MAY 2012
(Knocking on door) CHONG: Who is it? CHEECH: It's Dave, man. Will you open up. I got the stuff with me. CHONG: Who? CHEECH: Dave, man. Open up. CHONG: Dave? CHEECH: Yeah, Dave. C'mon, man! Open up...I think the cops saw me. CHONG: Dave's not here.
RETRO RELICS POET & WRITER OPEN MIKE Tuesday, May 8, 7 pm
MAKING A CONTRIBUTION... The mission of Northern Groove is to get people from in and around our community involved, aware, and connected with all of the amazing things that are happening locally within the world of arts and culture in the North Peace.
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Northern Groove Magazine is published monthly and is distributed free of charge in Fort St. John, BC, Canada. Northern Groove Magazine and www.northerngroove.com assume no responsibility for the truth or accuracy in advertisements. Northern Groove Magazine attempts to accurately publish all editorial and advertising content, but errors and omissions may occur. Northern Groove Magazine disclaims any responsibility for such errors or omissions. Statements, opinions, and points of view expressed by the writers and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights reserved, except where expressly waived. The information in this publication is provided as a public service. Although we endeavour to ensure that the information is as current and accurate as possible, errors do occasionally occur. As some information is supplied by third parties and may be subject to change, we cannot always guarantee its accuracy. Where possible, readers should verify the information before acting on it.
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Enjoy the entertainment for free. We never have a cover charge - while enjoying great food and a cold beverage. When the show is over, try your luck on the slots.
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SUPPORTING MUSIC SUPPORTS OTHERS russell eggleston’s
4 page editorial
This previous month seemed to have been jam -acked with some incredible events. To me, it’s been one heck of an inspiring month. From the visuals to the audio, each of these events look and sounded as different as different can get. The music at each of these events ran the gamut from metal, to folk, to 70’s rock ‘n roll, to hip-hop, electronic and everything in between. No kidding. First, imagine you’re at On The Rocks watching Milking Chung (one of Fort St. John’s hardest working metal bands). It is extremely loud, aggressive, and everything that a great metal show should be. Everyone in the room is 100% into it. Fists pump the air. They seriously melted the paint from the walls with their incredibly heavy sound for the Pat Flintoff “No Pitty” fundraiser event.
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Next, imagine being instantly teleported to the Taylor Hall to attend the fundraiser for Dylan Moh art. Twin Peaks singing folk music on the ukulele and piano, friends and family are talking and telling stories around tables, and there’s a dance about to begin. Give n the contrast between the two events, you’d probably think that they were on different planets. If I were to find a commonality betw een these two events, it would be in that there is music and there is dancing. I’d say this is a constant for pretty much every event. It’s what people do when they we get toget her. Where there’s a cause to get together for...there is musi c and there is dance. Feet move and fun is had by all.
MAY 2012
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ds extremely
The music and dancing looks and soun different from event to event...
/ celebration feaPat Flintoff’s “No Pitty” fundraiser Milking Chung, like acts local tured all kinds of great and some last Chaotic Justice, Subconscious Pilot, Bobby Swanson, minute performances by Prod Deuce, was up on the yone DJ Ghost, and many more. Ever two-stepping! n’t were inly certa they and , dance floor a good rock / of y energ the like There’s nothing quite metal / hip-hop show! t to check out Recently I’ve also been making an effor s put on by show ronic elect dible incre the ort and supp uctions] Prod Sam ous [Seri ay folks like Sam Stanw Productions]. and Joy Larstone [Wake the Funk Up rd any of these Everyone might have a slight bias towa you’re in the particular styles of music, but next time bit “outside little a be t migh that t even an of vicinity much fun how the of note take ”, of your comfort zone everyone is having! music spectrum. Now...flipping to the other side of the people having a were there r raise fund pel’s Rem At Dan Craig Brooks, of c musi the to ing great time two-stepp t playing all the Kyle McKearney, and Clint Giesbrech classics on acoustic guitars.
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Over the last 5 or so years I’ve been able to attend hundreds and hundreds of events. In fact, I’ve loosely been keeping track and (if my math is right) I should be over the one-thousand show mark sometime this year. The most amazing thing about attending so many events is that no matter how different each event looks, they all function and operate basically in the same way. Given every single difference in music, aesthetics, how people dress, and how people dance, all of these events provide the same great feeling of support, community, and celebration. was able to attend this This was true of every single event I for pretty much every comtrue ably prob is previous month, and in Fort St. John. size munity gathering of any sort and ion in this article, it If there is to be any sort of a call-to-act time to participate in take to and t effor an make to be d woul listening. See you on the for ks Than ! these like community events dance floor.
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MAY 2012
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sharing the stage with
sue popesku
Welcoming back a home town boy who has made a name for himself in professional theatre is a proud moment for the Peace River Zone Theatre Festival and the theatre community in Fort St. John. Such is the case with the adjudicator for the theatre festival coming up May 16-20, when Josue Laboucane returns to Fort St. John. Josue will share his knowledge and expertise with participants of the theatre festival at an acting workshop on May 15 before the Festival gets into full swing on Wednesday. Each year a professional actor and/or director is invited to adjudicate the plays in the regional theatre festival which can include plays
from the communities of Fort Nelson, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Hudson’s Hope and Fort St. John. Community theatre groups participate in the Peace River Zone Theatre Festival and one play can be chosen to represent the zone at the provincial competition in Kamloops in early July. Josue grew up in Fort St. John taking part in school and community theatre productions. He is now a professional actor and teacher of theatre in Vancouver ,after graduating from Studio 58 theatre program at Langara College in 2005 and Vancouver Film School Acting program in 2001. He is a teacher, director, and mask designer. As a career actor, he is a regular at Carousel Theatre and has worked with Relephant Theatre and Axis Theatre. He spent last summer as King Henry with Bard on the Beach in his fourth season with the popular summer theatre company. Josue has garnered 5 Jessie Richardson Theatre award nominations and shares one Jessie award with the ensemble of The Emperor’s New Threads. He has directed Gerty! Live and In Concert! (BC Buds Festival); Confessions (Alley Theatre); and Letter from a Soldier (Walking Fish Festival). Josue teaches at various institutions around Vancouver including the Vancouver Film School, Theatre Terrific, and Carousel Theatre and Bard on the Beach. The long list of shows and film shorts that Josue has worked in appears to be an amazing amount of theatre work since 2001. He is also a past participant of the Canadian National Voice Intensive. Josue specializes in a number of areas that he shows exceptional talents. Among his honed and natural skills are a baritone voice, mime, mask, mask making, puppetry, stage combat, Shotokan Karate Blue Belt.
When you take care of yourself everyone benefits...
Give yourself the gift of relaxation by booking your massage, facial or pedicure today! 250-785-0263
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It begins with the wonderful people in my life,” says Fay Willis as she reminisces about the beautiful leather wrap she made for Johnny Lightnin’. Fay is an accomplished leather worker. She is also passionate about music. Her handiwork adorns guitar straps worn by local musicians as well as some big names in Canada and the US (Shooter Jennings to name but one). Beautiful as they are, it is the wrap that envelopes Johnny’s Gibson Les Paul that best represents Fay’s work and Fay herself. She wrote about it for Northern Groove. I recently covered a Gibson Les Paul in leather for a soul brother of mine, Johnny Lightnin’. My first thought was of my initial “hint” to Johnny about my desire to try my hand at wrapping a guitar (hint, hint) in a Waylon-style, Frazer-style kinda thing. After sorting out my thoughts and feelings on how this guitar wrap came to be, I realized there were many different levels and reasons. Like anything else, it started with an idea, a very general idea. Then it took faith, patience and the complete trust of an amazing soul brother. The actual concept for the guitar was over a year in the making (sorry, Lightnin’). I tossed around many ideas in my mind until I knew exactly what it needed to be: the epic wingman for my friend; a pirate-spirited bad-ass soul held together by the belief of pure freedom; the relentless journey of a truth-seeker.
By the end of my challenge it was about inspiration, creativity, trust, love, friendship, patience, challenging oneself and always the love of music. I am truly blessed by the souls that inspire me and fill my world with love and light. Johnny uttered not a word of impatience or criticism the whole time I had his treasured Les Paul. I was so overwhelmed by the thought of having it in my possession, with the big shoes needed for the task of covering such a thing of beauty. With time and thought, I do believe I did it justice. I am proud to have created something my friend can enjoy even more than he has in previous years. Ultimately, one of the favourite parts of my passion for the art of leather craft is watching people enjoy and use the final product. Start to finish, the process makes my soul sing.
Make Mom’s day with a visit to Isabelle’s! All bath, giſt�are & nighties on sale. Bra fitting sale! Buy one fashion bra, get a second 40% off
... a Tea Par�� Hat st�ffed with goodies!
In the Totem Mall . 250 785 8070
GARDEN MAGIC amy furman
To create a garden is to search for a better world. In our effort to improve on nature, we are guided by a vision of paradise. Whether the result is a horticultural masterpiece or only a modest vegetable patch, it is based on the expectation of a glorious future. This hope for the future is at the heart of all gardening. ~ Marina Schinz My six-year-old son wants to be a farmer when he grows up. His plans include an elaborate irrigation system and a store to sell his organic produce and homemade goodies like pies and jam. He knows it will be a lot of work but is determined to be successful with the help of his “wives”. A mother couldn’t be prouder. Apart from the polygamy, of course. Participating in the family garden has no doubt sparked his interest in producing food. He has sown the seeds, watered, weeded and harvested. He has witnessed firsthand how sunlight, earth, water and poop (super exciting!) transform a seed into fuel for our bodies, as if by magic. As a society, we’ve become disconnected from the land and from the source of our food. Hunting, gathering or growing food is a primal part of being human. Reclaiming that connection can be a stepping stone in redesigning our lives to more fully express our being. Want to begin the journey into producing your own food? If you’re not ready to plow the back forty, here are a few easy options. Every significant lifestyle change starts with one small step.
For our family, exploring how to grow our own veggie patch on our own land has led us farther down the path to creating our ideal lives. Just as a seed planted in your garden germinates and grows, the seed of a life changing idea can spark your own magical transformation.
REAL-LIVE YOGA. REAL-LIVE LIFE randelle lusk
Owning a yoga studio and teaching the majority of the daily classes doesn’t leave me much room to attend class as a student. As an alternative I maintain the majority of my personal yoga practice by following yoga videos lead by some of my favorite teachers from across the continent. These teachers are gifted and the sequencing of the classes and the thought processes behind the production of the videos is genius. However it just doesn’t quite compare to standing in a class full of people, sharing a collective energy and moving under the guidance of a real-time teacher with a real-life voice. With this in mind, I have been making a point of attending the studio’s classes, which I’m not slotted
to teach. Stepping into the shoes of a student under the direction of our very own Ashley Barks has been a delightful experience… for the most part ;) Though she has only been teaching for just year now, she has the ability to make me work my mind and body to a point of purging. Having a teacher guiding my practice keeps me in check, reminding me of the technical and alignment elements of each position. She handles her role as a teacher with finesse, calling me out on my moments of laziness. This is where the purging comes in. Sometimes I want to be lazy; I want to cheat and let my ribs flare out. Sometimes, when I’m left in a pose like downward dog, for what seems like a freaking eternity, I regress to my childhood. As beads of sweat pool between my
shoulder blades, my mind starts to take over, manipulating my body with emotions of anger and frustration. I want to snap and throw myself onto the floor like a five-year-old in a tempertantrum. I want to pour myself into the corner and sulk for the rest of class. But then, I’m gently reminded of my breath. I listen. I begin to breathe out my emotions and my body settles into the pose. When the signal comes to change positions I feel amazing – lighter, my shoulders feel better than ever; my whole body sings. It is often said that what we experience on the mat prepares to handle life and it’s unpleasant situations off of the mat. In life we sometimes find ourselves in tight spots where we feel vulnerable and uncomfortable; we feel anger and fear. And sometimes we feel like giving up. When we learn to breathe in yoga, we are essentially practicing to breathe in the real world. Breathing is an incredible tool that helps us release nagging thoughts and doubt, it helps us to be calm and present in all situations. We can’t run
around avoiding the tough things in life, after all it is discomfort and dis-ease that coaxes us to change and makes us grow. So, stick with it. And breathe. ~Randelle Challenge yourself! Under the Yoga Tree is hosting its next 30-Day Yoga Challenge May 22nd to June 20th. Contact the studio for more information. Next 4-Week Beginner Yoga Program, May 8th – 31st, Tues & Thurs @ 5:45pm $135 Under the Yoga Tree offers and extensive yoga schedule for all levels, with public classes offered 7 days a week. For and up-to-date schedule visit www. undertheyogatree.ca Private and Corporate sessions available. Contact Randelle Lusk, E-RYT 200 for more information: 250.263.5828 | randelle@undertheyogatree.ca
The only commercial coffee roaster in the North Peace makes a big splash. At Patch Java Coffee House we feel so good about what we do, we did it again! Come join us at our second location in the North Peace Leisure Pool. We still offer our same fresh, locally roasted coffee, smoothies, ice cream ice capps, and various other beverages!
10430 100th Street SUMMER HOURS: Mon - Fri: 6am - 6pm Sat: 8am - 4pm Sun: 10am - 4pm
250 261 6648 Now at the North Peace Leisure Pool Mon - Fri: 10am - 10pm Sat: 9am - 9pm Sun: 1pm - 5pm
We are also offering our sensational panini sandwiches, fresh daily soups, and delectable goodies that you have all come to love. One Last thing. We are open late all week at Patch Java II at the Leisure Pool. 10:00am to 10:00pm Weekdays, 9:00am to 9:00pm Saturday, and 1:00-5:00pm Sunday! Come take a dip and enjoy a fast, fresh lunch today! Follow us on Twitter/PatchJava or Facebook for our daily lunch specials at both locations!
Devon Wigglesworth Owner, Patch Java
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wedn
Special Olympics Regional Qualifier Aquatics Sunday May 6 NP Leisure Pool
WICWP Community Cultural Celebration Sun May 6 Lido Theatre 3:00pm - 5:00pm Unto Him with Guests Lori Kachowski and Caroline Napolean Sun May 6 | NPCC 7:00pm doors
Hmm. Is Monday
really this
events boring that we have no to fill up this space? going do you have an event and on that’s not listed here
Or
should be?
an maybe you know about , but you event that isn’t yours list. feel it should be on this
Or,
Spread the Word - Open Mic for Poets & WRiters Tue May 8 | Retro Relics 7:00pm
Egan’s Open
Every Wednesd Egan’s Pub | 8:
Any way you shake a stick at event, it, we’d like to see your t that their event, or any even on this needs bums in seats
Rotary Mother’s Day 5K Run & Walk Sun May 13 Surerus Fields Register @ 8:30am
eventlist.
northerngroove.com to us know find out how you can let the details, or email ve.com publisher@northerngroo
Visit
Strawberry Jam Tue May 1 | Lido Theatre 7:00pm doors
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT WE DON’T CONTROL: THE EXACT FLAVOR OF FLAVOR FLAV, OR IF IT’S “FLAVOUR” TO SOME AND “FLAVOR” TO OTHERS, IF MAMA ACTUALLY KIN, WHO DOESN’T SHOW UP FOR WORK ON 4:21, WHO PICKS THE MUSIC IN ELEVATORS, ANYONE WHO USES “CONVENIENTLY LOCATED” IN THEIR ADVERTISING THAT ISN’T CONVENIENTLY LOCATED RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR FRONT DOOR (REALLY, THE ONLY THING EVER CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IS THE HOTDOG CART OUTSIDE YOUR FAVOURITE WATERING HOLE AT 2AM). Events are published on a “first come-first put on this list” basis. Make sure you get your event onto the Groove website, too! That way if someone asks us “Hey, do you know if such and such is going on?” We can answer with “It’s probably on the Northern Groove events calendar.” And they’ll say “Wow, that’s awesome. How do I find it?” We reply, “Easy. Just go to northerngroove dot calm and click on Local Events. If the event isn’t there, shame on the organizer for forgetting to tell us since we aren’t all knowing and all seeing. Yet.” Event times and dates are subject to change at any point, check with venue to ensure accuracy of information. For the most current event list: northerngroove.com
A Name Unhe Tour 2012
Wednesday Ma Egan’s Pub | 8:
Municipal Gov
Buddy Wasisname Other Fellers Tue May 8 | NPCC 7:30pm doors
and the
Wednesday May Centennial Park 4:00pm-8:00pm
nesday
Thursday
Friday
The Led Zeppelin Show Thurs May 3 Lido Theatre Doors 7:00pm Show 8:00pm
Legally Blonde - The Musical:
Stage North’s Death & the
Walter & Zipcuts
Thurs May 3 NPCC | 7:30pm
Fri May 4 Egan’s Pub 8:00pm
open auditions
Fri May 4 & Sat May 5 NPCC | 6:00pm
maiden
Mic
Karaoke
Spring
vernment
Day
Stage North’s Death & the maiden
Sat May 5 NPCC | 7:30pm
Peter Katz at the Breakfast Room
Fri May 4 NPCC | 7:30pm
Sat May 19 Pomeroy Hotel 7:30pm doors
Sean Hogan Friday May 11 NPCC | 7:30pm
Lee Aaron with guest Darcy Bailey
Families
Thurs May 10 Lido Theatre 7:00pm doors
Fri May 11 | Duncan Cran Elementary School 6:00pm
in
Special Olympics Regional Qualifier Aquatics Saturday May 5 NP Leisure Pool
Stage North’s Death & the maiden
SD60 Band Spring Concert Thurs May 10 | NPCC 7:00pm
ay 9 :00pm
y 30 k m
at the
Stonebridge Every Wednesday Stonebridge Hotel 8:00pm
day :00pm
eard
Night
the
Saturday
Motion
Harlequin
Peter Katz at the Breakfast Room
Thurs May 24 Lido Theatre 7:00pm doors
Fri May 18 Pomeroy Hotel 7:30pm doors Comedy Detour with Scott Belford and Dave Dempsey Fri May 25 Lido Theatre 7:00pm doors
Comedy Detour with Scott Belford and Dave Dempsey Fri May 25 Lido Theatre 7:00pm doors Bluey Day Sat May 26 Ambulance Bays
BE DISTURBED... BE ENLIGHTENED sue popesku
Live theatre is meant to inspire, amuse, provoke and disturb. Theatre festivals are often designed so that each entry relates to a pre-described theme. The Peace River Zone Theatre Festival has never designed the annual zone festival to follow a theme in the past but this year’s entries seem to adhere to a common thread of human misery caused by human social and political ills. The audiences first reactions will be “disturbing” toward each of the stories told through the plays at this year’s Peace River Zone Theatre Festival May 16-20. Bullying, violence and torture are part of our lives through personal experience or daily news reports. How we cope with bad things in our lives is what makes us human, gives us strength and renews our hope that others may not have to suffer what we have endured. Each of the plays tells an emotional story drawing us into the fear and sadness of the suffering but leads us through a maze of emotions to a glimmering of hope and salvation.
ART SALES & TATTOOS BY PAIGE JOHNS AND AMY GOTHARD. TATTOOS $100/HR 250-263-1196 ! endurance89@hotmail.com ! 303-9711 100th Avenue in the Re/Max Building
Tues. May 15
Acting Workshop with Adjudicator Josue Laboucane 6 -9pm NPCC
Wed. May 16 Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, Director Launching the Festival Dallas Ashdown 7:30pm Coffee Critique 10am Thurs on Wednesday, May 16 is Hockey Mom, Hockey Thurs. May 17 Dog Sees God, Director Chalene Scot Dad by Michael Melski. t 7:30pm Coffee Critique 10am Fri. Two single parents, Donna and Teddy engage Fri. May 18 Death and the Maiden, Director Rob in the courtship game Laventure 7:30pm Coffee Critique 10am Sat while cheering their eight year old children on at the Sat. May 19 Annual General Meeting for Peac hockey rink. Teddy is a e River Zone 7:30pm 12:30 -2pm NPCC voluble extrovert who encourages his son’s losing Sat. May 19 Meet and Greet NPCC, 6:00pm - 7:30p team to hit first and think m 7:30pm Awards Evening and NPSS Showcase later, and he coaches Play Social at Who le Wheat and Honey after the show Troy from the stands to be the “enforcer”. Sun. May 20 Winning Play Workshop with Josu Donna, shell-shocked e Laboucane 1pm-5pm from a violent marriage, is appalled by the physical violence on the ice. This romantic comedy takes a serious look at violence On Saturday, May 19, the gala evening begins with a in the hockey rink. This show is directed by Dallas Meet and Greet 6:00-7:30pm followed by the North Ashdown and is a Stage North club entry. Peace Secondary School drama class showcase play. \ A new theatre club, dubbed the Spectacular Chair Rounding out the evening are the festival awards Factory, entered Dog Sees God by Bert V. Royal on presented for best actor, actress, set, costumes and Thursday, May 17. When Charlie Brown’s dog dies more. One play may be selected by the adjudicator from rabies, Charlie Brown begins to question the to represent the Peace River Zone at the provincial existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt theatre competition at Mainstage in July in Kamloops. out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has A social gathering at Whole Wheat and Honey Café gone “goth”; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institops off the evening. tutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. But a chance meeting Come out to a great week of plays at this year’s Peace with an artistic kid, the target of this group’s bullying, River Zone Theatre Festival! offers Charlie Brown peace of mind and sets in motion a friendship that will push teen angst to the very limits with drug use, suicide, eating disorders and teen violence. Chalene Scott is directing this show.
Rob Laventure is directing Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman on Friday, May 18. Paulina, a political activist, is convinced that her unexpected guest, and agent for the government, Dr. Miranda, is the sadistic man who once brutally tortured her. She takes him captive to determine the truth. She is torn between her psychological repressions and vivid memories of the event. Pauline’s husband is torn between his wife and the law, ad Dr Miranda is forced to endure captivity while the husband and wife seek out the uncertain truth about the clouded past. This dramatic play is extremely intense and emotional with the characters unrepentant and believing the perceived verdict of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The truth, however, lies in the balance. This show is a second Stage north entry.
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RUNNIN’ DOWN A DREAM
too old for what? dale hillman
Have you ever heard people say, “You should have started on this when you were a kid!” “Anyone who is any good started on a dream like this in their early years, or at least in their teens.” “It’s too late for that, what are you thinking?” In my case, the “dream” refers to music, something that has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. I’m sure I knew who Hank Williams, Hank Snow and Johnny Horton - loved by my parents - were while I was still in the womb floating around formulating who I would become. Ironically, I’m not the world’s greatest country music fan, but the love for all kinds of music has been inside of me since I came to be. From memorizing the song lyrics out of the Hit Parade magazines that flourished when I was a kid, to being part of the Junior and Senior High School bands, playing music was a huge part of my life. That is, until I had to enter the “working” world, when there only seemed to be time to listen to music but not play anymore. A sad mistaken belief that I still reflect on with some regret today.
wicked
sometimes you need to
NORTHGATE MALL . MARCJOSEPHONLINE.COM . 250 261.6367
In 1975, at the age of 28, my life took a turn from being in a longtime relationship, to becoming a newly singled young man. Given that it was the 70’s - I immediately bought a guitar, thinking I could learn to play and put some music to the thoughts that had been running around inside my head. I was going to become a singer/songwriter! Ya, that’s the ticket...a singer/ songwriter! I think back and wonder how good I would be now if I had but practiced at least one hour a day every day since then. Of course, work stepped in again as I needed to take care of myself and once again, music took a back seat. So as not to bore you with another 35 years of a pretty incredible life, and to actually get to the point of this tale, it is never too late for anything! While I have worked more with music over the last ten years, it is only now after being retired for just over a year, that I have become more serious about this “dream” that began so many years ago...singer/ songwriter! Through the support and love of family and friends who make you believe in yourself, it has become apparent that this music dream is a very real
possibility. It is something to be taken outside the back bedroom/music room and to more ears than my kids and best friends! At the age of 65 and with the most incredible opportunity offered to me by the amazing Dayna Manning, I opened for her and Ryan McMahon at a recent Whole Wheat & Honey show. It has begun! I have a sense of direction and know what needs to be done. You can run down a dream if you just follow your heart, never forget where you came from and cherish your friends and family, always letting them be a part of that dream! While we never know how long life will keep us around, I know that the rest of my time will be enriched with the creativity of music. I am thankful to so many, not all of whom will know that they somehow inspired and encouraged me. What is your dream? No, you are never too old to realize it, age being a chronological thing only, compared to your state of mind. My friend Jenn said it best, “DO IT”!
2012 Rockin' the Peace winners
Twin Peaks FRIDAY MAY 25 | MUSIC @ 8PM
CARE TACTICS tony warriner
In a world full of people who couldn’t care less, be someone who couldn’t care more. ~Author Unknown As a church community, we have been processing what it means to love your neighbour as yourself (Jesus’ words), or maybe better put, we’ve been haunted by those words. When asked why we do events like Candy Planet or programs like the backto-back creative arts workshops we’ve been hosting (most recently with Rik Leaf on spoken word), our response is that we just want to “love on our city”, or make it the best place to live. We have a dream for this place that includes selfless love, overflowing
joy, deep contentment, relentless kindness - need I go on? And getting there is about serving one another, practicing selfless generosity - loving our neighbour. And I’m reasonably pleased with how we express this loving-our-neighbor-as-ourselves in our own community. But the concept of caring for our neighbour is definitely expanding for us. In some ways, it feels like our insides are being ripped out for the great need in our planet (some call that compassion). Our community, it seems, is being exposed over and over again to the hurt, pain, hunger, and hopelessness of millions of people that share this little corner of the galaxy we
call Earth. Most recently, we sent a group of 25 to Vicente Guerrero, Mexico to build a couple of homes for otherwise homeless families. It was awesome, like a mini-version of Extreme Home Makeover, except these people weren’t relatively comfortable Americans with pretty nice homes already. One family of six was living in an old car, the other in a one bedroom shack made of miscellaneous materials including tarps, shed doors, and plastic wrapping. No water, electricity, or plumbing. When we handed each family the keys to their new home, it was pure ecstasy for us on one hand, but seeing these people living off about $10 or less per day, was just breaking us apart. Some of our team could barely hold it together, as we seemed to connect to the pain of our “neighbours” on a whole new level. Beautiful friendships were formed with these Oaxacan people, though we did not know one another’s languages. We want to be people that truly care for our neighbour, whether next door or next-continent. Many of us took the Below the Line challenge to raise awareness of the 3 billion people in our world that struggle to live off $2 per day or less. Proceeds saved from living below the line for three days went directly to battling global poverty. One of the highlights for me was when a young guy (16 years of age) went and bought a water buffalo for a family in northern India! In a society like ours that is increasingly turning inward, completely caught up with trying to survive, becoming less and less concerned about the welfare of others, and consumed with personal comfort, safety and well-being, the 400 people that call Evangel their church are having their eyes turned to the world around them. First Fort St. John, then all the way
to world’s end, places like Visag, India or Vicente Gurerro, Mexico. And this movement-to-action is certainly not limited to our church. I love what’s happening in our local high school, as a group of students under the leadership of my friend Derrick Laychuk, just recently ventured into Ghana, recognizing that those people, on the other side of the planet, are our neighbours and that we are responsible to care for them, to look out for them, and to use our wealth and resources to alleviate their suffering and poverty. Or how about Mike Friesen from MC Rehabilitation and Wellness, where they can’t settle for simply running a thriving business, but want to use their abilities and resources to help people in the most impoverished countries of Africa (a future trip is in the works to teach the people there how to do what MC Rehab does here in FSJ). Others in our community are make a difference with local activities like the “pass it on” initiative or the upcoming Bluey Days (May 26) to raise support for people with cancer or other serious illness. Another idea that’s cropped up is the “unbirthday” where you turn the concept of having a birthday party inside out and give away rather than receive. I like it. And I hope this is just the beginning of a new way of living for us. For more info on The Below the Line Challenge or to discover some of the ways Evangel is reaching out to the world, visit evangelfsj.com. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama
peace river north
L A V I T FOFETS HE ARTS margaret may
volunteers conwith teachers, families and cers and musicians, along Peace River dan the for ers, d sing 22n of to h eds 15t ndr ril Hu l Centre the week of Ap tura Cul ce Pea . rth nity No mu verged on the ing arts in our com s, a celebration of perform North Festival of the Art nt y the festival is so importa s, we remember again wh zer and ani g, org nin and trai s and eer e unt For festival vol e after months of practic ished perperformers take the stag pol ng into you rm see sfo we tran en n wh ldre us to vous chi spotlight. We watch as ner when a performance have their moment in the smiles of pride and relief see We e. stag the e etime do. tak y formers as soon as the s, as, inevitably, they som intment when it stumble ppo disa of s tear few a l, goes wel gling off the little pianist with legs dan ry size and age¸ from the soned performeve of sea ers ady form alre per are o see wh We first festival, to teenagers y ver ir the years old, to in r g fou yin y pla onl piano bench dancer who was ir skills; from the tiny tap her last Peace River in er ght dau his ers amazing us all with the h wit dance so he could perform d our first ever classes in the dad who learned a tap no of all styles. We enjoye pia rful nde wo rd h the adjudicator, hea We North Festival. g” after a few minutes wit s that turned into “amazin We were treated l. iva fest the in n isio banjo, “good” violin solo in the fastest growing div tar gui r of the Light ula rge pop Cha and l the and classica ring recitation of sing band music and a stir h. ngt stre and uty bea to beautiful singing, rou ce, gra h physically impossible wit Brigade. Dancers did the , talented performa sample of the wonderful e Best of the Fest”, just for next year’s ing par pre rk, wo at And then, at the end, “Th k, who will soon be hard wee the ugh thro saw ers that we festival.
EXCITEMENT BUILDS as construction nears completion on hospital and residential care project
written by joanne macdonald
& mike bebbington |
As the opening of the new Fort St. John Hospital and Peace Villa Residential Care draws near, Mike Bebbington, Senior Project Manager, Acciona Infrastructures Canada Inc., says it seems like only yesterday when they first learned that the Acciona/Stuart Olson Dominion Joint Venture team won the competition to design and construct the new facilities. Construction began on the $301.8 million project in June 2009. Bebbington noted that 36 months later, “We are now in the final phases of commissioning prior to handing the facility over to Northern Health ready for use.” The project, which includes $98.0 million in capital funding from the Peace River Regional Hospital District, is being built on a 40-acre parcel of land donated by the City of Fort St. John. The project is a public-private partnership between Northern Health and ISL Health, the private sector partner leading the consortium of architects, designers and builders, including the Acciona/Stuart Olson Dominion Joint Venture and HCP Social Infrastructure (Canada) Ltd., that have partnered with Northern Health. ISL Health was selected to deliver the project by Northern Health with assistance from Partnerships BC.
pictures by tom sparrow
During the month of May, the facility’s landscaping will be completed, final signage will be installed, and the temporary construction offices will be taken off-site. The hospital and residential care facilities have been: Designed and built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards; Built to post-disaster building standards, which means the facilities will continue to function independently after a disaster; and Built to operate at a guaranteed energy consumption level. Bebbington said the project was unique in many ways. “We had to schedule construction activities around weather conditions, select products for the exterior of the building that could handle the weather extremes of plus 30 to minus 50, and also take into consideration the location for deliveries and for workers’ travel, in and out of the site,” said Bebbington.
The $301.8 million Fort St. John Hospital & Residential Care Facility is on track to open in the summer of 2012.
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northerngroove.com
“With most builds, any contractor can build and most designers can design to ensure that the end product is satisfactory to the client. However, at Fort St John, we set up a unique design user group process and local neighbourhood community meetings which allowed ISL Health to involve all the expert specialists available at Northern Health as well as the community. This ensured that the facility was custom-built for its purpose and meets the needs of the local community. I believe we all have something to celebrate.” said Hurlbut. He added that during the project’s busiest periods, there were more than 360 workers engaged on the site, with more than one million man hours worked on the project. “The first winter, we had to protect all of the foundations against frost and frost heave. To do this we heated the ground and covered it with insulation tarps for the entire winter. We also had particular transport problems. Nobody ever accounted for incidents involving trucks and moose that resulted in five-day delays in deliveries twice within the project period.” Gareth Hurlbut, General Manager, ISL Health, said he believed the special partnership between ISL Health and Northern Health also contributed to make the project unique. “I would particularly like to thank Mike Bebbington our Senior Project Manager from Acciona Infrastructures Canada Inc., and Glen Kelsey, our Design Manager from Stuart Olson Dominion, who have both been with the project from the start and have shown great dedication to building wonderful new facilities for the community of Fort St John.” Bebbington added that the facilities’ state-of-the art construction standards will support Fort St. John and the surrounding communities for years to come. “Our joint consortium group would like to thank the people of Fort St. John for their help, hospitality and friendship,” he said. “This was a truly international project with people coming to work from Australia, Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States. Some of the people were introduced to minus 40 for the first time in their lives!”
isl health
FORT ST JOHN-ISMS EXPLAINED j. adam kelderman
Hi! My name is John Adam Kelderman (I go by Adam) and I’ve lived here in the North Peace, for going on six years. I moved here with my wife and daughter from Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2006 and have always enjoyed writing prose fiction. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from St. Mary’s University where, in 2004, I was chosen to attend a Canada-wide summit of young writers in St John’s Newfoundland. There I had the pleasure and privilege of working with several veteran Canadian writers like Leo McKay Jr, Bernice Morgan and Boyd Chubbs. (100) In the past I’ve attended many workshops where postcard or flash-fiction stories were always great practice for tightening up a narrative. Fitting an entire story into one or two paragraphs can be difficult. One must rescale: it’s not a novel, where there is endless room to flush out full backstories and to explore dynamic character development. I’ve learned that although the goal is to be clear and succinct, you must also leave some blanks for your reader to fill. For example, Ernest Hemingway was asked to write a six-word story and he replied, “ For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” (100)
To supplement the monthly printed material we’ve set up a sister site where contributors can see their submissions posted online. If by the 15th of each month there are enough submissions, the website will post them all, and the best ones will be chosen to be printed in the magazine. Also, we’ve established an email address specifically for this program, so anyone who wants to can send feedback, drafts of future submissions for review, and especially your final contribution. Please understand this project is in its infancy and so it may take a few months for it to take shape. (100) The project goal is to bring together as many different perspectives into a literary portrait of Fort St. John. We are extremely flexible on the format. Any genre, position, approach is accepted. If for example you have a great sci-fi story, that could only happen in Fort St John and it’s exactly one hundred words, we’ll read it, post it and possibly print it in the ‘zine! As working editor, I have to make sure each contribution is exactly one hundred words and if they are not, you will be notified: no one’s going to edit your story for you. (100) The FORT ST JOHN-ISMS project presents a great opportunity for writers to connect with their community, and share what they know. Which reminds us that we also have to take time to mention locally related events, and links to this project. Make sure to join the Writer’s Workshop held on the second Tuesday evening of every month at the Rabbit Hole Book Store, hosted by Henry See; and drop by Unforgettable Memories to see what inspirations you can find there for your craft! Dawn at the Northern Lights College has more information about creative writing as an academic pursuit, too. (100)
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