AHN July 13, 2023

Local dancers take prestigious exams

38 dancers recently finished off their competitive dance season at Alchemy by taking the Royal Academy of Dance’s (RAD) Ballet exams.

“The RAD is a world-renowned ballet syllabus. The kids train all year in class for these exams,” says Ashley Campbell, one of the owners and instructors at Alchemy. “Our main ballet teacher, Heather Rodd, prepared our dancers for these prestigious exams.”

The RAD examiner travelled all the way from Toronto, to examine the local dancers, who will wait until late before finding out the results.

“We had a great season of competitions, classes, and recitals and will be offering summer dance camps,” says Campbell. tbuck@ahnfsj.ca

Special O returns from summer games in Berlin

The 2023 world games were held in Berlin, Germany between June 17 and 25.

Around 7,000 athletes and unified partners from close to 190 countries, competed in 26 sports where Special Olympics Team Canada (SOTC) earned 46 gold medals, 20 silver, and

30 bronze.

The SO World Games hasn’t been hosted since 2019, and SO Team Canada had 89 athletes and 49 coaches and mission staff present, for the magnificent return.

SOBC contributed 15 of those athletes, as well as seven volunteer coaches and mission staff.

Tyra Flukinger was a member of the all-female SO Team Canada basketball team, which was the first of its kind for the national program.

“I feel empowered, honoured just to be picked for the first time ever SOTC women’s basketball team,” Flukinger says.

“It is probably one of the most enjoyable moments I’ve had in my life, but it’s hard being away from my three children. really, really hard. but I keep going for them.”

The athletes who attended the summer games, were supported by more than 3,000 coaches and 20,000 volunteers. tbuckahnfsj.ca

TW Buck Reporter/Photographer

Karsyn Fenton was watering, weeding, and taking care of the flowers along 100th Street last week. BUCK

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Coastal GasLink project hits 90 percent completion

Coastal GasLink has achieved 90 per cent overall completion. Contributing to this major milestone, pipe installation is now complete in Section 6, which means three out of eight sections have now achieved full pipe installation, and more than 622 km of pipe

has been installed along the 670-km route.

Officials expect their final construction season to be busy.

“In the coming months we expect more than 6,000 women and men to be working

along the project route as we set our sights on 100 per cent construction completion by the end of the year. The last 10 per cent of the Project will focus on technically challenging sections, complex workfronts, integrity testing and remaining watercourse crossings.”

Wildfire response

Coastal GasLink notes they remain committed to the safety of the environment and communities.

“As we continue to closely monitor the wildfire situa-

Arts North East executive director debuts new show

Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Arts North East executive director Haley Bassett has been keeping in touch with her roots, and debuted a new exhibit this month at the Ceremonial Art Gallery in Vancouver.

Titled Peace Maker, the exhibit showcases a series of traditional Métis fire bags - all themed with plants found in Northeast BC.

Bassett says the title works thematically on several levels - being born and raised in the Peace Region, and creating art which reflects the natural flora found there.

“My work is about how time and place and history inform our identities and current circumstances,” said Bassett. “And so for me, the Peace Country is a large part of that and it’s a very strong theme in my work.”

“The name Peace Maker is sort of like a double entendre, sort of a pun. The Peace made me and I’m a maker in the Peace, and it’s sort of like a reciprocal relationship,” she added.

It’s not the first time Bassett has drawn

on her Métis and Eastern European heritage, exploring her roots in Métis Modern in 2022 and Matrilineal in 2021.

“A lot of my work has to do with Métis identity and the complications in claiming that now, so many years after the colonization of Canada,” said Bassett in 2022. “Some people feel awkward about claiming Métis identity now. With my work I’m trying to untie those knots.”

Fire bags were a common piece of kit for those who lived in the homeland, said Bassett, carrying tools and goods such as flint, steel, pipes, and tobacco, or ammunition. Also known as ‘octopus bags’ due to their shape, the bags are often used as indigenous regalia today.

“They’re an important part item for surviving out in the wilderness,” said Bassett, who learned to make the fire bags through a workshop led by Gregory Scofield, a Métis master bead-worker.

Designs of using wild rose, wolf willow, and silver berry were carefully embroidered onto five bags, which took a year to complete - using the actual plant materials as the beads. Four were created specifically for the show.

“They’re called the Four Sisters and

each one celebrates local flora from the Peace Region, some of them actually use materials from the region, from native plants,” Bassett said. Métis often incorporated native plants as materials in fire bags, using seeds and rose hips as beads, making her designs in the same spirit.

The wolf willow inspired bag looks a little like sage, admits Bassett, but is very happy with the results. Coincidentally, wild sage is another plant endemic to the Peace.

Bassett handcrafted each piece and feels that using a sewing machine would have been taking a shortcut, the beauty and value was in taking her time. Some items from previous shows have also made an appearance at the exhibit, building on the theme of exploring her

tion across the province. Our workforce is on high alert, and crews are in place projectwide that are trained and fully equipped to suppress fires that could occur in the area,” they said Thursday in a statement.

editor@dcdn.ca

Métis identity and reconciling it with her settler identity.

“This is my first commercial show, and it’s also my first solo show in Vancouver, so it’s a big milestone for me,” said Bassett. “These are works that the curator selected, so it’s drawing on past series, but it’s also interesting to kind of see the through lines of all my work - at the end of the day, that major through line is the Peace Country, the Métis homeland, Treaty 8.”

Tom Summer, Alaska Highway News, Local Journalism Initiative. Have a story idea or opinion? Email tsummer@ahnfsj. ca

Bottom left - A snapshot of Peace Maker by Haley Bassett. Jake Kimble/ Ceremonial Art Gallery

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Shot fired across Chief Forester’s bow in latest wake up call

In a new special report, the BC Forest Practices Board is calling for a “paradigm shift” in how forests are managed to deal with catastrophic wildfire.

“The path forward relies on an immediate response from the provincial government involving acceptance, alignment, and action from multiple government ministries,” states the report.

Ending the war on deciduous tree species like aspen is made clear throughout the report.

“Another example is that aspen stands burn at a lower intensity than conifer stands, but reforestation obligations currently prioritize establishing conifer stands,” it states.

It elsewhere adds “a tendency for clearcut silviculture systems and reforestation to well-stocked, even-aged conifer plantations, the suppression of deciduous species, extensive salvage harvesting, and the elimination of post-harvest

broadcast burning have all contributed to increased homogeneity of the landscape and continuity of forest fuels.”

The report points out new legislative changes that allow for BC’s chief forester, Shane Berg, to “consider preventing, mitigating and adapting to impacts caused by significant disturbances to forests and forest health, including wildfire.”

That, however, seems unlikely given Shane Berg, as Deputy Chief Forester, oversaw a 2019 report that justified spraying glyphosate on the fire-resistant deciduous species to suppress them. A leaked draft of that report shows statements saying glyphosate spraying made forests more prone to fire and failure were scrubbed from the final report Mr. Berg approved.

“The current Chief Forester and senior staff in the Ministry of Forests have been aware their policies are responsible for more vulnerable, fire-prone land-

scapes.” says Stop the Spray BC spokesperson James Steidle in a statement.

“They have been knowingly walking us headlong into an oncoming catastrophe because diverse, resilient landscapes don’t produce the projected “timber-supply” yields that are necessary to justify the rate of harvesting we are seeing today. And that’s what matters at the end of the day. Greed.”

“I’m thankful the Forest Practices Board is finally taking the failure of forest management seriously,” says Steidle. “The war on deciduous, all the spraying, all the manual brushing, must stop today. But the Ministry absolutely will not let that happen. You can mark my words. The landscapes of vulnerability will march on under our watch and with our money. Fundamental changes will not happen under the existing bureaucratic leadership and corporate-captured culture within the Ministry.”

OPINION Saugstad: the inconvenient truth - fiction that needs fixing

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Evan Saugstad Columnist

Canada does not have a “climate” target that it likes. Like the Canucks and Leaf’s pursuit of a Cup, Canada is batting 0 for 9 on the success scale, and soon will be 0 for 10. Meeting one anytime soon is not happening until we change governments, and that is finally in the realm of possibility.

Much of what we read and hear about climate change is at best, “climate washing” and at worst, pure fiction. Stories abound that claim the latest weather is 100% fossil fueled climate change.

Sort of correct, sort of wrong. No matter what anyone says, today we have weather, tomorrow we have more weather… some days better suited to our lives than others, some is exceptional and awe inspiring and some unexplained, but mostly fitting within a range of predicable variables.

Nothing like having a fire season that is great for fires and even better for the host of climate change I-told-you-sowriters. Yes, must agree, today Canada is frying, tomorrow, who knows, but have you had a chance to look at the continental US of A, or Alaska or Yukon, NWT, Ontario, Newfoundland or Russia, Spain, Italy, or Portugal? Frying they are not.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail (June 9th) quotes an IPCC, (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) that climate change has only caused an increase in “fire weather” in some regions around the world, and that they have only a “medium confidence” that climate change will cause an increase in wildfires around the world. The article goes on to report that we are “still not seeing an overall increase when considering the total areas burned at the global level”.

reverting back to its previous status as a lake was forecast to fail, by many and successive governments. Despite the warning, no works were completed, and their predictions came true, climate change or not. The real story should be about what we must do to prevent or minimize damage from natural disasters, not keep pushing the climate change narrative that spending billions on electric vehicles will save Canadians.

Like the Sumas story, and in the same year from the same storm, the Coquihalla Highway washed out. Forgotten was how the highway was substantially over budget during construction and the government of the day cut spending, resulting in fewer and smaller sized rock (riprap) being used to armour the road and bridges. Result, water won, highway lost, but oh how we blamed climate change. Maybe we need to spend more fixing and rebuilding our infrastructure so we can end these climate change stories?

Or after years of neglect, the Stanley Park Seawall washed out during a storm, blamed on climate change. Real story, a “king” tide (happens every year) combined with a windstorm (happens multiple times/year) combined with no maintenance budget to repair the damage years of seawater bashing a manmade structure, and you get what you got, a washout and once again, water wins, Seawall looses. Without ongoing maintenance, will happen again.

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In short, as weather systems move in their endless journeys around the world, they create conditions in parts for wildfire, some for floods, some for blizzards, and some for just plain ordinary nice days. Just unfortunate that we drew the short straw for wildfires in our neck of the woods this year.

Nothing like Ottawa, or Toronto or New York to receive the dubious honor of being the “smoggiest” cites in the world for a day or two, thanks to northeast winds blowing smoke from Quebec into their pristine environments, to set the Twitter and media world ablaze with more rhetoric. But sadly, their rhetoric also has consequences, and some being not so nice.

After a few decades of our prestigious universities preaching to their students about the evils of climate change and its dire consequences, their students, now being some of our children’s teachers have set about preaching the same message to their students, now being our children. Consequences are that many of these children are feeling a sense of hopelessness and live in fear of climate change ending their lives prematurely, so much so, that they are seeking counselling on how to live lives in the times of danger (my words, but from a Canadian Press article published it the AHN on June 10th). Isn’t preaching fear to children akin to hate?

So sad, as these preachers go on and on about the dangers of fossil fuels, they forget to talk about how we should be preparing for and reacting to natural disasters (oh my, excuse me, no such thing as a natural disaster anymore, all come from the hand of man burning fossil fuels!!).

Remember the great flood of Sumas Prairie (Abbotsford) in 2021, about how it was 100% certain caused by climate change which can be directly linked to fossil fuels? Forgotten was the dyke constructed to keep Sumas Prairie from

And, with BC’s constant floods, no discussion of how hydrology works. Rivers carry sediments, tiny bits most of the time, but up to huge boulders during floods. Year after year, they build up their bottoms as sediments are deposited, until one day, they overflow and flood the surrounding lowlands. Notice how upset the “environmentalists” get when government proposes to remove gravels from rivers to prevent or reduce the risk of flooding, or object to the placement of dykes to keep them in place? And where do we choose to live and locate our infrastructure? In floodplains of courses, as we must dam many mountains.

Back to the fires. Just plain fiction we have the ability, will or budgets to stop wildfires in our fire prone forest, which is most of BC other than the wet coast. Pure fiction that stopping fossil fuel use will stop wildfires, pure fiction that fire dominated ecosystem can survive without us having to breathe smoke, with some years being much worse than others as the wildfire cycle continues.

Read the reprint article in the AHN on June 9th? The one about an Environmental and Climate Change Canada research scientist writing a computer program (called it attribution science) that tells us, for a fact, that this manmade climate change increased the likelihood of this years fires by a factor of ten.

Guess I can believe that the cool wet weather for the Yukon, or lack of California fires this year were also decreased by a factor of ten?

Someday one’s head does hurt trying to make sense of all things.

Until the next flood, fire, or blizzard.

Pamela den Ouden

Columnist

Be a Hometown Tourist

July is Be a Hometown Tourist month, and it’s just about half over! If you have children or grandchildren visiting you, there is a passport of activities, things to try, and select deals at local businesses. Passports can be picked up at the Visitor Centre (or printed from BeaHometownTourist-Passport2023.pdf). Take your passport to each Hometown Tourist venue, support their business, and get a stamp! Once you’ve collected as many stamps as possible, submit your passport at the Visitor Centre for a chance to win a prize basket! Passports must have at least 1 stamp to be entered. The individual with the most stamps will automatically win a prize. All other passports will be put in a random draw to win prizes (including gift cards and swag from participating businesses).

Museum Pie Sale

July 14-16 in Centennial Park

Help the North Peace Historical Society operate the Fort St. John North Peace Museum by enjoying a delicious slice of pie and/or cup of coffee. We will be selling cherry, apple, and blueberry pies for $5/ slice. Coffee will be by donation. Save room after your ribs and help us preserve and present the history of

OPINION Grady: it’s time to come home

We can all relate to parents telling their children “It’s time to come home” whether it be for supper, curfew time or getting ready for bed. Some of us have lived away from home and have received the message that a loved one is not doing well medically, and we should come home. There is the struggling teenager trying to find their way being told “it’s time to come home.” We can read the story of the prodigal son and what isn’t in print is knowing the father’s heart is saying in his heart and to the Lord in his prayer “it’s time for my son to come home.” This familiar expression of course relates to home and family.

During the pandemic there are many tragic and sad stories that took place in our society. There were so many issues that developed during this time that included family losses, burnt out care providers, long term health problems, the divide it caused in our society and the list goes on and on.

Fort St. John and the North Peace.

Woodlawn Cemetery Tour

Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery (86 St. north of the railway tracks)

Do you miss our cemetery tours when you go camping or go away for the weekend? Then this mid-week option is for you! From dentists to nurses and farmers to surveyors, people buried in Woodlawn Cemetery changed the face of Fort St. John. Learn about the man who walked over 800 miles to Fort St. John from Telegraph Creek. Hear about a woman who could skin a beaver faster than any male trapper. Find out more about the Chinese couple that welcomed RCMP constables. Working through hardships, these people made our community home. The tour is $10 and can be paid at the gate of the cemetery prior to the tour.

Museum Gift Shop

For Hometown Tourist Month, we are offering a special sales table with items up to 50% off. Come browse mugs, books, prints, playing cards, jewelry, science kits, and more! Want to know this year’s hot item? It’s our sustainable bamboo laser-etched charcuterie/cutting boards shaped like the map of British Columbia. They are decorated with animals, highways, lakes, community names, and

William Julian Regional Manager / Managing Editor editor@ahnfsj.ca

more. They are perfect for charcuterie, cheese plates, fresh produce, etc. It’s rare to find Northeastern BC so well represented from Tumbler Ridge and Dawson Creek to Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Williston Lake, the Alaska Highway, and Fort Nelson. These make a great gift!

Check out our new collections of lightly scented Authentic Canadian Wilderness goat milk soaps. Each soap has a unique name, explanation, and scent. For example: Wolf Whistles Soap (may cause a howling good time). We have soaps for the Northern Lights, Alaska Highway, and a variety of local wildlife. The scents include almond, citrus, peppermint, cucumber, pomegranate, berries, cherries, etc. We also have three different types of lip balm: bear breath (mint), moose spit (lemon), and beaver butt (cherry).

Purchases from the museum gift shop help us preserve and present the history of Fort St. John and area through exhibits, educational initiatives, and management of our collection.

Parting thought:

Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. Go out and make good things happen! You will fill the world with hope, and you will fill yourself with hope.

One of the underlying consequences of the pandemic was in the Christian churches where vaxers and non vaxers became an issue along with government protocols and decisions by the church leaders of how the congregations were going to respond. It caused a major divide with all parties knowing their point was right and why couldn’t everybody else see how right they were. As in family disputes there comes a time when we all move past the disputes and hopefully healing, and forgiveness takes place with the family staying united and move on.

The subject of divisions and unity were of incredible importance to the teaching of Jesus Christ. Part of what He taught about division and its consequences is covered in Mathew’s gospel with “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” What Jesus mentored and taught about unity He lived in the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One of the last prayers that Jesus prayed before He gave His life is found in John’s gospel and to me it is the cry of His heart for true followers. It is a prayer of not only unity for believers but IF we are united in Him the world will know the Father sent Him.

The reason I raise this issue is that one of the consequences of the pandemic is the enemy used it to divide the Church and the Body of Christ has not fully reconciled itself. It really doesn’t matter who was right or wrong but we come together in unity. The Apostle Paul stated it so beautifully in Colossians 3: 12-14

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

“It’s time to come home” as we miss you and need you.

John Grady - Fort St John

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Pie at the museum on the way, and more advice from the Senior’s Hall

$400,000 for Tse’k’wa

Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ovintiv has publicly announced $400,000 in funding to aid development of the Tse’k’wa National Historic Site in Charlie lake.

Recommended reads for you: UNESCO report on Wood Buffalo park shows urgency of problems, First Nation says This week at the Seniors Hall The announcement was made on June 21 in partnership with the Tse’k’wa Heritage Society, as part of their National Indigenous People’s Day celebrations.

One of the few indigenous managed national historic sites, also known as the Charlie Lake Cave to many, the site is jointly owned by the Doig River, Prophet River, and West Moberly First Nations.

“We are so grateful to have community partners to help us achieve our vision of a world class historic site,” said Society President Gary Oker in a press release.

A BBQ lunch, traditional drumming, and more festivities were held during the announcement, welcoming the public to a new interpretive trail

with indigenous signage and archaelogical displays. An amphitheatre, dome, picnic area, and interpretive centre are also under construction.

Further in the press release, Mary Grant, Ovintiv’s Vice President of Communications and Sustainability, said “Ovintiv is honored to contribute to the Tse’k’wa Heritage Society and is committed to building strong and respectful relationships with our Indigenous partners and communities. We are proud to support Indigenous culture today and its preservation for future generations.”

The funding will be used over

RCMP investigate gun threat at drive-thru

June 22 at approximately 1:30am saw Dawson Creek RCMP alerted to an incident between three men in the McDonald’s drive through in Dawson Creek where a handgun is alleged to have been brandished.

“It is believed two men approached the victim in their vehicle who was on foot in the drive through. The two men yelled at the victim before revealed they had a silver handgun,” says police in a statement.

The first man involved is described as a Caucasian male, bald, in his late 20’s, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans. The second man involved is described as Caucasian, bald, in his 20s or 30s and wearing a light coloured shirt.

the next three years to help the society reach its vision of a visitor-ready museum and interpretive centre.

Tse’K’wa means rock house, and though well-known to local residents and First Nations, the cave was only discovered by archaeologists in 1974 and then excavated in the early 1980s.

All told, the site contains 12,000 years of history, spanning from the ice age to modern day. The first new dig in 30 years was held last summer, picking up where Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor and bone expert Dr. Jon Driver left off in the 1990s.

A brief second field school was completed this past May with UNBC and SFU, prepping for another potential dig next year.

Tom Summer, Alaska Highway News, Local Journalism Initiative. Have a story idea or opinion? Email tsummer@ ahnfsj.ca

Below - A view from inside Tse’K’wa, an ancient cave and national historic site at Charlie Lake. (Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0)

There’s

coming

The vehicle occupied by the two alleged offenders is described as a 2006 to 2008 brown or tan Chevrolet Cobalt with black rims.

Dawson Creek RCMP seek information from the public

about the individuals involved in the incident, the firearm or the vehicle used.

Contact the Dawson Creek RCMP at (250) 784 3700 if you have any information.

editor@dcdn.ca

FSJ police investigate drive by shooting

Last Thursday night saw a drive by shooting in Fort St. John.

July 6, at 9:29 pm saw RCMP respond to a report of shots fired in the 8800 block of 102nd Avenue.

It was reported a vehicle was parked in a parking lot and appeared to have possible bullet holes in it.

Police attended and confirmed multiple shots had been fired into the vehicle.

Escape Planning

Include

“The investigation is in the early stages but it appears that this was targeted and there is no ongoing threat to the public. There were no reported injuries. The investigation is ongoing,” say officials in a statement

Police note if you have any information about this, call the Fort St John RCMP at (250) 787-8140.

editor@dcdn.ca

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PREVIOUSPUZZLESANSWERS

PRRD to apologize to Treaty 8 First Nations

Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Peace River Regional District will issue an apology to all Treaty 8 First Nations and members of the public, following a letter from Doig River, Halfway River, Prophet River, and West Moberly, seeking accountability over antiindigenous remarks made at a recent committee of the whole meeting.

In their June 16 letter, the nations said the PRRD failed to address “highly inappropriate and anti-Indigenous remarks” at the June 8 meeting, with backlash coming from the public over a proposed treaty land sharing network.

The environment quickly escalated into “disrespect and hostility”, wrote the nations, who said it was “fueled by members of the public who espoused misguided and inflammatory views based entirely on online misinformation spread by local provocateurs” over the land sharing concept.

“Not one person from PRRD stood up to dispel the misinformation and the anti-Indigenous derogatory comments contrary to your own policies and the commitments your government made to moving forward in a reconciliatory manner,” they added.

The nations reiterated that any network would be entirely voluntary - with the consent of landowners, as they have no intention of infringing on anyone’s rights.

“It operates on a voluntary basis,

serving as a platform for private individuals to engage in mutually beneficial agreements without involvement or intervention from any level of government,” they wrote.

The PRRD’s inaction also detracted from Doig River’s annual “Doig Day” event, wrote the nations, when the nation opens their doors to the community to share Dane-zaa culture and traditions.

“It is deeply disheartening that not a single person in attendance was reprimanded or asked to leave the meeting, despite the blatant disregard for respect and decorum displayed by certain members of the public,” further stated the letter.

Discussing the letter at their June 29 board meeting, PRRD directors voted in favour of issuing the apology as a sign of good faith, and are inviting the Treaty 8 nations to meet in-person for an informal community to community conversation.

Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said she felt PRRD directors did their best to dispel misinformation on June 8, taking time to talk with residents in attendance to answer questions in advance of the meeting.

“Residents in the PRRD are good people, they work hard for their families, and I’m proud to call many a friendplease know that as a board, we did not sit back,” she said.

Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowa said technical difficulties with microphones made it tough for residents

Toxic drug alert issued for Fort St. John

to hear and for directors to keep the room civil, but feels landowners had a right to speak to their concerns.

“I sincerely apologize to all First Nations, Treaty 8 and non-treaty indigenous people - that’s not what we represent,” he said.

Area B Director Jordan Kealy said he feels the PRRD did nothing wrong and didn’t hear any racist remarks, but said the board wasn’t prepared for the volume of residents who showed up on June 8 - an unusual turnout for regular municipal meetings.

“We conducted ourselves appropriately, as for individual actions of certain people, we can’t control that,” said Kealy. “I myself, personally, I’m deaf in one ear, but I didn’t hear any racist comments.”

As a Treaty 8 member and indigenous person, Chetwynd Mayor Allen Courtoreille says he felt uncomfortable with the racist comments being made by individuals in the public on June 8, and elected to skip the June 28 meeting because of them.

“I’m not going to a place that made me uncomfortable and it was just a terrible feeling that I had at that meeting, that it just didn’t feel right to go put myself in a position like that again,” he said.

Area E Director Dan Rose said while some of the incident is self-inflicted by the PRRD, he doesn’t doubt there were some racist comments and that the PRRD needs to become quicker on social

media to combat misinformation.

“Most of the people were there to listen and they didn’t get a chance on June 8th, because they were drowned out by a few folks that weren’t there to listen,” said Rose. “And I know those peoplemost of the people in that building are my generation. And live on the land, and they’re the solid people that drive this whole region.”

Taylor Mayor Brent Taillefer said a letter won’t cut it - any apology to Treaty 8 needs to be in person to start the process of healing, suggesting a debrief of everything that’s happened.

“I don’t think discussing whether people were right or wrong is even relevant when we need to heal,” he said of the June 8 incident.

PRRD Chair Leonard Hiebert said one of his biggest frustrations on June 8 was the malfunctioning microphones, but wants to move forward in a respectful way with Treaty 8 nations.

“I think we’re going to have to sit across the table and have those conversations. Numerous times we have dealt with First Nations, they have mentioned to us, don’t be scared to ask the tough questions,” he said. “And I think this is an opportunity that maybe we need to sit down and have those conversations.”

Tom Summer, Alaska Highway News, Local Journalism Initiative. Have a story idea or opinion? Email tsummer@ahnfsj. ca

Northern Health & First Nations Health Authority note an increase in drug overdoses in Fort St. John.

The ODs are linked to stimulant use causing deep sedation

requiring hospitalization and lengthy monitoring.

“This is a general overdose alert, substances circulating in the Northeast region are very

toxic. Please take care and share this alert widely,” say officials.

Northern Health recommends your safety getting over-

dose prevention, recognition, and response training; carry naloxone, not using alone, and knowing your tolerance. If you are sick or had a time of abstinence or reduced use, use much less

“Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number right away if someone overdoses.”

editor@dcdn.ca

You’regoingtoloseaccesstolocal newsonFacebookandGoogle.

Dearreaders,

Youraccesstolocal,provincialandnationalnewsisgoingtoberevoked onGoogle,FacebookandInstagram.

Andit’snotbecauseofanythingwe’vedone.

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BothGoogleandMetahavesaidtheyplantocuttieswiththe news industryinCanadaasaresult.

ThismeansMetawillblockthepostingandsharingofournewsarticles onFacebookandInstagram.Googlewillalsoremovelinkstooursites andarticlesinGoogleNews,Discoverandsearchresults.They’llalso cancelsignificantcontentlicensingagreementsalreadyinplacewith ourparentcompany,GlacierMedia.

Undoubtedly,thiswillhaveahugeimpactnotsolelyonusbut,more importantly,onpeoplelikeyourselfwhomayusethesep latformsto discoverwhat’shappeninginyourcommunityandtogetcontextto eventshappeninginyourownbackyard.

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Withyourhelp,morepeoplewillbeabletogettheirlocalnewsfroma trustedsource.Intoday’sageofmisinformation,that’smoreimportant thanever.

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Sincerely,

TheAlaskaHwyNewsteam

Cooking

Safety

Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.

“COOK WITH CAUTION”

KKK Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.

KKK Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food.

KKK If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the kitchen while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

KKK Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...

KKK On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.

KKK For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire…

KKK Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.

KKK Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from outside the home.

Cooking and Kids

FACTS

• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

• Most cooking fires in the home involve the stovetop.

Caregiver required for 2 children ages 9 & 11. Full-Time Live-in only. Duties include: Cooking, Care for the children at home. Light house cleaning. School drop-off and pick-up. Must speak English. Related Experience necessary. Dawson Creek. Email resume to: rosaliejustado@gmail.com

RESTAURANT FOR LEASE In Chetwynd, B.C

• Fully Equipped • Recently Renovated and Ready to go.

• Flexible Lease Period

• Flexible Rent

• Flexible operating hours

• Great Location If Interested, Please email : azimmangalji21@gmail.com

Seeking a Live-In Position as Childcare Giver and Gardener. Call Rachel at 250788-2482 after 6pm

TAKE YOUR CONFIDENCE & communication a level. Get the career and family life of your dreams! Jon a Toastmasters International group near you. www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

Large collection of youth hobby books. Call for information dyoungdawson@gmail.com

250-719-7381

Todd’s Coins: Buying gold, silver & coins

250-864-3521

HUGE GARAGE SALE, ANTIQUES AND LAWN ORNAMENTS 10740 - 101 St in Taylor, BC JULY 14-24

2011 Diesel Dodge RAM 3500 automatic-4-Door for parts. (wiring-harness must be intact & functional)

250-789-3350

Looking for a Moveable Modular/ Home/House/ Cabin to buy. Call 778-838-1055

New Holland BR780 Round Baler for Sale. Asking $18,000. Call Greg at 780-512-1207 or 780-538-9115

For sale: D7-17A Cat. Call for more info.

250-772-5407

Wanted! Pasture rental for 3 behaving horses, within half hour from Dawson or Pouce, 780-864-9475.

Flexicoil 67 100ft wheel-boom sprayer (c/w) windscreens, 850-gallon-tank, hydraulic fold-out and more, excellent condition. 780-518-0635

Walinga 510 grain vac with new hoses.

$6200. 780-864-0809

Quarter Horses for Sale. Call 780-9712350

Wanted! Pasture rental for 3 behaving horses, within half hour from Dawson or Pouce, 780-864-9475.

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Wanted! Pasture rental for 3 behaving horses, within half hour from Dawson or Pouce,

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE FOLLOWING VEHICLE LOCATED AT 11104 ALASKA RD FORT ST. JOHN BC, V1J 5T5 HAS BEEN ABANDONED AND WILL BE SOLD AS OF JULY 27, 2023 AS IS WHERE IS FOR THE SUM OF $2008.45 PLUS $1500 IN STORAGE FEES.

2011 FORD F-150 XLT - VIN # 1FTFW1EF0BFA00463

LAST KNOWN OWNER SHYANNE BASKOTT 8112 B 90 AVENUE, FORT ST. JOHN, BC, V1J 6P8

IN THE MATTER OF THE BANKRUPTCY OF TROY GORDON MCRAE

NOTICE is hereby given that Troy Gordon McRae filed an Assignment in Bankruptcy on June 28, 2023, and that John S. Beverley & Associates Inc. was appointed as Trustee. The first meeting of creditors will be held on the 19th day of July 2023 at the hour of 9 o’clock in the morning, at the office of the Trustee, 1240 5th Avenue, in the city of Prince George, in the Province of British Columbia or via MS Team video conference.

Dated at Prince George, B.C., this 5th day of July 2023.

Andrew Philip

November 1, 1960 - June 12, 2023

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Andrew Philip on June 12, 2023 in Fort St. John, B.C.

Andrew was born in Belleville, Ontario on November 1, 1960. His family moved to Yellowknife, NWT in his teenage years, where he made lifelong friendships.

Andrew will be dearly missed by anyone who was fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him in this life, whether it was in his youth, professional career, or the many friends he made along the way. Especially by those who loved him for the amazing person he was. His infectious laugh will be in our heats forever. It was the best laugh in the world. His caring for others was selfless. He always seen the potential in people and would do his utmost to help them succeed.

Andrew was well known in Fort St. John and area in the Gas Compression business.

Andrew was often seen quietly fly fishing up and down the banks of the Peace River. It was a passion that gave him so much pleasure and joy. He was a true fisherman. Watching him fly fish was poetry in motion.

He was also an accomplished photographer whose pictures are the focal point on many walls.

He also had a special flair for music which was self-taught with his usual determination.

To honour Andrew’s wishes, there will not be a service.

We can celebrate his life with our memories of which there will be many. Until we meet again our friend………..

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.

Winifred Corinne Scobie

Winnie passed away Tuesday, July 4, 2023, at the age of 93 years, at the Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital, in Beaverlodge, AB, following a short illness.

She was born June 28, 1930, the daughter of John and Cora Stephenson, who were long-time residents of the Meadowbank District and High River, AB. She attended the Springdale School from grades 1-9 and completed her high school in High River.

In 1950, she married Clarke Scobie of the Cayley District, AB. They moved to Cecil Lake, BC where they operated a grocery store and service station. At this time, they also purchased land in the district. After a few years, they made another move farther north, purchasing a ranch along the Halfway River. She helped her 4 children take their schooling by correspondence.

Winnie would tell some wonderful and fascinating stories of their years on the ranch. They semi-retired and purchased a small farm north of Hythe, AB. She had a lifetime love of horses. They raised Anglo-Arabians, and after moving from the Halfway, she participated in competitive endurance rides. They made winter trips to Arizona and enjoyed doing this for 29 years. They eventually sold their land and moved into Hythe. Winnie became involved and attended several Alberta 55+ Summer Games. She competed in shot-put, javelin, and discus, and latterly was awarded gold medals for these events at the age of 91. Winnie is survived by her four children: Allister (Dianne), Jack (Barbara), Tess (Howard), and Linda Lee; 8 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; brother-in-law Wayne Scobie; sister-in-law Kay Clark, and sister Rose Dayment. She was predeceased by her husband Clarke, two brothers, two brothers-in-law, and two sisters-in-law. A Celebration of Life has taken place, at the Royal Canadian Hythe Legion (9818 100 Ave.), in Hythe, AB

Condolences may be sent by visiting www.beaverlodgefuneralservice.com

ENERGETIC LEARNING CAMPUS HONOUR ROLL

PRINCIPAL’S

HONOUR ROLL

ADAM, BRYNN ALBIATLY, MOHAMMED BAERG, AUSTIN BUECKERT, ISAIAH CARMICHAEL, MADELYNN

COENDERS, JOSH

COUCH, EMMA

GALLAGHER, MACIE

GHOSH, SWAS

HAAB, ALLISON

HAAB, CLEA

HANSON, SARAH

HAW, CELINE

JOHNSON, KRISPIN

JORGENSON, HALLE

KLASSEN, MICHAEL

KOEHN, JOEL

LOEWEN, ASHTON

MCCUE, GRIFFIN

MCNAUGHTON, ELLA

NOLAN, ADDISON

OLLENBERGER, CAMRYN

PERIDA, JAYZEN

PETERSON, JULIA ROBINSON, GRACIE

GOLD

HONOUR ROLL

AVERIN, LEO

BALLARD, AMY

BATTEN, NAOMI

BEARD, COHEN

CHAPUT, ISABELLA

DAISLEY, KORI

EGGIMANN, NATALIE

FELL, BAILEY

FLEMING, KAMRYN

GILL, ARVI

HART, ELLIE

HEWITT, MARYN

HOLMES, SUMMER

HUNDAL, TANVIR

KNIPE, SAWYER

LASS, MANUELE

LAWSON, JARRETT MANALO, MARY MASSE, PIPER MAURER, ELLI

MCALENEY, MIRANDA NABSETH, AVA PAULL, CURTIS ROGERS, NATE RYANE, CHARLIE SCHNEIDER, ANDREAS SHEIKH, AVA TE BULTE, ISRAEL VACCARO, ARIANNA VAN NIEKERK, ZANDRI WEBSTER, JACK WHITFORD, JACKSON WILLIAMS, ABBY WOODS, FRANKIE BURGANDY HONOUR ROLL AGUJA, CHANTAL AYRE, CADENCE BABIY, SHAWNNA BUECKERT, LINCOLN BUSTARD, CONNOR CLEMENT, ADDISON CURRIE, MIA ELLIOTT, PEYTON GILES, TRINITY

JOHNSON, ALEXIS JONES, KENNEDY KLASSEN, CAITLYN KRAFCZYK, ABIGAIL LESTER-ANDERSON, TEAGAN LEWIS, ETHAN LINDLEY, ALEX LYTHALL, RILEY MACDONALD, GRACE MCCOLM, LLIAM ORCENA, JHUZTINE PALFY, CYPRUS PITTAM, JAXON RAAB, KAYDEN ROWNTREE, DUSTIN SNIDER, DONOVAN SOLOMON, ADRIANNA STEWART, RYAN SWANSON, CAMRON THOMAS, CLAIRE WHITFORD, EMERSON WUTHRICH, HUNTER

Canadian Navigable Waters Act

.................................................................................................. hereby gives notice that an

(Owner - Individual or company name) application has been made to the Minister of Transport, pursuant to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act for approval of the work described herein and its site and plans.

Pursuant to paragraph 7(2) of the said Act, ...................................................................... has deposited with the Minister of Transport, (Owner - Individual or company name) on the on-line Navigable Waters Registry ...................................... and under registry number .................. or, under the NPP File Number ....................... a description of the following work, its site and plans:

(nature and status of work - e.g. existing/proposed wharf, breakwater, booms, bridge, cable, dam, etc. - not merely “works” or such general terms) in, on, over, under, through or across .................................................................................................................

(name of the river, the lake or other navigable water) at ........................................................................................................................

(name of place where work is to be located) in front of lot number .........................................................................................

Comments regarding the effect of this work on marine navigation can be sent through the Common Project Search site mentioned above under the Comment section (search by the above referenced number) or, by sending your comments directly to #820-800 Burrard Street, Vancouver BC, V6Z 2J8, if you do not have access to the internet. However, comments will be considered only if they are in writing (electronic means preferable) and are received not later than 30 days after the publication of the last notice. Although all comments conforming