PHOTO]

Ability to stand by election promise to refocus role in Islamic State fight in question MURRAY BREWSTER THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau has a line in the sand when it comes to Canada’s involvement in the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The prime minister’s biggest fear is that the country — and the West as a whole — will get dragged even further into the seemingly intractable military and sectarian cauldrons of Iraq and Syria.

But whether Trudeau will be able to stand by his campaign commitment to refocus Canada’s role in the wartorn region is an open question in the aftermath of this week’s major ISIL offensive.

“What I’ve said I’m concerned about, from the very beginning, is anything that leads towards active engagement by the West and boots on the ground,” Trudeau said in a year-end interview this week with The Canadian Press.

“And I think that’s something — whether it’s Libya, whether it’s the previous Iraq conflicts — we know doesn’t necessarily lead to the kind of long-term, positive outcomes that people would hope for and would justify the human cost of engaging in that way.”

From a broad policy perspective, his position is not much different than that of the Obama administration in the U.S. — or even Trudeau’s own predecessor, Stephen Harper.

TRUDEAU

Since ISIL roared out of obscurity and across the deserts of eastern Syria and northern Iraq almost two years ago, the message from the U.S., Canada and other allies has been consistent: Military action? Yes. Boots on the ground? No. Even Haider al-Abadi, Iraq’s beleaguered prime minister, has repeatedly made clear he doesn’t want western troops fighting his war and would prefer to eject ISIL himself — or at least in tandem with Iranian-sponsored Shiite militias.

But in Washington and elsewhere in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, the message has been sliding as the U.S. deploys more special forces and increases the tempo of airstrikes.

In military jargon, it’s called mission creep, something the Harper government — fresh from the politically bruising experience of Afghanistan — sought to avoid in its

parliamentary motion that sent the Canadian military into Iraq.

Although special forces trainers are clearly “boots on the ground,” the notion of excluding large deployments of conventional army troops was a fundamental component of the Conservative government’s strategy.

Trudeau has pledged a more robust training presence in Iraq, but where he differs substantially from his predecessor is in the plan to end the air force’s role in the U.S.-led coalition bombing campaign.

He insists Canada will still be a “substantial military contributor to the military efforts against ISIL,” but his government’s inability to define and articulate what that will look like carries a mounting political cost for the Liberals.

“The Liberal policy to withdraw our fighter jets is completely incoherent,” said Tony Clement, the Conservative foreign affairs critic.

“The defence minister has said that the air combat mission, including CF-18 bombing sorties, will continue well into next year, perhaps beyond the parliamentary authorization.”

On the opposite side of the political spectrum, the NDP continues to insist the withdrawal should happen immediately.

Yet, world events seem to be stacking up against Trudeau’s hope for a quiet, graceful exit towards of a more benign, politically palatable military role.

Following the Paris slaughter, both France and Britain ramped up their roles in the bombing campaign.

Even pacifist Germany is seen as doing more, with the arrival of surveillance planes and warships in the region.

Defence analysts see the attacks on the French capital and Beirut, as well as the recent terror lock down in Brussels, as a sign that the Islamic State militant threat is evolving into organized campaigns of terror directed at specific countries.

Indeed, ISIL continued to surprise this week by launching a major conventional military offensive in northern Iraq that saw Canadian special forces and CF-18s engaged in ground combat and bombing to blunt the extremist attack.

What Trudeau seems to be pining for is something the international community has failed to deliver and no one is talking about: a long-term strategy for the region that looks beyond the bombing.

“I’m a world leader now so I need to solve the Middle East, basically,” said Trudeau — half joking, half caustic — after being asked to lay out his vision of a path to peace in Syria and Iraq.”

He acknowledges that “military and use of force needs to be part” of the solution, but so too should be humanitarian support and follow-up “diplomatic, political and governance structures.”

OTTAWA — A potential trade war between Canada and the United States was averted Friday when Congress passed a massive spending bill that also repealed a controversial meat labelling law.

The 2,000-plus pages of legislation contained a two-page rider that scrapped the U.S. labelling law, known as COOL, which had become a major irritant among Canada, Mexico and the U.S. President Barack Obama formally signed the bill Friday to complete the legislative process.

The World Trade Organization granted Canada and Mexico the right to impose $1 billion in punitive tariffs on various U.S. products after finding that the country-of-origin labelling provisions on beef and pork products violated international trade rules.

Canada and Mexico argued that the measure was no more than thinly disguised protectionism. Supporters said consumers have a right to know where their meat comes from.

International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay both welcomed the passage of the legislation, calling Friday “a great day for Canada.”

“This is a real vindication of the power and significance of the WTO dispute-resolution mechanism, which has secured a real win for Canada,” Freeland said in a teleconference call from Nairobi, where she and MacAulay were taking part in a trade conference.

“This is a decision that will have a real and immediate benefit to the Canadian economy.”

Freeland said she expects the labelling regime will disappear quickly.

“We will be monitoring the situation to make sure there are no problems in this area,” MacAulay added.

The WTO ruling, the latest in a series that Canada won in the dispute, cleared the way for widespread retaliation.

Freeland said Canada still intends to obtain formal approval next week from the WTO for retaliation, even though the tariffs won’t be imposed.

“We think that it is prudent of us to take the legal process to its formal, technical conclusion,” she said.

On Friday, the Senate voted by a 65-33 margin to approve the massive bill that included $1.14 trillion in new spending in 2016 and $680 billion in tax cuts in the decade to come.

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MIDDLE EAST

NEWS IN BRIEF The Canadian Press

Argentina in shock as currency massively devalued

◆ REGINA

Saskatchewan reports case of anthrax on farm

PETER PRENGAMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentines expressed shock at soaring prices on Friday and a major union called for protests to demand salary increases in the initial fallout from a major devaluation of the South American nation’s currency.

The price hikes came after the new administration of President Mauricio Macri on Thursday lifted restrictions on the buying of U.S. dollars. That led to a 30 per cent devaluation of the Argentine peso vis a vis the dollar, which was immediately felt across the country.

Supermarket shoppers said Friday they’ll have to buy less of some products like bread and even cut out some things like beef, practically sacrilegious in a country known for its choice meats.

Gisela Guana, a 26-year-old maid, said that earlier this week she could buy bread for 13 Argentine pesos (US$0.92) per kilogram (42 cents a pound). Now it’s 17 pesos (US$1.21) (55 cents a pound).

“What’s happening is scary,” said Guana, who earns 7,500 pesos (US$535) a month. “Workers are the ones who are going to pay” for the devaluation.

Even before Thursday, Argentines had been complaining for weeks about prices rising even faster than usual in a country with one of the hemisphere’s most rapid inflation rates.

Macri, who ran on promises to liberalize Latin America’s third-largest economy, repeatedly said he would lift currency restrictions.

So between his election victory on Nov. 22 and his inauguration on Dec. 10, supermarkets had been increasing prices to brace themselves for a devaluation. Several businesses, from textile factories to construction companies, simply shut down, figuring it was better to see what happened with the peso rather than risk decisions that might later be costly.

Despite the long run-up, Thursday’s devaluation was a blow for many. It was also confirmation that major changes were coming after 12 years of largely protectionist economic policies.

Currency restrictions were implemented by former President Cristina Fernandez in 2011 in attempts to curtail capital flight. They were a major pillar of an economic policy that included subsidies, price controls and social works programs for the poor.

Macri frequently argued that the “cepo,” or “clamp,” hurt Argentina’s competitiveness, scared away wouldbe investors and created distortions in the economy.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

Lebanese Hezbollah supporters carry pictures in November of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in battle in Syria and opposing Israel. [AP PHOTO]

Hezbollah looks for new recruits as losses mount Drive is sign that war of how intense battle in Syria has become BASSEM MROUE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIRUT — At tightly guarded facilities in south Lebanon, men as young as 17 undergo training by the Shiite guerrilla group Hezbollah on weapons and anti-insurgent tactics before being sent to Syria to fight alongside President Bashar Assad’s forces.

Hezbollah has been conducting a large recruitment drive, a sign of how the war in Syria has become perhaps the most intense conflict the group has waged. Its losses in Syria — now more than 1,000 killed — are approaching the toll incurred by the group in 18 years of fighting the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s.

That conflict earned Hezbollah its reputation as Lebanon’s strongest armed force.

The recruitment, drawing from Lebanon’s Shiite community, is even more important now as Hezbollah expands its involvement in Syria, engaging in battles deep inside the country and trying to take back rebel-held territory.

“Hezbollah is both battle-weary and battle-hardened,” said Bilal Saab, a resident senior fellow for Middle East Security at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security.

“Hezbollah has lost many men in Syria, but it has also acquired new skills. It is overstretched, but it can operate in multiple terrains.”

With strong financial and military backing from Iran, Hezbollah has been able to step up its role in Syria even while maintaining the political domination in Lebanon that it has held for several years.

“Hezbollah is not weaker than the time they joined the war in Syria,” said Hisham Jaber, a retired Lebanese general.

“Hezbollah is not weaker than the time they joined the war in Syria.”

Hisham Jaber, retired Lebanese general

About 3,000 Hezbollah fighters are in Syria, roughly 15 per cent of the group’s main fighting force, said Jaber, who heads the Middle East Center for Studies and Political Research in Beirut and closely follows Hezbollah. It also has about 30,000 fighters it could mobilize if needed.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 1,005 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011, compared with 1,276 killed fighting the Israeli occupation, which ended in 2000.

During the 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, 1,200 people were killed in Lebanon.

Lebanon says most of those killed were civilians, while Israel says 600 of the dead were Hezbollah militants.

The group recruits from Lebanon’s Shiite population, believed to make up about a third of the country’s 4.5 million people.

It finds no shortage of volunteers, since Shiites have rallied around Hezbollah even more than in the past, seeing it as the community’s protector amid a wave of bombings and suicide attacks by Sunni radicals against mainly Shiite areas in Lebanon since 2013.

Hezbollah’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has depicted the war in Syria as a fight against Sunni extremists whom he called an “existential threat.”

Sunni militants fighting for the Islamic State group and al-Qaida’s branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front consider Shiites to be heretics, referring to them by the derogatory term “rawafid,” or “rejectionists,” and openly call for the destruction of Shiite shrines. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV often shows video encouraging Shiites to join the fight against “takfiris,” a term for Sunni extremists meaning “those who declare others infidels.”

In May, Nasrallah said in a speech that Hezbollah could “declare general mobilization to all people. I say we might fight everywhere.”

Hezbollah first began sending fighters to Syria in 2012 to help protect Shiite shrines near the capital of Damascus. In May 2013, the group went in full force and captured the strategic central town of Qusair near the border with Lebanon, a three-week battle that cost the group nearly 100 fighters, according to pro-Hezbollah media. In the following months, it cleared rebels from most of the towns near the border, sharply reducing the number of bombings in Lebanon.

Since Russia began giving air cover to Assad’s forces and their allies, Hezbollah fighters have been vital to the government’s push to capture rebel-held areas in Latakia, Idlib and Aleppo provinces. On Wednesday, they helped government forces capture the strategic Noba Mountain in Latakia province.

Hezbollah officials vow to continue fighting militants from the Nusra Front as well as the Islamic State group in areas bordering Lebanon.

“We are bent on ending the terrorist takfiri presence on our border, no matter what the sacrifices are,” said Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, in a speech in June.

The Saskatchewan government is reporting more cases of anthrax in livestock.

Agriculture officials say the deadly bacteria was confirmed in a cow this week on a farm in the rural municipality of Harris southwest of Saskatoon.

Anthrax is suspected in the deaths of two other cattle from the same herd.

In July anthrax killed two bison near North Battleford and another cow in the RM of Harris.

Livestock are infected when they eat forage contaminated with spores.

Anthrax can survive in spore form for decades in soil and changes in soil moisture can lead to a build-up of spores on pastures.

◆ CALGARY

No charges against police in fatal shooting A unit that investigates police says there will be no charges against Calgary officers who shot and killed a man and critically wounded a woman after a car chase.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says police were pursuing a truck last February after they got calls about shots being fired in the city’s southeast.

ASIRT says the truck was deliberately ramming vehicles — injuring a number of people — as well as driving on sidewalks, medians, pathways and through a fence.

The pickup eventually smashed through a concrete barrier and was heading the wrong way on a freeway when officers rammed the truck to stop the chase.

Two officers fired at the vehicle and the 34-year-old driver was killed.

A woman passenger who was pointing a black object was shot in the face, but survived.

◆ WHITEHORSE

Youth admits to killing of 17-year-old Yukon girl A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to manslaughter a year after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found on a trail in a Whitehorse subdivision.

The boy who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act was initially charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 8, 2014 killing but has pleaded guilty in Yukon territorial court to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The victim was 17-year-old Brandy Vittrekwa, of the Gwich’in Tribal Council from Fort McPherson, N.W.T. She moved to Whitehorse with her family in 2012.

The Crown has filed a notice of intention with the court to ask for an adult sentence.

Doris Bill, the chief of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, said Friday the plea was made at a difficult time for the Vittrekwa family because it was so close to the anniversary of the teen’s death.

“It’s a relief in a sense for her family,” said Bill.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

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NATION&WORLD 15

BUSINESS

PERU

Bombardier CEO absence overshadows celebration

Canadian arrested in drug ceremony killing THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LIMA, Peru — A 29-year-old Canadian man allegedly stabbed to death a British tourist after the two drank a hallucinogenic brew at a spiritual retreat in the Peruvian Amazon.

Local authorities said the incident Joshua Stevens is accused of happened Wednesday night at the Phoenix Ayahuasca spiritual retreat near the town of Iquitos.

It’s not clear what led to the death of Unais Gomes, 25.

But local police chief Normando Marquez said witnesses described a fight breaking out between Gomes and fellow tourist Andrew Freeman, during which a knife was pulled against Stevens, originally from Winnipeg.

ROSS MAROWITS THE CANADIAN PRESS

MIRABEL, Que. — Despite his conspicuous absence, Bombardier’s executive chairman cast a shadow Friday over the company’s celebration marking the certification of its CSeries passenger jet.

A published report suggested Pierre Beaudoin, grandson of the company’s founder, will step down in the new year.

The Montreal-based company denied the anonymously sourced Reuters report out of Washington, D.C., calling it “pure speculation.”

“I don’t know where this is coming from,” Alain Bellemare, who replaced Beaudoin as CEO in February, told reporters after certification of the CS100 was announced.

The family’s control of the company through its multiple voting shares has long been criticized by some investors despite the retort that the continued involvement allows the company to withstand short-term challenges.

Pierre and his father, Laurent, who preceded him as chairman and CEO, have shifted some of their attention to other investments lately, including recreation vehicle company BRP and a cement plant under development in the Gaspe.

The uncertainty surrounding Bombardier’s top leadership comes as the federal government gave the green light to the largest plane ever built in Canada.

“This is a big day,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said during a news conference at the aircraft’s assembly facility in Mirabel, north of Montreal. “Major projects like the certification Bombardier’s CSeries don’t come along very often.”

The chief said the same knife was then used by Stevens to kill Gomez.

In a video, Stevens can be seen being taken away in custody by a police truck.

Martin Manrique from Iquitos’ prosecutors’ office says Stevens was later released but must remain in Peru while he is being investigated for homicide.

However, the Guardian reported that police concluded that all the evidence showed Stevens acted in self-defence after Gomes tried to attack him with a knife.

The British newspaper also quoted Stevens’ fiancee Sarah-Anne Allen as saying all charges had been dropped and he would be returning to Canada soon.

“He is very shaken and sad, but he is coping,” Allen told the Guardian in an interview posted on its website Friday.

Fred Cromer, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, at a news conference in Mirabel, Que., on Friday. [THE CANADIAN PRESS]

The go-ahead comes more than a decade after Bombardier first unveiled plans to build a plane that would compete directly with the smaller airliners from Boeing and Airbus.

The 110- to 125-seat CS100 has travelled more than 150,000 kilometres, or four times around the globe, during flight tests since its first flight on Sept. 16, 2013.

Garneau said certification sends a strong signal to investors and potential customers. However, he declined to say when Ottawa will decide on a request from Bombardier to match the Quebec government’s US$1 billion financial investment in the CSeries.

Developing a new plane from

scratch hasn’t always been easy, Bellemare said, but the new leadership team he’s assembled, financial stability and certification demonstrate the CSeries is regaining momentum.

“The investment of Quebec has clearly helped us regain traction in the marketplace, creating positive momentum with airline customers, and I hope we will be able to get one more partner to give it even more juice moving forward,” he told reporters.

The company has high hopes that the plane’s use of lightweight materials and fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney engines will make it a long-term winner, especially in growing markets like China.

!

T F E L 3 Y L ON

Alberta credit rating downgraded by S&P THE CANADIAN PRESS

CALGARY — Standard and Poor’s has downgraded Alberta’s credit rating on concerns of weak budgetary performances and rising debt.

The credit rating agency dropped the province’s rating one notch from AAA to AA+ while still stating it expects the province’s credit

liquidity to be exceptional in the next two years.

S&P said the downgrade is based on “Alberta’s projected oil price-driven weak budgetary performances in the next two years; moderate, but rapidly rising, tax-supported debt burden; and now-average economic prospects.”

Long-term issuer credit and senior unsecured debt were down-

graded to AA+, as was the senior unsecured debt rating on the Alberta Capital Finance Authority.

S&P said the stable outlook of the AA+ credit rating reflects its expectations that the province will continue to have exceptional liquidity in the next two years, the real GDP will grow in 2016 and 2017, and the debt burden will remain modest.

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CALIFORNIA ATTACK

Man who bought guns for couple feared collapse of ‘multiple lives’ Enrique Marquez stands accused of terrorism-related charges and various other counts BRIAN MELLEY AND CHRISTINE ARMARIO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Less than a month before his friend carried out the San Bernardino terror attack, the man who authorities say bought the assault rifles used in the massacre wondered when the multiple lives he was leading would come crashing down.

“Involved in terrorist plots, drugs, anti-social behaviour, marriage, might go to prison for fraud, etc,” Enrique Marquez Jr. told someone in a Facebook chat Nov. 5.

The posting, described in court documents, foreshadowed trouble he was facing before any bullets started flying.

Now Marquez stands accused of terrorism-related charges and other counts linked to the San Bernardino shootings.

Marquez, 24, was charged Thursday with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists in deadly plots with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 that they never carried out.

The duo, who had become adherents to radicalized Islam ideology as neighbours in Riverside, wanted to maximize carnage by using pipe bombs and guns to kill innocent people at a campus cafeteria and those stuck in rush hour traffic, court documents said.

Those plans may never have come to light if not for the attack where Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, used guns Marquez bought years ago to kill 14 people and wound 22 at a

Breastfeeding pic with Santa gets attention THE CANADIAN PRESS

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — An Ontario woman behind the viral photograph of herself breastfeeding her child while sitting on Santa’s lap says she’s disappointed with the public reception she’s received.

Rebecca Dunbar says she had the picture taken mostly as a joke, but decided to post it in a bid to increase acceptance of the practice of nursing in public.

Dunbar says the reaction she’s received since she posted the picture to her Facebook page suggests that acceptance won’t come quickly.

She says about 75 per cent of the feedback she’s seen has been negative, with many posters complaining the picture is “trashy.”

Dunbar says the shot is less revealing than many pictures of scantily clad woman and laments the fact that public breastfeeding is frowned upon.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF The Associated Press ◆ CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA.

Spacewalk needed at space station next week Two Americans aboard the International Space Station are gearing up for a spacewalk early next week to free a stalled rail car.

Flight controllers in Houston were moving the rail car on the outside of the orbiting lab when it got stuck Wednesday. It stalled just 10 centimetres from its lock-down position.

NASA operations manager Kenny Todd said Friday the car needs to be securely attached to its guide rails before any dockings by visiting spacecraft. Russia plans to launch a supply ship Monday for a linkup Wednesday.

NASA’s one-year spaceman Scott Kelly and the newly arrived Timothy Kopra could step outside as early as Monday. Managers will decide Sunday whether to proceed or wait until Tuesday.

◆ UNITED NATIONS

UN resolution endorses peace process for Syria

Security was tight as a car carrying Enrique Marquez Jr. arrived at U.S. District Court in Riverside, Calif., this week. Marquez is charged with conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to commit attacks never carried out. [AP PHOTO]

holiday meeting of Farook’s health department co-workers.

The FBI has labeled the shootings terrorism, making it the deadliest strike by Islamic extremists on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.

Marquez was charged with illegally purchasing the rifles that the shooters used in the slaughter and were found with hours later after dying in a gun battle with police.

In his initial court appearance, Marquez looked disheveled. His short hair flopped over his forehead,

there was stubble on his face, and the pockets of his black pants were turned out. He appeared calm and showed no emotion as he gave oneword answers to the judge.

No plea was entered and he was ordered held until a bail hearing Monday in U.S. District Court. If convicted of all three counts, he could face up to 35 years in federal prison.

His public defender declined comment, though friends and family have described him as a good person who was easygoing and liked to party.

Marquez, a former licensed security guard, was working at a Riverside bar at the time of the shooting and is not alleged to have had a role in the attack.

Attorney E. Martin Estrada, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said the admissibility of Marquez’s statements to the FBI will likely be challenged by defence lawyers, but if the statements are allowed in court, they give prosecutors a very strong case because of corroborating evidence.

UN Security Council members have unanimously approved a UN resolution endorsing a peace process for Syria including a cease-fire and talks between the Damascus government and the opposition.

But the resolution adopted Friday makes no mention of the most contentious issue — the future role of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The resolution acknowledges that the peace process will not end the conflict because it bars “terrorist groups” operating in the country, including the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, from participating in a cease-fire.

Foreign ministers from 17 countries met on and off for more than five hours to overcome divisions on the text.

◆ BEIJING

COURTS

Ex-wife heartbroken by Turcotte’s murder of children, but ‘resilient’ STEPHANIE MARIN THE CANADIAN PRESS

SAINT-JEROME, Que. — The ex-wife of a Quebecer convicted of murdering their two children told him to look her in the eye Friday as she defiantly declared that while he has broken her heart, he has not broken her resolve.

“I want you to know, Guy Turcotte, that you have achieved your goal,” Isabelle Gaston said at his sentencing arguments as he sat shaking in the prisoner’s box, his head low.

“I want you to look me in the eye . . .You have broken my heart forever, but I want you to know you have not broken my resilience,” she added, as many in the courtroom cried.

The handcuffed Turcotte, who was found guilty earlier this month of second-degree murder in the 2009 stabbing deaths of Olivier, 5, and

TURCOTTE

Anne-Sophie, 3, cried and tried to wipe away the tears as he listened to her.

The judge hearing the arguments invited Turcotte, 43, to speak and the ex-cardiologist jumped at the opportunity.

“People cannot understand the shame I have,” he said in a weak-sounding voice.

“I cannot look people in the face, I’m so ashamed.”

Turcotte, 43, said he stood trial as a way to explain his actions.

“I want to tell you Isabelle, I didn’t go to trial to make you feel responsible,” he said, adding he wanted to explain what he’d done and gone through “after hitting the bottom of the barrel.”

“It was not to hurt you. I know I can never forgive myself what happened.”

The Crown suggested Turcotte serve a minimum 20 years before he’s eligible to apply for parole, while the defence countered it should be less than 15 and closer to 10.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Andre Vincent will rule on Jan. 15.

City issues second smog red alert of the month China’s capital Beijing issued its second smog red alert of the month on Friday, triggering vehicle restrictions and forcing schools to close.

A wave of smog is due to settle over the city of 22.5 million from Saturday to Tuesday. Levels of PM2.5, the smallest and deadliest airborne particles, are set to top 500, according to the official Beijing government website.

That is more than 20 times the level that is considered safe by the World Health Organization.

Half the city’s cars will be forced off the road on any given day, while barbecue grills and other outdoor smoke sources will be banned and factory production restricted. Schools will close and residents advised to avoid outdoor activities.

Visibility in some parts of Beijing will fall to less than on Tuesday when the smog will be at its worst, the city government website said.

An almost complete lack of wind would contribute to the smog’s lingering over the city, it said.

www.nanaimodailynews.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

Ask our

DENTURIST

Tim Wait expands his Real Estate Business into the Victoria Market.

better solution other than metal clasps?

Valplast partial would be an excellent A: Achoice in a situation like yours. Valplast

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As Vancouver Island continues to attract people from all parts of the world, having a REALTOR on your side that undertands and works in the island's two most active markets, will be real advantage.

Tim's Real Estate licences will be located at the REMAX Camosun office at 4440 Chatteron Way, Victoria, BC.

TIM WAIT

tim@timwait.com • www.timwait.com 31 YEAR ISLAND RESIDENT HALL OF FAME RE/MAX REALTOR

a Personalized Paydown Q: DoPlanyouforneed your holiday bills?

Most Canadians suffer with their highest personal debt load in January, when the “holiday hit” arrives and your credit card statements let you know just how much you spent on the Sharon Fauchon festive season. It’s especially hard if you already had a & Krista Verhiel burgeoning debt load before the holidays.

Your Trusted Local With the right plan in place, this year could be the Mortgage Experts beginning of a strong new financial life. Start now, and every month you could be seeing the difference: a boost to your monthly cash flow, one easy payment, faster debt paydown, and potentially thousands of dollars in interest savings.

If you have enough equity in your home (you can’t refinance a mortgage above an 80 per cent loan to value), we can show you how to use that equity to roll your high-interest debt into a low-rate mortgage. First we’ll do an assessment of your situation. Here’s an example – mortgage, car loan and credit cards total $225,000.

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thinking about buying a Q: I’m new mattress for Christmas, what do I need to know? single most important A: The thing you need to have is a

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So if the pillow top is only on one side it will wear out twice as quick. Don’t be fooled by pretty covers either, don’t forget when you get it home you put sheets on it.

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17

EXPERTS REAL ESTATE

a metal upper partial and Q: Ia have very high smile line. Is there a

Today

@NanaimoDaily

am a single mother with a home in foreclosure Q: Iand an ex-husband who pays no child support.

I have credit card debt and my hydro was recently cut off. Is bankruptcy my only option?

I have a good job.

If you have sufficient income, a proposal to creditors under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act may be an option. Under this kind of arrangement, you may pay your debts through a single regular monthly payment over a period of usually between three to five years. Gareth F. Slocombe C.A., C.I.R.P. Depending on what assets you have and your ability to Trustee pay, your may either end up paying your debts in full or making a compromise by paying as little as 10% to 20% of your debts in some cases. All interest is stopped and creditors may not take any further action against you such as garnishments etc. Depending on the amount of your debts, you may only need 51% of the creditors ( by dollar value ) to vote in favour of the proposal in order to bind all other creditors in the compromise.

Arrears on your hydro bill can also be included in the proposal and you will be able to have your service reconnected once the proposal is filed. If you are counting a shortfall to the mortgage holder as part of your total debt, you may first wish to ensure that it is not going to be paid out by your ex-husband if he had originally cosigned for it.

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Adapting your own home small ways can help you stay in your home longer and Tiah Workman more safely. There are a number of Notary Public programs available that might help fund these improvements including Home Adaptations for Independence (see http://www.bchousing.org/ Options/Home_Renovations) and the BC Seniors’ Home Renovation Tax Credit. BC residents over 60 with low to moderate incomes who rent their homes may be eligible for the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program, which provides monthly cash payment to subsidize rent, including homes in the private rental market.

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PHARMACIST

Need to ask our experts?

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EMAIL YOUR QUESTION TO:

expertadvice@nanaimodailynews.com Or mail or fax to:

The Nanaimo Daily News Suite B1– 2575 McCullough Rd., Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 5W5 Fax: 250-729-4249 (Deadline Jan 8, 2016)

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1816 Bowen Road, Nanaimo • 250-740-3880

18 NATION&WORLD

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

POLICING

RCMP puppy progress to go on social media MICHAEL MACDONALD THE CANADIAN PRESS

HALIFAX — The RCMP have launched a cuteness offensive in Nova Scotia.

The Mounties’ weapon of choice?

Puppies.

For the next 12 months, the police force will be posting photos, videos and text on Twitter and Facebook to document the progress of their latest recruits: two 10-week-old German shepherd pups.

The dogs — Helo and his brother Hamer (pronounced Hammer) — recently arrived in Nova Scotia from the Police Dog Service Training Centre in Alberta.

The centre is the only place in Canada where RCMP police dogs are born and trained.

The centre in Innisfail began its breeding program in 1999 and staff there train both officers and dogs.

Once a match is made, it usually lasts for a canine’s entire career.

However, before training in Alberta begins, potential police dogs born at the centre are teamed up with

RCMP Const. Tim Reid and his dog Helo at the Nova Scotia RCMP headquarters in Dartmouth, N.S., on Friday. A social media project will follow the training of new police dogs over the next year. [THE CANADIAN PRESS]

so-called imprinters across the country for a 12-month trial period that involves intense training twice a week and plenty of exposure to the public.

“We hope they each succeed in . . . becoming a police dog with the RCMP,” Const. Mark Skinner said when asked about the online progress reports.

“It shows a different side of the RCMP.” One of the imprinters, Const.

Richard Bushey, said he and his dog Hamer have been together since Dec. 1.

“He’s a joy to be around,” said Bushey said as the puppy squirmed at the end of his leash.

“We’ve done a couple of school talks already in front of small children . . . Eventually, as he gets older, we’ll get into the tracking side of it and the obedience side. But right now he’s just a young pup.”

The dog lives with Bushey. Most of the time they spend together will be before and after Bushey’s shifts as a general duty officer in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

“It’s a 24-hour thing,” he said after a news conference at RCMP headquarters in Halifax. “Just look at him.

What better job could you have? A partner like this doesn’t judge you.”

Const. Tim Reid says every two weeks he and his dog Helo take part in a six- to eight-hour training day that includes a heavy focus on tracking skills. And every four months,

a fully trained dog handler assesses each dog’s progress.

“We teach them to be unafraid of anything that a typical house pet might be afraid to do,” says Reid, who is based in Bible Hill, N.S. Helo is Reid’s sixth RCMP puppy.

Only one of the five others graduated to become a police dog. One of them died of a heart attack, another returned to Innisfail to breed and two others were sold as pets.

“They lacked the traits we’re looking for,” says Reid, adding that the Mounties want dogs with “in-yourface attitude.”

He says there are about 80 imprinters across the country, all of them hoping to make it into the dog handler program in Alberta. An average of eight RCMP officers get that chance every year, Reid says.

The progress reports on Hamer and Helo will appear on Twitter at @RCMPNS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rcmpns. » We want to hear from you.

Send comments on this story to yourletters@nanaimodailynews.com.

19

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

NHL

Vey saves the day in Canucks win Called up from Utica, Linden Vey scores shootout winner to beat Red Wings 4-3 IAIN MCINTYRE VANCOUVER SUN

I

t was quite a night in Detroit Friday. Pigs flew, hell froze, Donald Trump said something smart and the Vancouver Canucks scored three times and blew two third-period leads before finally beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout with a shot from a guy who was in the minors that morning.

Well, at least one of these events actually occurred, and it might have been the most unlikely.

Wallowing in a six-week slump, unable to score goals or win on the road, the under-manned Canucks had one of their most impressive nights of the National Hockey League season, ending a six-game road losing streak with a outburst of offence powered by unlikely sources.

Linden Vey, banished to the minors by the Canucks in October but recalled Friday to replace injured captain Henrik Sedin, was the unlikeliest hero as his wrist shot in the seventh round of the shootout gave Vancouver its first road win since Nov. 25 and just its third since October.

Suddenly, everyone can breathe again — at least until the Canucks, 1-3 on this road trip and dangerously close to the bottom of the NHL, visit the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon.

“It gives you some ease,” veteran winger Radim Vrbata said in a dressing room that was more relieved than jubilant. “You can sleep better, you don’t have to worry about hockey for a day. It puts better thoughts in your head and gives you a little jump maybe for next game.”

Vrbata scored for the first time in five games. Equally importantly, young Canucks Jared McCann, Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat, all in danger of being crushed by the weight of expectation and scoring slumps, also broke out offensively as Vancouver beat a good Detroit team despite missing its best two centres and one-third of its defence because of injuries.

Defenceman Alex Biega, a career minor-leaguer recalled amid the blue-line crisis, played a terrific game. So did defenceman Matt Bartkowski and Canuck goalie Ryan Miller, who surrendered a questionable tying goal by Henrik Zetterberg with 1:07 remaining in regulation but kept his team from capsizing as it blew 2-1 and 3-2 leads in the third period.

It was the kind of night beleaguered coach Willie Desjardins has been imploring his team to produce, with secondary players stepping up to play primary roles.

Do we make too much of one win?

Of course, we do.

It’s not like they happen every week for the Canucks. Shut out four times in the last three weeks and with only five goals in their previous six road games, the Canucks could post zeros

BERNIER

Bernier regains No. 1 job by default STEPHEN WHYNO THE CANADIAN PRESS

Vancouver Canucks right wing Linden Vey celebrates scoring the game-winning goal in a shootout during a game Friday in Detroit. Vancouver won 4-3 in a shootout. [AP PHOTO]

SPORTS INSIDE Today’s issue

Hockey NFL Scoreboard NBA Soccer

20 21 22 27 28

across the scoreboard again when they face Roberto Luongo and the Panthers on Sunday.

But there was a lot for the Canucks to cling to by beating the Red Wings the way they did, and it has been a while since this many Vancouver players felt good about themselves.

“Honestly, you have no idea,” Horvat, the 20-year-old centre who logged 19:59, said after his beautiful set up of Baertschi gave him his first point in 12 games.

“It just frees up everything. It’s confidence for everybody. Secondary scoring is huge with Hank out of the lineup. To get some guys finally stepping up and getting on the scoreboard definitely helps. To get a point finally on the board boosts my confidence a little bit. Now I’ve just got to keep it rolling next game,” said Horvat.

Baertschi’s pretty goal, on a threeon-two rush with Horvat and Vrbata, was his first point in 14 games and

made it 2-0 for the Canucks at 17:08 of the second period.

McCann’s goal at 18:57 of the first, sniped top-corner after a puck off the end boards eluded Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, was his first in 15 games. Nothing for the Canucks, even on nights like Friday when they can scarcely play much better (shots were 27-10 for Vancouver after two periods), will be easy in the weeks ahead.

Joakim Andersson’s goal for Detroit at 18:53 of the middle period collapsed the Canucks’ lungs and, sure enough, Pavel Datsyuk made it 2-2 at 3:29 of the third when he beat Horvat off the side boards and scored into an unguarded net after both Miller and defenceman Chris Tanev played Brendan Smith to shoot instead of pass. But Vrbata responded with a rebound goal at 5:33 and even after Zetterberg tied it with a near-post laser over Miller’s shoulder, the Canucks dug in again and survived threeon-three overtime so Vey could win it in the shootout.

“You know what, for some reason, I didn’t get that amped up,” Vey said of his nerves as he skated in on Howard.

“If you make it more of a big deal, it can get you.

“So you just go out there and do your job.

“The team is relying on you and I was just lucky it found a way in.

“I’ve come up here and I’ve got to try to win a spot back, even if it’s just for a short period of time. I’ve got to make sure I’m ready every shift.”

Words to live by for each Canuck these days.

THE DEBRIEF A fantastic night of entertainment ended with Linden Vey, called up from the minors to replace injured captain Henrik Sedin, scoring in the seventh round of the shootout as Vancouver ended a six-game road losing streak. Radim Vrbata, pictured, Jared McCann and Sven Baertschi scored to bust out of personal slumps. The Canucks blew a pair of third-period leads, but this was still one of the team’s most impressive games this season.

BY THE NUMBERS Jared McCann’s goal was his first in 15 games, and Sven Baertschi’s his first in 14. Bo Horvat’s assist was his first point in 12 games ... The Canucks had their first 2-0 lead since Nov. 16 ... Shots were 40-28 for the Canucks, 27-10 in the first 40 minutes ... The Red Wings dominated on faceoffs, going 40-22 ... Alex Edler blocked four shots for Vancouver, and defenceman Alex Biega, pictured, had four hits VEY DAY It was a whirlwind 24 hours for call-up Linden Vey, summoned from the Utica Comets with Henrik Sedin out day-to-day. GM Jim Benning didn’t have much choice: minor-league centres Mike Zalewski and Alex Friesen are both hurt. Before winning the game with his shootout wrister, Vey skated between Chris Higgins, pictured, and Alex Burrows on the third line. He had one shot and was minus-one in 11:24 of ice time.

TORONTO — Default is the sweetest word to Jonathan Bernier.

Injuries — first to James Reimer and now Garret Sparks — ensured that Bernier is back as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ No. 1 goaltender. He’ll start against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

“There’s no decision: Bernie’s going, and a good opportunity for Bernie,” coach Mike Babcock said.

“When your boss tells you, you can’t, you think you can and when you get your opportunity, you’ve got to do something with it.”

Bernier is winless in this season, and his .883 save percentage is thirdworst in the NHL among goalies with at least 10 games played. He’s 0-8-3 in 11 appearances with a 3.46 goalsagainst average that’s also near the bottom of the league.

Babcock thought so little of the struggling Bernier that Sparks, a rookie called up from the AHL, started Thursday against San Jose. Only a first-period injury to Sparks, which Babcock said will keep the 22-yearold out through at least Christmas, gave Bernier the top job back.

“I feel when Mike has given me the chance, I just want to go in the right direction,” Bernier said. “Obviously I haven’t got any wins, but I felt like (Thursday) night was another step in the right direction.”

Bernier was good in relief Thursday, stopping 24 of the 27 shots he faced in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks, and caught a bad break on the winning goal when the puck went in off teammate Peter Holland’s shin pad. He wants to take “baby steps” in getting his confidence back and his game back together, and that was progress.

Now Bernier has the chance to play a lot of games, including at least two of the next three against the Kings, his former team, and then at the Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes. Antoine Bibeau will be called up to back up Bernier on Saturday, but the Leafs know this is Bernier’s time.

“He’s back in the net now and he’s playing his old team here this weekend, so I’m sure he’s going to be on his game and hopefully we can get a win for him,” centre Tyler Bozak said.

20 SPORTS

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BCHL

Clippers break out with 9-1 win Matt Creamer’s third-period hat trick helped Nanaimo end two-game losing streak SCOTT MCKENZIE DAILY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL PLAY

Canada has overhauled its selection ways STEPHEN WHYNO THE CANADIAN PRESS

H

eading into Friday night’s home game against the Prince George Spruce Kings, the Nanaimo Clippers were in a bit of a funk.

The Island Division leaders had lost two games in a row, blowing third-period leads on both occasions.

Rookie Matt Creamer hadn’t scored in seven games.

But that all changed in a big way at Frank Crane Arena when Creamer and the Clippers ran the Spruce Kings out of the building in a 9-1 pounding — their last home game before the Christmas break.

“We just kept it simple, which is something we hadn’t been doing lately,” said Creamer, an 18-year-old American import.

Creamer scored his third, fourth and fifth goals of the season in the third period in a span of less than eight minutes.

He knocked in a rebound, scored on a breakaway and then sniped home a wrist shot, off the post and in for his hat trick.

“It’s a weird thing when you put pucks on net and things just seem to happen,” Creamer said. “I just tried to get as many pucks to the net as I could. Scoring three goals, it helps your comfort level a lot.”

Creamer’s hat trick was all part of an offensive outburst against the Spruce Kings, one that barely needed the help of BCHL points and goal leader Sheldon Rempal.

Rempal scored on a wrap-around in the second period and assisted on a powerplay marker from Matt Hoover to open scoring less than a minute

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

Nanaimo Clippers forward Matt Creamer, left, celebrates after his third-period goal Friday night at Frank Crane Arena during a B.C. Hockey League game against the Prince George Spruce Kings. [SCOTT MCKENZIE/DAILY NEWS]

in, but that was all that was needed from the Clippers star. “(Creamer’s) been working hard and it was nice to see someone else be an offensive hero for a night,” Clippers head coach Mike Vandekamp said. “That’s excellent.”

Hoover finished with four points — two goals and two assists — while Nolan Aibel and Spencer Hewson both scored once.

Captain Devin Brosseau, who was taken off the Clippers’ top line in favour of Charley Borek, also scored a late goal on the powerplay.

Up 4-1 after the second period, the Clippers needed to be wary that, as they’ve learned in recent games, no lead is safe in this league.

Instead of sitting back and holding onto the lead, however, they extended it — even forcing the Spruce Kings to make their second goaltending change of the night.

“We don’t need to really say anything about that,” Vandekamp said of the past two losses.

“We knew what the mission was today.

“We didn’t get off to the best of starts — we kind of got outworked at times int he first period. We still had lots to prove.”

The Clippers (23-12-0-1) are back in action tonight, on the road, against the Victoria Grizzlies. It’s their last game before players head home for the holidays.

NOTES: The Clippers have officially signed 16-year-old Matt Kowalski to the full-time roster, Vandekamp confirmed Friday. Kowalski, who is from Vernon, is the leading scorer in the B.C. Major Midget League and will join the Clippers after the Christmas break . . . Rempal’s two-point night kept him atop the BCHL’s scoring leaders — he now has 75 points in 36 games and is on pace for 120 over the course of the season . . . Hoover and Brosseau are fourth and fifth in league scoring with 51 and 50 points, respectively.

Scott.McKenzie @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4243

TORONTO — Another disappointing defeat at the world junior championship in 2014 hung over Hockey Canada.

Management knew it messed up by leaving skilled players like Max Domi and Darnell Nurse off the team that finished fourth in Malmo, Sweden.

Two months later, a star-studded Canadian team that had the likes of Patrick Sharp, P.K. Subban and Martin St. Louis as extras and won gold at the Sochi Olympics and changed Canada’s approach to its the national winter sport.

Coach Mike Babcock’s message was: “You can ask guys to work hard, you can teach guys to block shots. Who’s going to score? Who’s going to bring the offence?”

It’s now the mantra for all of Hockey Canada.

Gone are the days of Canada picking role players like Rob Zamuner, Shayne Corson or Kris Draper over players with more talent. The upcoming world junior team is the latest example of Hockey Canada’s seismic shift from the old reputation of big, hard and strong to the exploitation of skill, skill and more skill.

“The identity of the Canadian team has changed,” Hockey Canada vice-president of hockey operations Scott Salmond said.

“There has been a cultural change, and I think European teams are now looking at Canadian teams and saying, ‘Geez, these guys play a real skilled game.”’

Like Zamuner and Corson at the 1998 Olympics and Draper in 2006, Domi is the poster boy at the junior level for what not to do.

NHL

Patrick Kane remains popular, controversial in Buffalo CHRIS HINE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Adam Collura and Chris McCann operate sports bars in Buffalo, N.Y. Collura helps run family-owned Sidelines, which is near the First Niagara Center, where the Sabres play. McCann owns Mooney’s Sports Bar and Grill.

On any night when the Blackhawks are playing, both said, at least one television in the bar is tuned to that game so people can watch Buffalo native Patrick Kane play.

Kane might not always be the dominant sports topic in town — the torturous Sabres and Bills earn that distinction — but he is never far from mind.

And he won’t be far in a physical sense Saturday, when Kane and the Hawks take on the Sabres in Buffalo.

It will be the first time Kane plays in his hometown since he was not charged at the conclusion of a sexual assault investigation stemming from an incident at his house in western New York in August.

KANE

The investigation generated a cacophony of reaction, especially in Buffalo, where there are varied views of Kane. McCann and Collura said the investigation closing without charges has helped restore Kane’s reputation for many in the city.

“He’s definitely back in the good graces of people,” McCann said.

“Everyone feels good about him again.

“Don’t get me wrong, when it first came out, people were saying he’s

embarrassing us. … There were a few people who were at first put off by it.

But his name was brought back to the level it was before.”

Said Collura: “They still support him and they love him here. He’s a hometown kid.”

A large swath of Kane supporters felt vindicated when prosecutor Frank Sedita III did not bring charges against Kane or send the case to a grand jury.

But not everyone feels the same as those who frequent McCann’s and Collura’s bars. Mike Schopp, co-host of a sports radio show on WGR-AM 550 in Buffalo, said he finds it “hard” to like Kane.

“Pat has his loyal fans here, especially in South Buffalo, and he has his detractors, fans disappointed that he has acted so immaturely,” Schopp said. “The way the summer and fall played out, it’s tough to justify a change in opinion about him because there were no charges. It might be that people have a different opinion of him privately but won’t open up

about it because that can be hard to defend.”

Suzanne K. Taylor, a former hockey writer and attorney who lives in Buffalo, said Kane was already a divisive figure before the investigation given his previous legal troubles in Buffalo.

He was accused in August 2009 of assaulting a cab driver and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct — a non-criminal violation — with all other charges dropped.

Some adored Kane, and the investigation did little to change that; some thought he was an entitled millionaire, and the investigation did little to change that. Taylor did say Kane’s fans outnumber his detractors.

“The rumor mill was in high gear during the investigation, and people believed everything they heard that comported with what they were already inclined to believe,” Taylor said. “I don’t believe anyone changed camps because of this investigation, for good or for bad.”

Taylor, like other advocates for rape victims, said it was unfortunate

to see the investigation unfold as it did because of the consequences it can have for future victims of sexual assault who come forward, especially against high-profile athletes or celebrities.

“The failure to prosecute fueled the argument that nothing happened,” Taylor said. “And will lead some fans to always feel that women reporting rape are just after something.”

Indeed, that was the opinion McCann and Collura heard a lot from patrons, who watched eagerly as Kane became the talk of the NHL with his streak of 26 consecutive games with a point.

Some might be in the arena Saturday, and Taylor said she expects Kane to get a hearty welcome. This is Buffalo after all.

“He will be warmly welcomed, no doubt,” Taylor said. “I can’t imagine the number of tickets he has to come up with. He’s still a hometown hero, and every little hockey player in Buffalo thinks that they can grow up to be Patrick Kane.”

www.nanaimodailynews.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

FOOTBALL BRIEFS The Associated Press ◆ NEW ENGLAND

Tom Brady listed as a question for Sunday New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was listed on the team’s injury report Friday with an illness that made him questionable Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

Brady did not practice with the team, according to the injury report.

Since he took over when Drew Bledsoe was injured in Week 2 of the 2001 season, Brady has played in every game of every season except for 2008, when he was injured in the first quarter of the opener and missed the rest of the season.

Backup Jimmy Garoppolo has appeared in four games this season and has not thrown a pass this year.

◆ DENVER

Peyton Manning back injured on the sideline Peyton Manning’s left foot was sore Friday so he didn’t practice after running the Denver Broncos’ scout team for two days.

Manning’s foot has bothered him for months and he’s been sidelined since mid-November with a torn plantar fascia that required a cast or boot for 10 days. He returned to practice Wednesday but after two days of running the scout team, he reported to work saying he was sore.

“So we said, OK, we’ll stop for the weekend and go from there,” coach Gary Kubiak said.

◆ NEW YORK

Giants’ corner ready for Cam Newton, Panthers Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara will have more to worry about Sunday than Carolina quarterback Cam Newton’s arm.

Amukamara said the undefeated Panthers’ running game will present just as big a challenge, even without their leading rusher, Jonathan Stewart.

The 5-foot-10, 235-pound Stewart had 989 yards and six touchdowns before a foot injury caused coach Ron Rivera to rule him out for Sunday.

But the Panthers, who average 141.9 yards as the league’s secondranked rushing offence, will compensate with two other able backs in Mike Tolbert and Fozzy Whittaker.

And then there is Newton, a quarterback who is not afraid to pitch it to a wide receiver or take it himself.

◆ BUFFALO

Mario Williams expects to play against ‘Skins Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams is expected to play against the Washington Redskins after returning to practice.

Williams missed Buffalo’s previous two days of practice because of an illness.

He was listed as questionable Friday, but coach Rex Ryan says Williams should be ready to play against Washington.

@NanaimoDaily

SPORTS 21

NFL

Chancellor questionable, McCray excited for first ever start with ‘Hawks CURTIS CRABTREE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENTON, Wash. — After four years in the NFL and four different teams, Kelcie McCray may finally get the chance to start a game this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

McCray took over for an injured Kam Chancellor in last week’s 35-6 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

With Chancellor unable to practice all week due to a bruised tailbone, McCray would get the starting nod at strong safety if Chancellor can’t play against the Browns. Chancellor is listed as questionable.

“It means a lot to me,” McCray said.

“It definitely feels good knowing that the coaches and my teammates have faith in me to go out there and get the job done. It’s exciting and I’m excited to get out there.”

Chancellor played just nine defensive snaps for Seattle last week before leaving the game due to the injury.

McCray stepped in and played the final 49 defensive plays.

“He played right. He was in the right spots. He saw things correctly.

He fit in the running game and passing game really well. He played fast and he tackled well when he had his chances,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “He was two plays from having a phenomenal game. ... He did a very good job for us. He did well on the deep end in the middle, too.

We didn’t have to change anything.

We didn’t adjust anything. We just

Seattle Seahawks safety Kelcie McCray, right, pictured in 2013 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could start for the Seahawks on Sunday. [TNS]

played with him and as we saw him.

That really gives us a lot of confidence going into this week in case Kam can’t play.”

McCray finished with three tackles against the Ravens and didn’t appear to have any major issues in his first extended playing time with the Seahawks.

“I didn’t play a perfect game. I didn’t make any major mistakes. It’s

just small little details that I’ve got to get better at that I feel like comes with experience,” McCray said.

McCray, an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas State in 2012, was acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of the preseason.

He’s been limited primarily to special teams duty since joining Seattle, with last week’s game in Baltimore

being his first real action on defence.

“He had great range, really good speed, and he played really good in space,” defensive co-ordinator Kris Richard said of what intrigued them about McCray in Kansas City.

“Those are all attributes that we’re looking for in regards to a safety. And the simple fact that when he puts his body on people, he tackles really well, they go down.”

Former Australian Rugby League star Hayne embraces his role with 49ers CHRIS BIDERMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 49ers thought so highly of former Australian Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne that he was their opening night punt returner despite playing football for just over seven months.

But after three fumbles on punt returns, including his first ever attempt in the season opener, Hayne now finds himself on the practice squad.

“He needs to learn how to play football,” said Thomas McGaughey Jr., the 49ers’ firstHAYNE year special teams coach. “To learn how to run and cover kicks and protect punts.

That kind of stuff, that’s going to be invaluable for him with his overall skill development.”

Hayne was released on Halloween after appearing in six games before clearing waivers and signing to the practice squad two days later.

He broke camp as the team’s punt returner after averaging over 18 yards on returns in the preseason thanks to his quick feet and elusiveness in the open field.

“If I could come this far in seven months, just five me 12 or 14,” Hayne said.

With his preseason performance, Hayne became one of Australia’s biggest sports stories after converting from the Rugby League’s Parramatta Eels, where he was one of the country’s biggest stars.

Hayne exceeded his initial goal by making the 49ers roster for Week 1. He was disappointed about his demotion, but is embracing his opportunity on the practice squad, where he’s received more practice reps than he did as the fourthstring running back.

“It’s definitely been a great year. I overachieved what I ever expected,” Hayne said.

“I think what people don’t realize that every day for me is like a month to everyone else because of the way I pick things up and the way I learn.

“I just feel like in these short six weeks that I’ve been on the practice squad, I learned so much.

There was two weeks where I literally took every single rep in the look-card squad. That was huge.

The most reps I took in a row (before that) was probably three or four.”

Hayne fumbled his first attempt at a punt return in the team’s Week 1 win over the Vikings, and then again against Green Bay in Week 4 and the Ravens in Week 6.

“He just needs to learn the game from the inside and out,” said McGaughey.

The 49ers dealt with injuries to their top three running backs, losing Carlos Hyde to a stress fracture in his left foot and Reggie Bush to knee surgery for the season.

December 18 - 19, 2015 Schedules are subject to change without notice.

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22 SPORTS

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE

-(76 5$1*(56

ATLANTIC DIVISION

First Period 1. Winnipeg, Little 11 (Wheeler) 5:03.

2. Wpg, Little 12 (Wheeler, Ladd) 7:34.

3. NYR, Miller 6 (Hayes, Yandle) 14:01.

4. Wpg, Byfuglien 9 (Scheifele) 17:31.

3HQDOWLHV — Yandle NYR (hooking) 7:49; Ladd Wpg (tripping) 18:30.

6HFRQG 3HULRG 5. NY Rangers, Boyle 3 (McDonagh, Brassard) 14:12 (pp).

6. Wpg, Myers 3 (Wheeler, Little) 16:14.

3HQDOWLHV — Hayes NYR (hooking) 3:25; Nash NYR (interference) 4:15; Ladd Wpg (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:46.

Third Period 7. Wpg, Ladd 9 (Wheeler) 18:59 (en).

3HQDOWLHV — McIlrath NYR, Byfuglien Wpg (roughing) 14:12.

6KRWV RQ JRDO NY Rangers 9 10 7—26 Winnipeg 13 17 6—36 *RDO — NYR: Lundqvist (L, 15-8-3); Wpg: Hellebuyck (W, 5-2-0). 3RZHU SOD\V (goal-chances) — NYR: 1-2; Wpg: 0-3. $WWHQGDQFH — 15,294 at Winnipeg.

Montreal Boston Detroit

GP 33 31 32

W L OL SL GF 20 10 2 1 101 18 9 3 1 102 16 9 5 2 82

GA 76 82 83

Pts Home 43 11-6-2-0 40 7-7-2-0 39 10-6-3-1

Away 9-4-0-1 11-2-1-1 6-3-2-1

Last 10 Strk 3-6-1-0 L-2 6-1-2-1 W-2 5-1-2-2 L-3

GA 67 84 79

Pts Home 48 13-3-1-0 42 13-4-1-0 41 11-5-2-0

Away 10-3-1-0 6-7-1-2 7-5-1-2

Last 10 Strk 8-1-1-0 W-4 3-5-1-1 L-2 7-2-1-0 L-2

METROPOLITAN DIVISION Washington NY Rangers NY Islanders

GP 31 34 33

W L OL SL 23 6 2 0 19 11 2 2 18 10 3 2

GF 96 98 91

WILD CARD Ottawa Florida New Jersey Tampa Bay Philadelphia Pittsburgh Buffalo Carolina Toronto Columbus

GP 33 33 32 33 32 31 33 32 30 34

W 17 17 16 16 14 15 14 12 10 12

L OL SL GF GA 11 2 3 102 97 12 3 1 88 76 12 1 3 77 80 14 1 2 81 78 12 4 2 68 86 13 1 2 70 80 16 1 2 77 86 15 4 1 77 98 13 3 4 72 86 19 2 1 83 105

Pts 39 38 36 35 34 33 31 29 27 27

Home 9-4-1-3 7-6-2-0 7-7-1-2 7-6-0-1 7-5-2-2 8-6-0-2 8-9-1-0 6-7-2-1 5-5-3-2 4-8-2-1

Away 8-7-1-0 10-6-1-1 9-5-0-1 9-8-1-1 7-7-2-0 7-7-1-0 6-7-0-2 6-8-2-0 5-8-0-2 8-11-0-0

Last 10 Strk 5-5-0-0 W-1 7-3-0-0 W-3 5-3-1-1 L-1 5-5-0-0 L-1 7-2-0-1 W-2 2-5-1-2 L-4 5-4-0-1 W-1 4-5-1-0 L-2 3-4-2-1 L-2 2-5-2-1 W-1

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION Dallas St. Louis Minnesota

GP 32 33 30

W L OL SL GF 23 7 1 1 108 19 10 3 1 84 17 7 6 0 84

GA 83 79 70

Pts Home 48 12-4-0-0 42 10-6-2-0 40 12-3-1-0

Away 11-3-1-1 9-4-1-1 5-4-5-0

Last 10 Strk 6-2-1-1 L-1 5-4-0-1 W-2 6-1-3-0 W-3

PACIFIC DIVISION Los Angeles San Jose Calgary

GP 31 32 31

W L OL SL 20 9 1 1 16 15 1 0 15 14 1 1

GF GA 81 66 85 87 83 105

Pts Home 42 11-5-0-0 33 4-9-0-0 32 10-5-0-0

Away 9-4-1-1 12-6-1-0 5-9-1-1

Last 10 Strk 7-1-1-1 W-1 3-6-1-0 L-1 7-2-1-0 W-7

GP 33 32 33 32 34 31 33 30

W 18 15 16 15 12 14 14 11

GF GA 89 78 82 83 90 89 90 97 85 97 86 102 87 100 56 76

Pts 40 36 33 32 32 30 30 27

Away 5-7-3-0 6-7-3-0 11-9-0-0 6-10-0-1 7-8-4-1 7-10-1-0 5-12-1-0 3-9-1-0

Last 10 Strk 5-3-2-0 W-1 3-5-2-0 L-3 7-3-0-0 W-4 5-5-0-0 W-1 3-6-1-0 W-1 3-6-1-0 L-2 7-3-0-0 L-2 4-5-1-0 L-2

WILD CARD Chicago Nashville Colorado Winnipeg Vancouver Arizona Edmonton Anaheim

L OL SL 11 4 0 11 5 1 16 1 0 15 1 1 14 7 1 15 2 0 17 2 0 14 4 1

Home 13-4-1-0 9-4-2-1 5-7-1-0 9-5-1-0 5-6-3-0 7-5-1-0 9-5-1-0 8-5-3-1

Note: winning team is credited with 2 points and a victory in the W column; a team losing in overtime or shootout receives 1 point in the respective OTL or SOL column. )ULGD\¡V UHVXOWV Vancouver 4 Detroit 3 (SO) Ottawa 4 San Jose 2 Winnipeg 5 NY Rangers 2 Florida 2 Carolina 0 Washington 5 Tampa Bay 3 Boston 6 Pittsburgh 2 7KXUVGD\¡V UHVXOWV San Jose 5 Toronto 4 (OT) Los Angeles 3 Montreal 0 Chicago 4 Edmonton 0 Calgary 3 Dallas 1 Florida 5 New Jersey 1 Minnesota 5 NY Rangers 2 St. Louis 2 Nashville 1 Colorado 2 NY Islanders 1 Columbus 7 Arizona 5 Philadelphia 2 Vancouver 0 Buffalo 3 Anaheim 0

6DWXUGD\¡V JDPHV Chicago at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Calgary at St. Louis, 3 p.m.

Anaheim at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Montreal at Dallas, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Carolina at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Nashville, 8 p.m.

NY Islanders at Arizona, 9 p.m.

Edmonton at Colorado, 10 p.m.

6XQGD\¡V JDPHV Vancouver at Florida, 4 p.m.

New Jersey at Boston, 5 p.m.

Ottawa at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.

Calgary at Detroit, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Washington at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.

&$18&.6 :,1*6 62

&$3,7$/6 /,*+71,1*

First Period 1. Vancouver, McCann 7 (Hansen) 18:57.

3HQDOWLHV — None.

6HFRQG 3HULRG 2. Vancouver, Baertschi 3 (Horvat, Vrbata) 17:08.

3. Detroit, Andersson 1 (DeKeyser, Glendening) 18:53.

3HQDOWLHV — Burrows Vcr (tripping) 13:42; Prust Vcr (roughing) 20:00.

Third Period 4. Detroit, Datsyuk 3 (Smith, Marchenko) 3:29.

5. Vancouver, Vrbata 10 (Tanev, Baertschi) 5:33.

6. Detroit, Zetterberg 6 (Datsyuk) 18:53.

3HQDOWLHV — McCann Vcr (hooking) 9:22; Biega Vcr, Glendening Det (roughing) 12:43; Kronwall Det (interference) 13:06; Smith Det (slashing) 14:34.

2YHUWLPH Âł No Scoring.

3HQDOWLHV — None.

6KRRWRXW — Vancouver wins 2-1 9DQFRXYHU Burrows miss, Vrbata goal, Baertschi miss, Higgins miss, Hansen miss, D. Sedin miss, Vey goal.

'HWURLW Datsyuk miss, Nyquist miss, Richards goal, Tatar miss, Larkin miss, Zetterberg miss, Helm miss.

6KRWV RQ JRDO Vancouver 17 10 12 1 —40 Detroit 5 5 14 4 —28 *RDO — Vancouver: Miller (W, 10-11-6); Detroit: Howard (LO, 7-4-4).

3RZHU SOD\V (goal-chances) — Vancouver: 0-2; Detroit: 0-3. $WWHQGDQFH — 20,027 at Detroit.

First Period 1. Tampa Bay, Killorn 5 (Marchessault, Coburn) 8:18.

3HQDOWLHV — Ovechkin Wash (interference) 12:19; Filppula TB (hooking) 16:33.

6HFRQG 3HULRG 2. Tampa Bay, Sustr 1 (Kucherov) 6:54.

3. Tampa Bay, Stamkos 12 (Hedman, Stralman) 9:04.

4. Washington, Ovechkin 15 (Oshie, Carlson) 13:49 (pp).

3HQDOWLHV — Burakovsky Wash (stick holding) 3:35; Stamkos TB (slash) 13:17; Williams Wash, Blunden TB (roughing) 15:53; Niskanen Wash (trip) 18:16.

Third Period 5. Washington, Oshie 11 (unassisted) 7:54.

6. Washington, Ovechkin 16 (Chimera, Williams) 10:02 (pp).

7. Washington, Johansson 6 (Oshie, Ovechkin) 14:16 (pp).

8. Washington, Oshie 12 (Backstrom, Ovechkin) 19:35 (en).

3HQDOWLHV — Hedman TB (interference) 9:00; Stralman TB (tripping) 13:39.

6KRWV RQ JRDO Tampa Bay 4 11 4—19 Washington 10 7 6—23 *RDO (shots-saves) — Tampa Bay: Bishop (L, 13-10-2); Washington: Holtby (12-9), Grubauer (W, 3-2-1)(9:04 2nd, 7-7).

3RZHU SOD\V (goal-chances) — Tampa Bay: 0-3; Washington: 3-4. $WWHQGDQFH — 18,506 at Washington.

6(1$7256 6+$5.6 First Period — No Scoring.

3HQDOWLHV — Turris Ott (hooking) 16:24; Stone Ott (tripping) 19:18.

6HFRQG 3HULRG 1. SJ, Thornton 5 (Burns, Pavelski) :29 (pp).

2. Ottawa, Ryan 11 (unassisted) 4:46.

3HQDOWLHV — Hertl SJ (tripping) 1:33; Vlasic SJ (interference) 5:15; Zubrus SJ (tripping) 6:38.

Third Period 3. Ott, Pageau 9 (Dziurzynski, Ceci) 8:22.

4. Ott, Wideman 4 (Lazar, Prince) 13:06.

5. Ott, Karlsson 8 (Hoffman, Ryan) 15:51.

6. SJ, Burns 12 (unassisted) 17:36.

3HQDOWLHV — Zibanejad Ott (cross-check) 0:16; Borowiecki Ott (boarding) 19:39.

6KRWV RQ JRDO San Jose 13 8 12—33 Ottawa 12 13 10—35 *RDO — San Jose: Stalock (L, 2-5-0); Ott: Anderson (W, 15-9-3). 3RZHU SOD\V (goal-chances) — SJ: 1-4; Ottawa: 0-3. $WWHQGDQFH — 17,990 at Ottawa.

3$17+(56 +855,&$1(6 First Period — No Scoring.

3HQDOW\—McClement Car (holding) 12:57.

6HFRQG 3HULRG Âł No Scoring.

3HQDOWLHV — Trocheck Fla (closing hand on puck) 11:30; Lindholm Car (hold) 15:51.

Third Period 1. Fla, Mitchell 1 (Huberdeau, Barkov) 4:09.

2. Fla, Smith 11 (unassisted) 19:39 (en).

3HQDOWLHV — Knight Fla (hooking) 6:00; Hainsey Car (hooking) 13:57.

6KRWV RQ JRDO Florida 5 7 6—18 Carolina 6 9 9—24 *RDO — Florida: Luongo (W, 12-11-3); Carolina: Ward (L, 9-9-3). 3RZHU SOD\V (goal-chances) — Fla: 0-3; Carol: 0-2. $WWHQGDQFH — 10,511 at Carolina.

%58,16 3(1*8,16 First Period 1. Pittsburgh, Sheary 1 (Crosby) 8:20.

2. Bos, Vatrano 3 (Spooner, Ferraro) 10:03.

3HQDOWLHV — Bergeron Bos (holding) 12:39; Krejci Bos (tripping) 17:59.

6HFRQG 3HULRG 3. Bos, Bergeron 10 (Marchand) 1:03 (sh).

4. Pitt, Daley 1 (Crosby, Sheary) 2:39.

5. Boston, Eriksson 12 (Spooner, Krejci) 9:39 (pp).

3HQDOWLHV — Miller Bos (tripping) 0:34; Cole Pgh (high-sticking) 9:22; Spooner Bos (unsportsmanlike conduct) 14:52; Lovejoy Pgh (hooking) 17:57; Connolly Bos (kneeing) 19:41.

Third Period 6. Bos, Bergeron 11 (Chara, Marchand) :35.

7. Bos, Vatrano 4 (Spooner, Hayes) 12:18.

8. Boston, Vatrano 5 (Spooner) 15:18.

3HQDOWLHV — Crosby Pgh (kneeing) 0:15; Plotnikov Pgh, McQuaid Bos (roughing) 4:33; Crosby Pgh (hooking) 5:03.

6KRWV RQ JRDO Boston 8 11 15—34 Pittsburgh 7 11 14—32 *RDO — Boston: Rask (W, 13-7-3); Pittsburgh: Zatkoff (L, 2-3-1). 3RZHU SOD\V (goal-chances) — Bos: 1-4; Pitt: 0-5. $WWHQGDQFH — 18,585 at Pittsburgh.

6&25,1* /($'(56 Kane, Chi Seguin, Dal Benn, Dal Hall, Edm Karlsson, Ott D. Sedin, Vcr Tarasenko, StL Gaudreau, Cal Pavelski, SJ Cammalleri, NJ H. Sedin, Vcr

G 19 17 20 15 7 14 20 12 15 11 9

)ULGD\ V JDPHV QRW LQFOXGHG

A 28 25 21 20 28 20 13 21 16 20 22

Pt 47 42 41 35 35 34 33 33 31 31 31

@NanaimoDaily

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

HOCKEY

FOOTBALL

SKIING

NBA

WHL

NFL

WORLD CUP

EASTERN CONFERENCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

0(1¡6 683(5 *

EAST

$W 9DO *DUGHQD ,WDO\ 1. Aksel Svindal, Norway, 1:28.12.

2. Kjetil Jansrud, Norway, 1:28.46.

3. Aleksander A. Kilde, Norway, 1:28.56.

4. Matthias Mayer, Austria, 1:28.66.

5. Andrew Weibrecht, U.S., 1:29.13.

6. Adrien Theaux, France, 1:29.17.

7. Georg Streitberger, Austria, 1:29.35.

8. Patrick Schweiger, Austria, 1:29.37.

8. Dominik Paris, Italy, 1:29.37.

10. Vincent Kriechmayr, Austria, 1:29.38.

11. Ralph Weber, Switzerland, 1:29.44.

(ULN *XD\ 0QW 7UHPEODQW 13. Thomas Tumler, Switz., 1:29.55.

14. Andreas Sander, Germany, 1:29.57.

15. Guillermo Fayed, France, 1:29.64.

16. Max Franz, Austria, 1:29.65.

EAST DIVISION GP W L Brandon 34 21 10 Prince Albert 33 19 11 Moose Jaw 33 16 12 Regina 34 15 15 Saskatoon 32 12 17 Swift Current 33 10 19

OL 1 2 4 2 3 3

SL 2 1 1 2 0 1

GF GA 129 94 103 100 113 104 104 117 97 135 78 106

Pt 45 41 37 34 27 24

CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L Lethbridge 34 23 11 Red Deer 34 23 11 Calgary 36 22 12 Edmonton 35 13 19 Medicine Hat 33 11 19 Kootenay 35 6 27

OL 0 0 1 3 2 2

SL 0 0 1 0 1 0

GF GA 142 104 126 98 118 108 94 116 101 129 68 149

Pt 46 46 46 29 25 14

WESTERN CONFERENCE B.C. DIVISION Kelowna Victoria Prince George Kamloops Vancouver

GP W L 34 25 8 34 21 11 33 20 11 31 16 11 34 11 19

OL 1 1 1 3 2

SL 0 1 1 1 2

GF GA 130 96 115 77 110 93 114 101 98 123

Pt 51 44 42 36 26

OL 0 2 3 0 1

SL 2 0 1 0 0

GF GA 85 66 105 93 109 113 109 103 99 122

Pt 38 38 36 32 27

U.S. DIVISION Everett Seattle Spokane Portland Tri-City

GP W L 30 18 10 31 18 11 33 16 13 32 16 16 32 13 18

Note: Division leaders ranked in top 2 positions per conference regardless of points; a team winning in overtime or shootout gets 2 points & a victory in W column; team losing in overtime or shootout gets 1 pt. in OTL or SOL columns )ULGD\¡V UHVXOWV Kamloops 2 Moose Jaw 1 Prince Albert 3 Kelowna 1 Saskatoon 6 Regina 4 Brandon 4 Swift Current 1 Lethbridge 3 Edmonton 1 Calgary 2 Medicine Hat 0 Red Deer 5 Kootenay 4 Victoria 2 Prince George 0 Portland 2 Spokane 1 (OT) Everett at Vancouver Tri-City at Seattle 6DWXUGD\¡V JDPHV $OO WLPHV /RFDO Kamloops at Swift Current, 6 p.m.

Brandon at Prince Albert, 6 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Regina, 6 p.m.

Kelowna at Saskatoon, 6:05 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Prince George, 8 p.m.

Vancouver at Everett, 8:05 p.m.

Portland at Spokane, 8:05 p.m.

Seattle at Tri-City, 8:05 p.m.

BCHL INTERIOR DIVISION GP W L Penticton 35 30 4 Salmon Arm 33 20 9 West Kelowna 35 20 13 Trail 35 17 18 Vernon 38 15 20 Merritt 36 11 23

T OL GF GA Pt 1 0 147 74 61 2 2 137 95 44 0 2 135 125 42 0 0 109 138 34 0 3 156 128 33 0 2 121 159 24

ISLAND DIVISION GP W L 1DQDLPR

Cowichan Vally 35 18 12 Powell River 32 18 12 Victoria 37 14 19 Alberni Valley 35 13 19

T OL GF GA Pt

2 3 126 151 41 0 2 114 88 38 0 4 100 109 32 2 1 98 136 29

MAINLAND DIVISION Chilliwack Wenatchee Langley Coquitlam Prince George Surrey

GP W L 33 22 7 35 21 9 33 19 13 35 15 15 35 8 25 34 5 28

T OL GF GA Pt 1 3 135 78 48 3 2 120 80 47 1 0 127 105 39 1 4 115 137 35 0 2 80 159 18 1 0 84 175 11

)ULGD\¡V UHVXOWV 1DQDLPR Prince George 1 Merritt 3 Vernon 2 Cowichan Valley 6 Alberni Valley 1 Coquitlam 8 Surrey 2 Wenatchee 4 Chilliwack 2 Langley 4 Powell River 3 (OT) Trail 6 Salmon Arm 3 West Kelowna 2 Penticton 0 7KXUVGD\¡V UHVXOW Victoria 7 Alberni Valley 0 6DWXUGD\¡V JDPHV Coquitlam at Langley, 6 p.m.

West Kelowna at Penticton, 6 p.m.

Prince George at Cowichan Valley, 7 pm.

Powell River at Salmon Arm, 7 p.m.

1DQDLPR at Victoria, 7 p.m.

Chilliwack at Wenatchee, 7:05 p.m.

Trail at Merritt, 7:30 p.m.

x-New England N.Y. Jets Buffalo Miami

: 11 8 6 5

/ 2 5 7 8

7 0 0 0 0

3FW .846 .615 .462 .385

3) 3$ 402 253 325 256 316 301 264 331

: / 10 3 8 5 4 9 3 10

7 0 0 0 0

3FW .769 .615 .308 .231

3) 3$ 354 229 344 260 278 326 240 357

: / 6 7 6 7 5 8 3 10

7 0 0 0 0

3FW .462 .462 .385 .231

3) 3$ 275 356 259 291 326 357 253 326

: / 10 3 8 5 6 7 3 10

7 0 0 0 0

3FW .769 .615 .462 .231

3) 3$ 281 225 331 243 299 326 250 334

NORTH

Cincinnati Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland

SOUTH

Indianapolis Houston Jacksonville Tennessee

WEST

Denver Kansas City Oakland San Diego

NATIONAL CONFERENCE EAST

Washington Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Dallas

: 6 6 6 4

/ 7 7 7 9

7 0 0 0 0

3FW .462 .462 .462 .308

3) 3$ 281 307 301 322 338 320 230 305

: 9 8 5 4

/ 4 5 8 9

7 0 0 0 0

3FW .692 .615 .385 .308

3) 3$ 317 245 258 255 272 314 267 336

: 13 6 6 5

/ 0 7 8 8

7 3FW 0 1.000 0 .462 0 .429 0 .385

3) 3$ 411 243 279 295 311 353 323 397

NORTH

Green Bay Minnesota Chicago Detroit

SOUTH

y-Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans

WEST

: / 7 3FW 3) 3$ x-Arizona 11 2 0 .846 405 252 Seattle 8 5 0 .615 340 235 St. Louis 6 8 0 .429 241 294 San Francisco 4 9 0 .308 188 315 x - clinched playoff berth; y - clinched division

:((.

7KXUVGD\ V UHVXOW St. Louis 31 Tampa Bay 23 6DWXUGD\ V JDPH N.Y. Jets at Dallas, 8:25 p.m.

6XQGD\ V JDPHV Atlanta at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.

Buffalo at Washington, 1 p.m.

Tennessee at New England, 1 p.m.

Kansas City at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Carolina at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.

Houston at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

Green Bay at Oakland, 4:05 p.m.

Cleveland at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.

Miami at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.

Denver at Pittsburgh, 4:25 p.m.

Arizona at Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m.

0RQGD\ V JDPH Detroit at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m.

NCAA BOWLS (Subject to Change) 6DWXUGD\ V JDPHV

CELEBRATION BOWL $W $WODQWD NC A&T (9-2) vs. Alcorn State (9-3), noon

NEW MEXICO BOWL $W $OEXTXHUTXH Arizona (6-6) vs. New Mexico (7-5), 2 p.m. (ESPN)

LAS VEGAS BOWL BYU (9-3) vs. Utah (9-3), 3:30 p.m.

(ABC)

CAMELIA BOWL $W 0RQWJRPHU\ $OD Ohio (8-4) vs. Appalachian State (10-2), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

CURE BOWL $W 2UODQGR )OD San Jose State (5-7) vs. Georgia State (6-6), 7 p.m. (CBSSN)

NEW ORLEANS BOWL Louisiana Tech (8-4) vs. Arkansas State (9-3), 9 p.m. (ESPN) 0RQGD\ V JDPH

MIAMI BEACH BOWL South Florida (8-4) vs. Western Kentucky (11-2), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)

683(5 * 67$1',1*6 (After 3 races) 1. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 210 pts.

2. Matthias Mayer, Austria, 130.

3. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Nor., 122.

4. Adrien Theaux, France, 119.

5. Kjetil Jansrud, Norway, 116.

6. Andrew Weibrecht, U.S., 110.

7. Travis Ganong, U.S., 102.

8. Marcel Hirscher, Austria, 100.

9. Dominik Paris, Italy, 92.

10. Vincent Kriechmayr, 84.

29(5$// 67$1',1*6 (After 9 events) 1. Marcel Hirscher, Austria, 440.

2. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 417.

3. Kjetil Jansrud, Norway, 247.

4. Felix Neureuther, Germany, 225.

5. Henrik Kristoffersen, Norway, 200.

6. Ted Ligety, U.S., 191.

7. Victor Muffat-Jeandet, France, 190.

8. Peter Fill, Italy, 185.

9. Travis Ganong, U.S., 184.

10. Matthias Mayer, Austria, 172.

:20(1¡6 '2:1+,// $W 9DO '¡,LVHUH )UDQFH 1. Lindsey Vonn, U.S., 1:44.13.

2. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 1:44.51.

3. Cornelia Huetter, Austria, 1:45.01.

4. Laurenne Ross, U.S., 1:45.57.

5. Mirjam Puchner, Austria, 1:45.84.

6. Jacqueline Wiles, U.S., 1:45.89.

7. Stacey Cook, U.S., 1:45.91.

8. Ragnhild Mowinckel, Norway, 1:45.98.

9. Margot Bailet, France, 1:46.06.

10. Francesca Marsaglia, Italy, 1:46.26.

11. Stephanie Venier, Austria, 1:46.47.

12. Elena Curtoni, Italy, 1:46.49.

13. Kajsa Kling, Sweden, 1:46.53.

14. Ramona Siebenhofer, Austria, 1:46.63.

15. Johanna Schnarf, Italy, 1:46.75.

16. Elisabeth Reisinger, Austria, 1:47.06.

'2:1+,// 67$1',1*6 (After 3 of 11 races) 1. Lindsey Vonn, U.S., 300 points.

2. Cornelia Huetter, Austria, 200.

3. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 152.

4. Fabienne Suter, Switzerland, 120.

5. Stacey Cook, U.S., 105.

6. Kajsa Kling, Sweden, 85.

7. Margot Bailet, France, 85.

8. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 82.

9. Ramona Siebenhofer, Austria, 78.

10. Mirjam Puchner, Austria, 78.

:20(1¡6 &20%,1(' $W 9DO '¡,LVHUH )UDQFH 1. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 2:38.30.

2. Lindsey Vonn, U.S., 2:38.31.

3. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 2:39.21.

4. Marusa Ferk, Slovenia, 2:39.55.

5. Margot Bailet, France, 2:40.14.

6. Ragnhild Mowinckel, Norway, 2:40.39.

7. Francesca Marsaglia, Italy, 2:40.60.

8. Johanna Schnarf, Italy, 2:41.00.

9. Elena Curtoni, Italy, 2:41.00.

10. Vanja Brodnik, Slovenia, 2:41.31.

11. Cornelia Huetter, Austria, 2:41.32.

12. Dominique Gisin, Switz., 2:41.39.

13. Tessa Worley, France, 2:41.42.

14. Wendy Holdener, Switz., 2:41.43.

15. Laurenne Ross, U.S., 2:41.57.

67$1',1*6 (After 1 of 4 races) 1. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 100 points.

2. Lindsey Vonn, U.S., 80.

3. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 60.

4. Marusa Ferk, Slovenia, 50.

5. Margot Bailet, France, 45.

6. Ragnhild Mowinckel, Norway, 40.

7. Francesca Marsaglia, Italy, 36.

8. Johanna Schnarf, Italy, 32.

9. Elena Curtoni, Italy, 32.

10. Vanja Brodnik, Slovenia, 26.

29(5$// 67$1',1*6 1. Lindsey Vonn, U.S., 580 points.

2. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 458.

3. Frida Hansdotter, Sweden, 315.

4. Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S., 296.

5. Cornelia Huetter, Austria, 284.

6. Federica Brignone, Italy, 220.

7. Eva-Maria Brem, Austria, 217.

8. Nina Loeseth, Norway, 204.

9. Viktoria Rebensburg, Germany, 196.

10. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 191.

:

/

3FW

*%

Cleveland Indiana Chicago Toronto Miami Charlotte Orlando Atlanta Detroit Boston New York Washington Milwaukee Brooklyn Philadelphia

17 16 15 17 15 15 15 16 16 14 13 10 10 7 1

7 9 9 11 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 17 19 27

.708 .640 .625 .607 .600 .600 .577 .571 .571 .519 .481 .417 .370 .269 .036

— 11/2 2 2 21/2 1 2 /2 3 3 3 41/2 51/2 7 81/2 11 18

WESTERN CONFERENCE

:

/

3FW

*%

Golden State San Antonio Oklahoma City L.A. Clippers Dallas Memphis Houston Utah Denver Phoenix Portland Minnesota Sacramento New Orleans L.A. Lakers

25 23 17 16 15 14 13 11 11 11 11 10 10 7 4

1 5 9 11 12 14 14 14 15 16 17 16 16 18 22

.962 .821 .654 .593 .556 .500 .481 .440 .423 .407 .393 .385 .385 .280 .154

— 3 8 91/2 101/2 12 121/2 131/2 14 141/2 15 15 15 171/2 21

)ULGD\¡V UHVXOWV Indiana 104 Brooklyn 97 Orlando 102 Portland 94 New York 107 Philadelphia 97 Atlanta 109 Boston 101 Minnesota 99 Sacramento 95 Toronto 108 Miami 94 Dallas 97 Memphis 88 San Antonio 115 L.A. Clippers 107 Utah 97 Denver 88 Detroit 147 Chicago 144 (4OT) Milwaukee at Golden State New Orleans at Phoenix 7KXUVGD\¡V UHVXOWV Charlotte 109 Toronto 99 (OT) Cleveland 104 Oklahoma City 100 Houston 107 L.A. Lakers 87 6DWXUGD\¡V JDPHV L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.

Charlotte at Washington, 7 p.m.

Chicago at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Indiana at Memphis, 8 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Houston, 8 p.m.

6XQGD\¡V JDPHV Portland at Miami, 1 p.m.

Minnesota at Brooklyn, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia at Cleveland, 3:30 p.m.

Milwaukee at Phoenix, 5 p.m.

Sacramento at Toronto, 6 p.m.

Atlanta at Orlando, 6 p.m.

New Orleans at Denver, 8 p.m.

BIATHLON WORLD CUP $W 3RNOMXND 6ORYHQLD

:20(1 6 .0 635,17 1. Marie Dorin Habert, France, 20 minutes, 71.8 seconds (0 missed targets).

2. Laura Dahlmeier, Germany, 1.1 seconds behind (0).

3. Franziska Hildebrand, Ger., 13.0 (0).

2YHUDOO 6WDQGLQJV (After 6 events) 1. Gabriela Soukalova, Czech., 262 pts.

2. Marie Dorin Habert, France, 255.

3. Franziska Hildebrand, Germany, 254.

SOCCER ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP

Birmingham 1 Cardiff 0

GERMANY %81'(6/,*$

Schalke 1 Hoffenheim 0

NETHERLANDS (5(',9,6,(

Vitesse 5 Twente 1

MOVES BASEBALL AMERICAN LEAGUE TORONTO — Claimed OF Junior Lake off waivers from Baltimore. Agreed to terms with LHPs Wade LeBlanc and Pat McCoy and RHPs Scott Copeland, Roberto Hernandez and Brad Penny.

NBA

Raptors rally from 11 down to beat Miami 108-94 TIM REYNOLDS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MIAMI — When the Miami Heat are dealing with adversity, Chris Bosh knows how the team will respond.

It’s the good times that befuddle the Heat.

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry added 21 and the Toronto Raptors erased an 11-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Miami 108-94 on Friday night.

The Raptors denied the Heat what

would have been their first fourgame winning streak since the 2014 playoffs. “I’m not worried about when this team is on edge, after we’ve lost a couple or lost a close one or anything like that,� Bosh said. “I’m worried about when we win three or four in a row, maybe when we get to five, God willing. A team can beat you but they have to beat you at your best. And we weren’t even close to our best tonight.�

The Heat had been 12-0 when facing Toronto with Bosh in the lineup against his former team. “I’ll let him know,� DeRozan said. “It’s just crazy how long it’s been.

All of the years playing with him and all the times playing against him . . . just finally beating him.�

Luis Scola scored 20, Terrence Ross finished with 17 and James Johnson added 13 for the Raptors, who outscored Miami 58-39 after halftime.

Each of Miami’s last seven three-

game winning streaks has now been immediately followed by a loss, including three already this season.

Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, Gerald Green had 20 and Goran Dragic scored 18 for the Heat. Hassan Whiteside had 13 rebounds and Bosh finished with 11 points. “I liked the way we competed,� Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. “I thought we came out of the locker room in the second half, third

quarter, juices flowing a little bit.�

Down 64-53 early in the third, the Raptors made 13 of their next 16 shots — Whiteside blocked two of the three misses in that stretch — and turned the game around with 26-8 run. Ross’ three-pointer late in the third capped the flurry, putting Toronto up 79-72.

Miami scored to get within three points or less on six separate occasions after that, including Wade’s layup with 6:12 left that cut it to 90-89.

www.nanaimodailynews.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015 GARFIELD

@NanaimoDaily

DIVERSIONS 23

CROSSWORD SATURDAY STUMPER ACROSS 1 Ethnic triangular treats 13 Daredevil’s credo 14 Large purple fruits 15 Group of stars 16 Fraction of a rand 17 Was less than explicit 18 Refuse 22 Solicits a hand 23 Rallied 24 Overseer of the purchase of Lucasfilm 25 Hat tricks of titles 29 Only palindromic top-40 song title from a palindromic-name group 30 Travesty 31 Something to meditate on 32 Whole 34 Its tones were analyzed by Pythagoras 35 That is to say 36 Out 37 Romps 40 Expected 41 Bugs 42 Sateen alternative 43 Surroundings of some small sandwiches 48 Closely following 49 Especially satisfying achievement

FOR BETTER OR WORSE

ANDY CAPP

DOWN 1 Heat-storing device 2 Falls off 3 Only gestured and moved 4 Vegan’s gelatin substitute 5 “__ cool” 6 Org. instrumental in preserving Sagamore Hill 7 It follows many moons 8 Origen de energía renovable 9 Hoodwink 10 Be too protective 11 Word from the Latin for “without fault” 12 Tweets are sent out from

ZITS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE SOLVED

them 13 Drawn as much as possible 14 World’s most popular fictional language 15 Offering on Ikea.com’s Living Room page 18 Name on a record 270+ opening credits of SNL 19 “Your choice” 20 Bakery supply 21 Manage 23 “I don’t do fashion, I am fashion” speaker

25 Dissertation subject 26 Cheerleader portrayer in the Starsky & Hutch film 27 Lowdown joints 28 Dublin-born essayist 30 Essence of a certain cocktail 33 Where many kid-lit children lived 34 Trespassory taking + removal 36 Squeal source 37 Good feelings 38 Director in black and white 39 Four-wheel conveyance 40 Venerable maker of round wafers 42 Historical events 44 Model of good behavior in Proverbs 45 Annual Movie Awards presenter 46 Frat letter 47 Pastimes, for short

HI AND LOIS

HAGAR

» EVENTS // EMAIL: EVENTS@NANAIMODAILYNEWS.COM SATURDAY, DEC. 19

MONDAY, DEC. 21

2 p.m. Put a little country in your Christmas.

Free concert with Moonshine Mollies under the Christmas tree in Diana Krall Plaza.

4 p.m. Halbe Hall Monday Market, 8369 North Island Highway, Black Creek. Wide variety of vendors of fresh produce and baked goods, arts and crafts andan on-site chair massage.

Free event.

7:30 p.m. The Emperor’s New Clothes prremiers at the Bailey Studio, 2373 Rosstown Rd., Nanaimo, Runs through Dec. 31. Tickets $16; New Year’s Eve, $25. For specific times, other information: www.nanaimotheatregroup.ca or 250-758-7224.

SUNDAY, DEC. 20

TUESDAY, DEC. 22

Dave Marco, every Wednesday at Smoke‘n’ Water Restaurant, Pacific Shores Resort, 1-1600 Stroulger Rd., Parksville

Marty Steele playing swinging jazz, blues, and classic rock favourites on his keyboards.

SUNDAY, DEC. 27

THURSDAY, DEC. 24 8 p.m. Live at Longwood, free live music series every Thursday at the Longwood brew pub.

5775 Turner Rd., Nanaimo.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Christmas pantomime: The Emperor’s New Clothes Bailey Studio.

Tickets at www.nanaimotheatregroup.ca.

MONDAY, DEC. 28

7-8:30 p.m. Winter Wonderland on Ice Teen Skate for ages 13-18. Free event at Oceanside Place arena, 830 West Island Highway, Parksville.

FRIDAY, DEC. 25.

Merry Christmas!

4 p.m. Halbe Hall Monday Market, 8369 North Island Highway, Black Creek.

SATURDAY, DEC. 26 TUESDAY, DEC. 29

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last Minute Shopper’s Craft Fair. Qualicum Beach Community Hall, 644 Memorial Ave., Qualicum Beach.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23 7 p.m. Open Mic Acoustic night with

Rd. Tickets: Port Theatre, 250-754-8550 or www.porttheatre.com More info at www.operananaimo.ca. Also Dec. 30.

6-8 p.m. Saturday Music at New York Style Pizza dishes up their award-winning pizza and their legendary Manhattan salad, along with

7:30 p.m.‘Amahl and the Night Visitors,‘ opera in English at Ecumenical Centre, 6234 Spartan

7 p.m. Open mic Acoustic night with Dave Marco, every Wednesday at Smoke‘n’Water Restaurant, Pacific Shores Resort, 1-1600 Stroulger Rd., Parksville THURSDAY, DEC. 31 5-8 p.m. Parksville free New Years Eve celebration. Oceanside Place, 830 West Island Highway, Parksville

www.nanaimodailynews.com

24 DIVERSIONS BLONDIE

@NanaimoDaily

HOROSCOPE

by Jacqueline Bigar ARIES (March 21-April 19) An older friend might feel as if he or she has an especially great idea.

You could discover that you aren’t on the same page as this person.

Go along for the sake of peace, if you can. The unexpected occurs wherever you are. A loved one reads you clearly. Tonight: Out late.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You will want to keep your own counsel and process news on your own.

A difficult conversation doesn’t need to be repeated at the present moment. You might want to take off and spend some time with a certain person. What is stopping you? Tonight: Read between the lines.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You might wonder what is going on with your friends. A partner seems to have a strong feeling about what he or she will participate in.

You could have your hands full.

Count on a pal’s unpredictability, and decide whether you want to join him or her. Tonight: Play the night away.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Pressure builds as an older friend or relative seems to want more of your time. You could be surprised by what you stumble into. A partner might become extremely controlling. Slow down and express your caring to a loved one. Tonight: Make the most of the moment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You could be overtired, and might need a different perspective. Consider taking a drive to a favorite place. Some of

BABY BLUES

BC

WORD FIND

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

you will enjoy going to a restaurant for a late lunch in the country. The relaxed atmosphere will help you recharge your batteries. Tonight: Try something different.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Oneon-one relating with a friend could take you down a new path.

Enjoy the differences in your backgrounds and where you come from. A child or a new love interest could be most controlling. Remember, the only way to win a control game is not to play. Tonight: Togetherness works.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Defer to others, and don’t worry so much about the details. You have a lot on your plate, and might not be ready to change your plans. You could decide to join others at your own pace. Understand what is happening around you. Tonight: Say “yes” to an intriguing offer.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You might feel as if you can’t avoid having a conversation with a controlling neighbor or a difficult loved one. This person tends to drone on and on. You’ll need to excuse yourself from this conversation quickly if you are going to accomplish anything. Tonight: Know when to call it a night.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You might want to reach out to a child or loved one. You recognize your limits, and will not push past them; however, it doesn’t guarantee that this person won’t want to test those same boundaries. Firmly establish them now. Tonight: Fun starts with a holiday celebration.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You could be unusually serious. Let go

of what ails you by throwing yourself into a holiday event. You might want to go off and buy a tree or start another holiday tradition.

Tonight: Accept an invitation to another holiday happening, even if it is just kissing under the mistletoe.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You would be a lot happier if you could let go of the need to keep such a rigid schedule. You understand that you can’t control others, but you might be having an internal struggle regardless. Open up to a friend who can be distant but gives good feedback. Tonight: Out. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You could be at the point of no return.

You can’t stop what is happening, nor do you want to. You might have gone in the red with spending, yet you are content that you have achieved what you needed to. Don’t forget some last-minute gifts. Tonight: Allow someone else to treat.

YOUR BIRTHDAY (Dec. 19) This year you often are uptight until you can trust the people around you. A financial change ultimately will be for the better. Talk through this situation with someone you respect. You might not be ready for this transformation just yet, but you won’t really have a choice. If you are single, you will meet someone with ease come next fall. Your social circle will expand, which will provide you with many romantic opportunities. If you are attached, the two of you often will be seen out and about. After summer 2016, you and your sweetie will realize a long-term goal that you both have had.

SUDOKU CRYPTOQUOTE

PREVIOUS SUDOKO SOLVED

➜

Barrel of oil

Dow Jones

$34.73 -$0.22

17,128.45 - 367.39

www.harbourviewvw.com

➜

Harbourview Volkswagen Canadian Dollar

➜

➜

The Canadian dollar traded Friday afternoon at 71.71 cents US, up 0.03 of a cent from Thursday’s close. The Pound Sterling was worth $2.0806, up 0.20 of a cent while the Euro was worth $1.5158, up 0.66 of a cent.

4,923.08 - 79.47

S&P/TSX

➜

NASDAQ

13,024.30 +14.37

SOLUTION: AT THE OPERA HOUSE

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81 Not barefoot 82 Of merit 85 Worse than bad 86 Eight-tentacled creatures 89 Plant feeder 91 Scottish valley 92 Equal 93 Reactor part 94 Up to the task 95 Winter slider 96 Made by sewer 97 Sugar amt.

98 Homophone of 84D Down 1 B.C. winter hrs.

2 Similar (to)

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3 Niño’s sister 4 Came out 5 Offspring 6 It can be lent or bent 7 Enfold 8 Under siege 9 Painting and sculpture 10 Untruth 11 It may be prescribed 12 Balloon (Fr.) 13 Opera solo 14 Adolescent 15 Help: lend a ___ 17 Whoop 22 Uniform 25 Wasn’t colourfast 28 Garden building

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30 Maple, e.g.

31 Take the honey and run 32 Nocturnal birds 33 Public mayhem 34 Ont. town with cheese museum 36 Hockey venue 37 Left 38 You’re wrong (Fr.): vous avez ___ 39 Major Montreal event of 1967 41 Part of % 42 Alta. town buried by 1903 rock slide 45 Tartan sporters 46 Lamb’s dad

Visitors are always welcome, but please call first Kathy Mitchell & Marcy Sugar Annie’s Mailbox Dear Annie: My husband and I are at an age where many of our friends have retired. We have not. We started a business together five years ago, and fortunately, it is doing extremely well.

We plan to retire in another five years. In the meantime, we’re working very hard, both physically and mentally, but enjoy it.

The problem? Our retired friends cannot seem to amuse themselves without us. I’m aware that this sounds egotistical, but one friend actually waits for us in our driveway when we get in from work. The

others call several times a week to try to arrange dinner out or some other social engagement. When I explain that we just walked in the door and are exhausted, I’m “scolded” for always being too busy. Their favourite expression is, “We’re human beings, not human doings.”

I’d like to take the coward’s way out and ask that you print this advice to retired folks and others who want to be “good friends.”

Please call before stopping by. It’s good manners and will make you a more welcome guest when we are up for your company. And when we say we’re too tired, too busy, or would just like to do nothing for a while, please accept it graciously. And maybe, just maybe, you should round out your own lives a bit more.

Annie, these are all terrific, quality people with whom we hope to enjoy many more years of friendship. We just don’t have the energy to do it at the end of our work day.

— Exhausted, but Happy

Dear Exhausted: Your retired friends are probably a little bored, and they enjoy your company. Since you aren’t asking for advice, however, we’re happy to let you use this space for a perfectly good message — whether one is retired or not.

Dear Annie: I need to respond to “Mother-in-Law,” who said most wives have no reason to have a bad opinion of their mothers-in-law.

I’m sorry to say that sometimes it’s justified.

I have really tried to look past my mother-in-law’s nasty attitude toward me, my family and even my children, but after 40 years, I’ve had it. My mother-in-law is critical of everyone, even her own son who has helped her through every crisis in her life. His sister, who spends months traveling all over the world, somehow couldn’t afford a plane ticket to come home when her father was dying. Yet my mother-in-law told my daughter that my husband “wasn’t helping at all”

and his sister “helps a lot.” When our daughter, who is a size 6 and has suffered with bulimia in the past, recently went to visit her grandmother, Grandma told her she was getting fat. And she wonders why no one wants to spend time with her.

If our son ever marries and I treat his family the way my mother-in-law has treated us, I deserve every negative comment that is made about me.

— Hope to Do Better in Pennsylvania Dear Better: People should be judged individually, not on their family position. Your mother-in-law sounds toxic, and her reputation is deserved. Most are not.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@creators.com, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

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1 Window section 5 Witness 8 Ointment 12 Shower alternative 16 Take off the fat 17 Go across 18 Fourth largest Great Lake 19 Surface measurement 20 Fork part 21 Reaped 23 Security for a debt 24 Not wide 26 Evenings, poetically 27 Vancouver, for one 29 Form of punishment: run the ___ 31 Sound on the rebound 32 East 35 Cuban rum 36 Cause estrangement 40 Gale 41 Energy 42 Piece of fern 43 Spar 44 Fireplace fuel 45 Native language 47 French pancake 48 Andrew Chan’s instrument 49 Top-notch 51 Whooping bird 52 N.B. site of Canada’s first coal mine 53 Wander 54 Dishes 55 Precious metal 56 Unlawful firing?

58 Electrician’s accident 59 She played Anne of Green Gables: Megan ___ 62 When shadows are short 63 Sidewalk booth 64 One of a pair 65 Small bite 66 Subj. for many immigrants 67 Frame (Fr.) 68 Vehicle with sliding doors 69 Used to be 70 Invited in 72 Wrong: prefix 73 Essential 75 Perfume ingredients 76 Farm vehicles 78 B.C. whale-watching port

47 Stiffness in neck 48 Parliament ___ 50 Bird on the dollar 51 Selected 52 Small rodent 54 Group of notes played together 55 Understood 56 Over again 57 Wine choice 58 Teams 59 Idol worshipper 60 Put in electricity 61 Zipped 63 B.C. city nicknamed The Loops 64 Like some French nouns: abbr.

67 Toonie, e.g.

68 Bridge across a gorge 69 N.S. mining disaster (1992) 71 Curled up like a snake 72 Fall 73 Lasso loop 74 Be mistaken 76 Rosebush protection 77 Pipsqueak 78 Dries flax 79 Track shape 80 Smooth off a nail 81 Cook meat with vegetables 83 Wanderer 84 Egg yellow 87 Mediocre grade 88 Shipwreck signal 90 Three-way joint

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T E D S

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

Memoir by comic due out next fall THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — Canadian comedian Norm Macdonald of Saturday Night Live fame is putting his life on paper — with some embellishments.

HarperCollins Publishers says the Quebec City native, who grew up in rural Ottawa, will publish a memoir of sorts next fall.

Based on a True Story is “a brilliant, hilarious memoir unlike anything ever published,” says senior editor Kate Cassaday.

“The trick for the reader,” says HarperCollins, “will be deciphering which stories are real, and which are made up, by the infamous storyteller.”

Says Macdonald: “I wrote this book to answer a question that has been troubling me for some time. Whatever happened to me?”

26 DIVERSIONS

SOUNDS LIKE A SEASONAL SONG ACROSS 1 Plans 7 Form of trapshooting 12 2001-09 U.S. pres.

15 BLT condiment 19 Creature on a slide 20 1923 Nobel-winning poet 21 Jump to clear 23 Start of a riddle 25 Making changes to 26 Preceder of tee 27 Pack animal 28 Pro-bono TV ad 29 Slanting 30 Riddle, part 2 37 “Now it’s clear” 39 Big coffee container 40 Look lewdly 41 Gets dirty 42 Riddle, part 3 48 Rollaway bed 49 Turndowns 50 “O Sole —” 51 “— -hoo!”

52 Fit for consumption 55 “Thwack!”

57 On the — (escaping) 60 Juneau locale 63 Bullfight bull 66 Riddle, part 4 71 Quite heavy 73 “The rest — to you” 74 Cole Porter’s “Well, Did You —?”

75 Mobile, e.g.

76 Riddle, part 5 80 Princely school 81 At peace 82 “Gloria in Excelsis —” 83 Cleans up copy 85 Tabriz residents 88 To the rear 91 Masters peg 92 Awful 95 Eggs 97 Riddle, part 6 102 Actress Palmer or Soprano Lehmann 105 Send out 106 “Alley —!”

107 Look lewdly 108 End of the riddle 114 Mojave, e.g.

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115 IRS datum 116 Sculling need 117 Lofty poem 120 Sellers with cellars 123 Riddle’s answer 126 Meet at a point 127 Inundate 128 Use mouthwash audibly 129 Really regrets 130 Ballpark amt.

131 Plants of the lily family 132 Prize greatly DOWN 1 Postpaid enc.

2 Ratite birds 3 #1-ranked tournament entrant 4 Summer mo.

5 Ship sinker 6 Outdated 7 Wd. of like meaning 8 Frat house beer bash 9 Depletes little by little 10 Hawke of “Hamlet” 11 Philosopher Lao- — 12 Fake peeper 13 Having good manners 14 Ulan —, Mongolia 15 Rita of “West Side Story” 16 Lead-in to fauna 17 Longing 18 Pt. of NOW 22 Diarist Samuel 24 Neighbor of Leb. 29 Realm 31 Neighbor of Kan. 32 Mon.-Wed. linkup 33 Architectural wing 34 Cry after a three-pointer 35 “Hold On Tight” rock gp.

36 Q-U linkup 37 Knighted actor Holm 38 — -cone 43 Thurman of the screen 44 Kelly of morning TV 45 Teasing knuckle rub 46 Silent film vamp Negri

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47 Gorilla observer Fossey 53 Radar signal 54 Flogs 55 Suitable for a Seder table 56 “What — thinking?”

58 Work without — (act riskily) 59 Ovid’s 1,506 61 Cousin of lotto 62 Yemeni port 63 T-bars, e.g.

64 Tony relative 65 Court do-overs 67 Newsman Roger 68 Duel sword 69 Clock part 70 “It was forced on

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

me” 72 Sicilian peak 77 Egg sources 78 Wyle of “ER” 79 In — of 84 — Aviv-Yafo 86 Potential ship sinkers 87 Writer W. — Maugham 89 Trudge 90 Like four-person basketball 92 “I say!”

93 WWW giant 94 As yet unpaid 95 Dated 96 Compete 98 “Sounder” director Martin

99 Ending for ordinals 100 PC “brain” 101 DeLuise or DiMaggio 103 Many flat-screens 104 Cara of “Fame” 109 French river 110 “It’s — bet” 111 Body digit 112 Sponge 113 Killer whales 118 Mete 119 K-6: Abbr.

120 TiVo precursor 121 Debt memo 122 Vane dir.

123 Punting figs.

124 — and outs 125 Technique

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Prue Boyd ~ amazing mother, much loved Nana, beloved wife, loving sister, friend for life to many, who was also a Registered Nurse, brave, an inspiration, a tireless spirit in her battle with cancer, crossword guru, unbeaten at Scrabble, thoughtful, caring, generous, compassionate and our “Phoenix,� has finally ended her cancer journey.

She was pre-deceased by her parents, Constance Stephanie Ritchie (1994) and James (John) Leyton Ritchie (1986), and a baby granddaughter, Samantha Maria Colonna (1997).

She is survived by her husband, David Graham Boyd; her children, Eliza-Jane Boyd (Frank Colonna) and Shawn Boyd (Victoria Boyd); her grandchildren, Haylee Boyd, James Boyd, Gabrielle Colonna, and Joshua Colonna; and her siblings in Australia, James Ritchie, Dugald Ritchie (Janet), Janet Constance Ritchie, and Bob Ritchie.

Throughout her life she was a dedicated nurse for over forty years and worked at NRGH in the nursery. She also took great pride in her volunteer work with “Cancer Connection,� counseling others with cancer across Canada throughout her own 17-year battle with cancer.

In 2012, she received the “Medal of Courage� from the Canadian Cancer Society for her spirit, determination, and dedication to helping others.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to cancer research via the Memory Page we have set up in Prue’s name: http://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/ site/TR?pxfid=20602&pg=fund&fr_id=1340

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This day is remembered and quietly kept, No words are needed, we shall never forget.

Those we love do not go away.

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Still loved, still missed and so very dear.

Love Forever Mom, Theresa, Marc and Families

CLEVELAND — For years, NBA fans have been willing to pay thousands to sit courtside and watch some of the world’s most powerful athletes run and jump.

Up close, there is nothing quite like the experience.

On Thursday night, that thrill came with a heavy price.

Chasing after a loose ball, Cavaliers superstar LeBron James crashed into the wife of PGA golf champion Jason Day, sending her tumbling violently backward from her seat in an incident that could push the league to consider changes to protect its fans.

It’s not uncommon for players to dive into the stands in NBA games. On a few occasions there have been minor injuries, but to this point nothing serious.

But fans are paying big money for premium seats that are closer than ever, creating the potential for problems. Cavs coach David Blatt, who spent years coaching in Europe, has long been worried about courtside fan safety. “It’s always concerned me, the sideline seats,� he said. “Always concerned me, because things like that, when you’re talking about players of this speed and physicality and effort level, it’s not a simple thing. The powers that be are the ones that really need to decide how to deal with that. He (James) made an honest attempt at the basketball, that’s all, obviously.�

www.nanaimodailynews.com

28 SPORTS

SOCCER

@NanaimoDaily

Montreal star Drogba contacted by EPL team Major League Soccer’s Impact denies the rumour on Twitter

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

TFC trades for ‘Caps defender Beitashour

THE CANADIAN PRESS

HUTCHINSON

Hutchinson rewarded for stylish play and commitment NEIL DAVIDSON THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — Atiba Hutchinson’s devotion to the Canadian cause is demonstrated every time he is summoned by his country.

For the last home World Cup qualifier, the 32-year-old from Brampton, Ont., jumped on a four-hour flight from Istanbul to London, where he had a three-hour stopover before folding his lanky body onto another plane for a 9-1/2-hour flight to Vancouver.

“My sleeping pattern’s all over the place,” said the veteran midfielder, when asked about the toll the travel takes.

Hutchinson, who plays for Turkey’s Besiktas, has learned to endure the jet lag. And he keeps answering the call.

Canadian soccer is grateful. The elegant Hutchinson is Canada’s most influential and important player, a status reflected Friday in his fourth Canadian male player of the year award.

“We are very proud of Atiba Hutchinson,” Canadian coach Benito Floro said in a statement. “He is the player that coaches and teammates want to have around.”

Hutchinson, who also won in 2010, 2012 and 2014, joins Dwayne De Rosario as the only four-time winner of the award.

“It’s a nice feeling,” he said.

Orlando City striker Cyle Larin, the MLS rookie of the year, was second in voting by Canadian media and coaches. Goalkeeper Milan Borjan was third ahead of Canadian captain/ midfielder Julian de Guzman and defender Adam Straith. In all, 15 players received votes.

“As a four-time winner of this award, he ranks amongst Canada’s best athletes, ” Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani said in a statement.

Hutchinson played in four World Cup qualifiers this year, helping Canada eliminate Belize before taking four points in the first two matches of the current qualifying round. He was named man of the match in the 1-0 win over Honduras on Nov. 13.

Hutchinson helped Besiktas qualify for the Europa League by finishing third in the 2014-15 Turkish league.

The Istanbul-based club is currently atop the Turkish standings.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact denied a report on Friday that striker Didier Drogba was contacted by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich about returning to the struggling Premier League club.

“The rumour about Didier Drogba is unfounded. No contact has been made with the club or him,” The Major League Soccer club posted on Twitter.

Jeune Afrique magazine reported that Abramovich called the 37-yearold Drogba hours after firing manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday about rejoining the club, likely in a backroom capacity until he can get his coaching certificates and eventually take over the first team.

Drogba, a scoring sensation after his arrival in Montreal on July 27, is under contract to the Impact through the 2016 Major League Soccer season. He said at the end of the campaign he expects to return.

However Chelsea, where the Ivory Coast native spent 10 seasons, is in turmoil.

After winning a fourth league title with Drogba in 2014-15, the club went into a tailspin. They are in 16th place with a record of four wins, three draws and nine defeats — 20 points behind unlikely league leader Leicester.

Jeune Afrique said Drogba was in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, when Abramovich called. It quoted a source saying Drogba would be happy to return to Chelsea, the club closest to his heart.

Drogba played from 2004 to 2012 at Stamford Bridge. After a season each in China and Turkey, he returned to Chelsea in 2014-15 to help them win a fourth league championship.

He led them to a UEFA Champions

NEIL DAVIDSON THE CANADIAN PRESS

Didier Drogba has been one of the biggest stars to come overseas to play in Major League Soccer. [AP PHOTO]

League title in 2012. In MLS, Drogba scored 12 goals in 14 regular season and playoff games, helping the Impact finish third in the Eastern Conference and reach the conference semifinals.

The gifted and charismatic striker also packed fans into Saputo Stadium. Losing him would seriously

disrupt the club’s plans for 2016.

After the MLS playoffs, Drogba denied talk of a loan to Chelsea, but didn’t rule out spending some time training with his former teammates.

“I belong to the Montreal Impact,” he said.

“To stay in shape, why not? To play, I’m really not too hot on that idea.”

Toronto FC added a key piece to its defensive puzzle Friday, acquiring Iranian international defender Steven Beitashour from the Vancouver Whitecaps for a second-round draft pick. The club hopes the 28-year-old California native, whose parents were born in Iran, will fill a void.

“Our team defence and our right back position in particular was an area we wanted to address this off-season,” Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko said on a media conference call. “In our mind, Steven is one of the top right backs in the league. ” “We’ve had our eyes set on Steven for a number of not just months but years,” he added.

TFC is not finished making moves.

According to a source, it is close to wrapping up a deal with Portland for Canadian international midfielder Will Johnson. Toronto is looking for someone to shield the backline while allowing captain Michael Bradley to roam freely.

The club continues its search inside and outside the league for a veteran goalkeeper.

In acquiring Beitashour and veteran centre back Drew Moor, who came on board Wednesday, Toronto has significantly upgraded a defence that conceded a league-worst 58 goals last season. Bezbatchenko also added MLS experience. The two defenders have more than 460 MLS games between them.

“Toronto’s doing a lot of good things right now,” Beitashour said. “They deserve a winning team and hopefully I can help bring that winning to the club. I’m excited for the next two years.”

Jose Mourinho leaves Chelsea on a new low JACK BEZANTS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON — Through all the ups and through all the downs, Jose Mourinho has never really been this low before.

The dapper Portuguese coach has won titles with some of the biggest soccer teams in the world, including Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He even won a Champions League title with FC Porto more than a decade ago.

But his second spell in charge of Chelsea ended prematurely Thursday, only seven months after he won his third Premier League title with the London club. And it ended with Chelsea surprisingly languishing near the bottom of the standings despite a star-studded roster that includes Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and John Terry, to name but a few.

“And so the second post-Jose Mourinho era begins for Chelsea Football Club,” the club wrote Friday

on its website. “Unlike 2007, however, he departs with the Blues lying 16th in the Premier League.”

When Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge the first time, he memorably dubbed himself “The Special One.” But his second dismissal from Chelsea has only added to the perception that he is a coach who delivers a short-term fix before leaving acrimoniously.

Thursday’s exit came amid rumours of arguments with players and staff, perhaps all of it hastened by an early-season decision to publicly criticize club doctor Eva Carneiro for treating an injured player during a match. And it was followed with a club statement noting that Mourinho is “the most successful manager in our 110-year history.”

Over his two tenures at Chelsea, Mourinho won seven trophies. Last season, the club won the Premier League by eight points, leading to

a four-year contract extension in August.

This season is a different story.

Chelsea has 12 losses already, nine of them in the Premier League. The latest came against surprise leader Leicester, which is 20 points ahead of Chelsea, and it left the defending champions only one point above the relegation zone heading into the busy winter schedule.

There has been no official word on a replacement for Mourinho.

Mourinho has found success everywhere over the last dozen years, winning the Champions League with both Porto in 2004 and with Inter Milan in 2010. He also won league titles with both teams, as well as with Real Madrid in 2012.

Overall, Mourinho has won 21 major trophies.

In his first spell at Chelsea, Mourinho won two league titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup. In the Cham-

pions League, however, he never got past the semifinals. And a poor start to the Champions League campaign in 2007 led to his dismissal early in that season.

When Mourinho arrived back at Stamford Bridge following his tenure at Madrid, he called himself “The Happy One” and highlighted his improved relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

“We are ready to work together again. We have much better conditions to succeed and deliver what this club wants, which is stability,” Mourinho said at the time. “I am the happy one. I have the same nature, I am the same person, I have the same heart and I have the same emotions relating to my passion and my job, but I am a different person.”

Mourinho delivered, too. After failing to win a trophy in his first season back, he orchestrated an impressive league win the following year.

29

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

HOT HEELS

The stars walked with Ferragamo The ‘shoemaker to the stars’ pioneered the powerful link between fashion and the booming film industry COLLEEN BARRY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

W

hen Marilyn Monroe ordered pumps from Salvatore Ferragamo in the 1940s, she had a special request, the shoemaker’s grandson revealed.

One heel was slightly higher than the other, enhancing her famed wiggle.

A new capsule collection for Salvatore Ferragamo by the luxury Colombian shoe designer Edgardo Osorio reaches back into the company archives to revisit Hollywood’s Golden era, when the young shoemaker from southern Italy built his business by making shoes for films and then winning over actors and actresses as customers to his Hollywood Boot Shop.

Ferragamo quickly became known as “shoemaker to the stars,” pioneering the powerful link between fashion and the booming film industry.

Those customers included Judy Garland, Mae West and Monroe, said Ferragamo’s grandson James, the brand’s accessory product director.

He said Monroe bought the iconic pumps in the 1940s from a shop on Madison Avenue in New York City for $45 a pair, and has the receipt to prove it.

“The Marilyn Monroe walk required a modification to have that wiggle effect,” Ferragamo said, saying one heel was several millimeters higher than the other.

For the capsule collection released in time for the holiday season, Osorio, who started designing shoes at Ferragamo before launching his own Florence-based brand Aquazzura,

The new capsule collection for Salvatore Ferragamo by the luxury Colombian shoe designer Edgardo Osorio reaches back into the company archives to revisit Hollywood’s Golden era. [AP PHOTOS]

created a contemporary Marilyn-inspired pump with sheer netted panels for a sexy reveal.

He also referenced the famed 1938 Judy Garland “Rainbow” wedge with a steep stiletto heel and a feathery winged rainbow accent on the ankles.

“It is not literal at all,” said Massimiliano Giornetti, Ferragamo’s creative director. “At the same time, it has the same spirit and the same approach that Salvatore Ferragamo

had for developing the wedge for Judy Garland.”

The collection was launched as part of the luxury brand’s 100-year anniversary celebration of Ferragamo’s connection with Hollywood and is meant to be the first of a series of capsule collections in other areas across the group from jewelry to women’s handbags and perhaps menswear, tapping young talent and encouraging experimentation.

While Salvatore Ferragamo imported to Hollywood some of southern Italy’s joyful colours and free spirit, Giornetti said Osorio’s collection aims to offer looks for women in different moments of the day, from ballet flats with the Ferragamo bow to gladiator sandals and glamorous booties.

The looks are sexy, with stiletto heels and straps that wrap up the calf, but are also meant to be comfortable, featuring lightweight

materials like cork, and recalling some of Ferragamo’s most recognized style points, from stylized bows to polka dots.

“Edgardo shares with me and the Ferragamo family not only the same esthetic principals, but also the same sort of lifestyle that is so important to Ferragamo’s very dynamic consumer, who is always looking for quality, beautiful Italian craftsmanship and I will also add, an ironic twist,” Giornetti said.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

WILDLIFE

Taking a walk on the wild side

A wolverine is caught on camera at a bait site in Glacier National Park. [PARKS CANADA]

Tadpoles are captured as part of research into amphibians in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. [PARKS CANADA]

Caribou are seen in the Mount Klotz caribou closure in Mount Revelstoke National Park. [PARKS CANADA]

Now that the gags are off, Canadian scientist can fill us in on what’s happening in Glacier National Park that includes our amphibians.”

The first step involved sending staff with nets into ponds, lakes, marshes and other breeding areas to look for eggs, tadpoles, juveniles and adults.

They found western toad, Columbia spotted frog, long-toed salamander and the Pacific chorus frog.

“They’re quite a sensitive species and they’re a really good indicator of environmental change, and a healthy hydrological system,” said Boyle.

“We are really interested to make sure we’re not losing wet areas and we want to make sure that similar to worldwide trends, we’re not seeing as severe a decline in species.”

ALEX COOPER REVELSTOKE TIMES REVIEW

O

ne of the most exciting aspects about the change of government in Ottawa is the fact federal scientists are now free to talk about their work with the media.

That means Sarah Boyle, a conservation biologist with Parks Canada is free to share what she and her colleagues have been doing in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks.

Bats hooking up In August 2013, researchers placed bat monitoring equipment and took soil samples from the park’s Nakimu Caves to see if White Nose Syndrome — a fungal disease decimating bat populations — had spread to the area.

The work found there were bats in the cave, but researchers still needed to find out what kinds. This summer, Parks Canada staff travelled to the area with mist nets to capture bats.

“While the acoustic technology that we have is really cool, it can confuse different species and it doesn’t have a high enough level of sensitivity to determine between species,” said Boyle.

When the nets were deployed, Parks found that five bat species used the caves, including the endangered little brown bat. Perhaps the most interesting discovery was the fact the bats were ready to reproduce.

“This is a hook-up joint, it’s a swarming site,” said Boyle.

The last bat call Parks detected happened on October 4. Now, researchers want to see if bats are hibernating in the caves. To do that, they’ll be placing monitors in the caves in March.

“We’ll have pretty good confirmation if we have bat species hibernating in the Nakimu caves,” said Boyle.

Part of the goal of the bat research is to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome. WNS — which sees fungal infestations on bat muzzles and wings — has devastated bat colonies in eastern North American and is quickly spreading westward.

“It may impact how we allow access to the caves,” said Boyle. “Right

Pining away

Sarah Boyle is the lead conservation ecologist for Mount Revelstoke & Glacier National Parks. [REVELSTOKE REVIEW]

now access is allowed year-round. If we know we have hibernating bats, we might not allow people to go in the winter months when they have potential to disturb bats.”

It also helps determine the decontamination protocol people have to follow before they enter the caves.

Wolverines!

In 2011, Parks Canada began a project to track wolverines — listed as a species of concern — in Glacier National Park.

Researchers divided the park into 10-kilometre by 10-kilometre grids and placed bait stations at 29 sites using what one researcher described as “the most foul smelling, disgusting stuff that you’ve ever experienced.”

The goal was to collect DNA samples to determine how many wolverines are in the park and to look at how they move around.

“They are quite sensitive to habitat fragmentation,” said Boyle.

The results are encouraging as the study enters its fifth and final year.

“Through genetics and cameras we’ve been able to identify a total of 25 wolverines — 20 males and five females,” said Boyle.

“This animal is in decline in a lot of places but these results indicate a fairly healthy wolverine population.”

The next step will be to repeat the study in a few years to see if the population is declining or increasing.

“If there are alarm bells going off, what is the reason why?” said Boyle.

Caribou in danger Scientists with Environment Canada are set to recommend southern mountain caribou be listed as endangered by the Federal government.

The change in status to endangered from threatened shouldn’t impact work in the parks, said Boyle.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t think it’s going to affect anything we do any differently,” she said. “We

already put a huge emphasis on caribou in the park.”

The most notable work is the annual Mount Klotz caribou closure, that goes into effect from Dec. 15 to April 15 every winter. It was put in place to protect the South Columbia herd, which only had six animals when it was last counted in 2013.

“That closure will obviously stay intact and that’s to protect mountain caribou from being disturbed by any backcountry users and being displaced from over-wintering habitat, or inadvertently into an avalanche area,” said Boyle.

She said Parks will do another census this winter, in partnership with the province of B.C.

Amphibious watch One of Parks Canada’s newest projects is research into amphibians.

“Globally, amphibians are not doing that well worldwide,” said Boyle. “We want to make sure we have a full complement of native species, and

Whitebark pine is the only tree species in western Canada listed as endangered by the Species at Risk Act. The tree is found at mid- to high elevations in subalpine areas throughout western North America.

“It’s considered a keystone subalpine species. It can grow in really harsh conditions — south-facing, rocky slopes,” said Boyle.

Because of its hardiness, it’s one of the first trees that will colonize an area after a fire and is considered very important to re-vegetating areas disturbed by fire.

Its cones provide food for 22 different species, including grizzly bears, said Boyle.

“It’s important to a lot of alpine species in our parks.”

That’s why its decline due to diseases like white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle, as well fire suppression, is of big concern.

Parks Canada has been surveying Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks for stands of whitebark pine and studying them to determine their health. They cage the trees that are healthy and collect the cones to prevent them from being eaten.

“We’ll cage them in the spring and we’ll go back in the fall and collect the cones,” said Boyle. “From those, we’re able to grow saplings and seeds and test them for disease resistance.”

Trees are grown in nurseries and then planted in the parks. “It’s a very significant undertaking in the park.”

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

MUSICAL HERITAGE

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ENTERTAINMENT 31

CELEBRITY

Trucker who injured Tracy Morgan, killed friend in crash, wants court case dismissed Glassman told The Associated Press he will ask a judge in Middlesex County on Tuesday to dismiss the case because Roper is unable to get a fair trial because of negative publicity surrounding Morgan’s federal lawsuit against Wal-Mart.

Morgan settled with Walmart this summer for an undisclosed amount. Roper wasn’t a defendant in that lawsuit, but he filed motions in federal court seeking to have it delayed until after his criminal case was resolved. Those motions were rejected.

“Civil cases are routinely stayed for criminal cases to proceed,” Glassman said in an email.

“Had that occurred and a stay issued in the civil case, a tsunami of negative pretrial publicity would have been avoided and Roper’s right to a fair trial would have been preserved.”

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — It’s described as the largest musical instrument in the world, yet an audience can barely see it.

The historic organ at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City boasts more than 33,000 pipes, all concealed behind the walls of the cavernous auditorium best known for hosting the Miss America pageant. But the sound is robust — even while operating at only 25 per cent of its capacity.

“I tell people it’s sort of like a race car running on two cylinders right now,” said staff organist Steven Ball. “It’s also terrifying how powerful it is — even just a quarter of it. So I can’t imagine what half of it is going to do.”

He hopes to find out soon. The non-profit Historic Organ Restoration Committee, which has been refurbishing the hidden gem, plans to have it functioning at 50 per cent by the summer, when hundreds of organ aficionados expect to visit.

The 150-ton instrument, built by the Midmer-Losh Co., hasn’t been fully operational since 1944, when the Great Atlantic Hurricane swept through the seaside resort, causing flooding that ruined mechanical equipment.

But for 12 years before the storm, the organ’s unequaled power and tonal range represented the pinnacle of the art form, Ball said. Unfortunately, no recordings exist from that time — only written accounts that he said describe “the most impressive sound on Earth.”

The organ was never completely repaired, according to Ball. It was played sporadically until the 1970s, when, he said, it largely fell silent because of electrical problems. Deterioration ensued due to neglect, disuse and accidental pipe damage caused by contractors working in the hall.

Organs used to be essential equipment for large theatres and municipal auditoriums, providing soundtracks for stage shows and movies in a world before amplifiers.

Ball described organists as one-man orchestras, creating music from a range of sounds — trumpets, strings, piano — in the same way an artist mixes paint on a palette. The sound palette built at Boardwalk Hall remains unparalleled because of its stellar cohort of designers, he said.

When fully functional, he said, the organ will be “truly capable of changing the public’s perception of what the art means.”

IC

Atlantic City restores organ on boardwalk

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Steven Ball plays the console of the huge Boardwalk Hall organ in Atlantic City, N.J. [AP PHOTO]

NEWARK, N.J. — The truck driver who slammed into a limo carrying Tracy Morgan, killing one man and severely injuring the comedian, will ask a judge next week to throw out criminal charges against him.

Kevin Roper was driving a Walmart truck in June 2014 when he crashed into Morgan’s limo van.

The former 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live star suffered brain trauma, broken ribs and a broken leg, and his friend James McNair was killed. Two other passengers also suffered serious injuries.

Within days, Roper was charged in state court with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, though as of Friday he hadn’t been indicted, said his attorney, David Glassman.

Glassman also criticized the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office for not stepping in and seeking a stay in the federal lawsuit.

“A prosecutor can’t stand by while this occurs, and then seek to cash in by way of a speedy plea or conviction,” he said.

A spokesman for the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.

A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded in August that Roper hadn’t slept during the previous 28 hours and failed to slow down immediately before the crash, despite posted warning signs on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury.

The board also said the failure of Morgan and other passengers in the limo van to wear seat belts and adjust headrests contributed to the severity of their injuries.

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Burguan said. sion,” the police chief Stores, office buildings had spotted down was someone locked who A third person Burguan said that least one school were was s’ event blocked off. running near the gunbattle left the county employee in the city, and roads said it was with type of disdetained, but Burguanhad anything after “there was some were not About four hours later, SUV, ors dark unclear if that person pute,” but investigat anything to police looking for a had a home in to do with the crime. sure whether that officers staking out a deadliest mass city of Redlands saw the subsequent massacre It was the nation’s with nearby do the city of attack at a description. shooting since the in the Southern Californiakilovehicle matching that the SUV Connecticut, 100 over, school in Newtown, 214,000 people about They tried to pull it out left 26 chilAngeles. and a gun battle broke three years ago that metres outside Los a potential crashed, p.m., authorities said. dren and adults dead.

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32 ENTERTAINMENT

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015

MOVIES

Edgar Ramirez plays Bodhi in a scene from ‘Point Break.’ In a remake of the 1990s cult classic, extreme sports of every kind, not just surfing, take centre stage and the filmmakers used athletes, not stuntmen. [WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. VIA AP]

Classic from ‘90s being remade ‘Point Break’ features FBI agent at extremes EDDIE PELLS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Johnny Utah will do almost anything to catch a criminal.

Aficionados of the campy 1990s surfboard cult classic Point Break already know that.

But the ends to which America’s most extreme FBI agent takes his daredeviling nearly 25 years after Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze partnered in the original is what makes this generation’s version of Point Break something more than a by-the-book reboot.

Snowboarding, freeclimbing, wingsuit flying, motocross — the new movie features pretty much every kind of death-defying sport you can think of and employs the best in the world at each endeavour to shoot the scenes.

No need to worry, purists: There’s surfing, too, along with plenty of Keanu-like cheese to choose from — Johnny: “Ideas can be powerful.”

Johnny’s love interest, Samsara: “Not as powerful as a whaling ship.”

Deep thoughts.

But if anything about this remake lingers 25 years hence, it probably won’t be the lines. Rather, it will be the risk and expense the directors and athletes incurred to portray extreme sports in the most realistic light possible.

“I’ve seen a Hollywood snowboard movie where they’re showing the same, quote-unquote, trick, but it’s two different rotations,” said Louie Vito, the Olympic snowboarder who has a cameo in the movie. “It’s a lot of little things like that that we notice that can make a movie a lot more corny. But this, having the guys they had do the stunts and the riding, it stays way more true to it.”

From Xavier De Le Rue in snowboarding to Chris Sharma in freeclimbing, “Point Break” serves up a Who’s Who list of action-sports stars — some of whom saw opportunities open when the

original movie helped bring extreme sports to the masses.

“For Generation Xers, that movie was an inspiration for us,” said wingsuit pilot Jeb Corliss, who helped with the remake.

“It made you think that maybe you can earn a living doing something you love.”

The filmmakers travelled to four continents and spared no expense to shoot the action.

It took around 60 takes to produce a heart-pounding, five-minute scene of the movie’s philosophical antihero, Bodhi, and his wingsuit-wearing posse jumping off the Jungfrau in the Swiss Alps, dodging mountains and skimming just above valley floors on the way to a safe landing. Corliss called it the most dangerous stunt that’s ever been filmed for a movie.

Big mountain snowboarders Ralph Backstrom and Mike Basich joined De Le Rue in playing Bodhi, Johnny and the rest for their near-vertical trip down the Aiguille de la Grande in France. One portion of the filming triggered a Class 4 Avalanche.

“Sure, it would have been a hell of a lot easier to shoot these scenes on a green-screen stage in Atlanta,” director Ericson Core said. “But honestly, that wouldn’t respect those sports at all. We pushed the limits as far as we possibly could.”

Point Break deals with some similar issues differently: Both the movie’s characters and the extreme athletes who perform their stunts are more than willing to risk their lives for a cause.

They don’t shirk from their reality. They revel in it.

“I can’t tell you why any one person does it, but for me, I want to evolve as a human being, see how far I can go,” Corliss said.

Or, as Bodhi puts it: “We’re all gonna die. The only question is ‘How?”’