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CUBA HEADLINES HEATWAVE SHOWS FRANK PEEBLES 97/16 staff
“The other super interesting artist is Shauit,” said Judge, talking about artists she has never seen in Prince George before. “Do you remember a group called Kashtin in the 1980s and 90s? They had a couple of hit songs that were sung entirely in Innu, a remarkable achievement at the time. Well, Shauit is from the same community and also sings in Innu.” Judge said the crowd was going to love the Tonye Aganaba Band, whose eponymous leader has visible connections to Africa (born in England to parents of Nigerian and Zimbabwean descent) then moved to Canada as a youth, including some time spent living in Dawson Creek. Aganaba is gender-fluid and creates music that is genre-fluid, with touches of soul, folk, R&B and more. Think Ani DeFranco or Lauryn Hill for sound siblings. The Paperboys bandleader Tom Landa is a staunch friend and supporter. Aganaba was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and then was involved in a major car crash. Those physical realities have also played a role in shaping the music and the personal journey this artist has taken on, not just on festival stages and theatres but, said Judge, “also into schools, community centres, hospitals, prisons, and boardrooms places where art can heal, start conversation, and maybe even make change.” The final musical slot at the HeatwaveCelebrating Cultures festival is reserved for Alex Cuba, one of Prince George’s favourites. The Smithers-based but Cubanborn superstar owns a voice with the smooth and intoxicating effect of liqueur, and a songwriting style that sails listeners along no matter what language you speak. He is one of Canada’s national musical treasures, and he
Alex Cuba is coming back to Prince George. The Grammy darling and northern B.C.’s most prestigious resident music star is the headliner at the Heatwave-Celebrate Cultures summer festival. This new festival is a combination of several cultural events all celebrating together from June 21-23 at Canada Games Plaza and Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. The music organizers are the same as for the wintertime’s Coldsnap Music Festival and artistic director Sue Judge announced the lineup for this inaugural showcase coming up in only a few weeks. “They are all interesting,” said Judge. “En
THE 2019 ROSTER: Fri June 21: Opening Ceremonies, Saltwater Hank, Rivière Rouge, Tonye Aganaba Band
Sat June 22: Navaz, En Karma, George Leach (with special performances by Laura Grizzlypaws) Sun June 23: Madame Diva & Micah, Kym Gouchie, Shauit, Alex Cuba Karma, for instance is, North America’s preeminent Bhangra band and their combined musical pedigree traverses experiences with the top bands of the 90s Bhangra movement in the U.K., the oldest folk Bhangra institutions in Canada and a little bit of indie-rock sensibility thrown in for good measure.” Leach and Grizzlypaws are both from Lillooet, so even the incoming acts have regional connections.
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Alex Cuba played the BCLC mainstage at Canada Games Plaza in Prince George during the 2015 Canada Winter Games. is coming to P.G. with fresh material. This is a free set of concerts thanks to the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, City of Prince George and Tourism Prince George. It is a joint presentation of Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society (IMSS), Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, Le Cercle des
Canadiens Français de Prince George, and the Prince George Folkfest Society (the organizers of Coldsnap). It combines National Indigenous Peoples Day, IMSS’ Day of Cultures, Saint-Jean Baptiste Day and revives the spirit of the Prince George Folkfest events of the early 2000s.
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Tuesday, January 16, 2018 | Your community newspaper since 1916
CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
In the spotlight Darren Neufeld of Blake Productions sets up a projector for the B.C. Natural Resources Forum, which starts tonight at the Civic Centre. The forum, which will bring industry leaders and high-level political figures like federal minister of natural resources James Carr to the city, runs through Thursday.
Key witness testifies at murder trial Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
A
key witness in a trial for three
men accused of a drug-related murder recounted what she saw and heard during the fatal shooting of a Prince George man two years ago. Darren Sundman, Kurtis Sundman, who are brothers, and Sebastian Martin each face a count of first-degree murder in the Jan. 16, 2015 death of Jordan Tayor McLeod, who was 24 years old at the time. Recounting events in the hour or so leading up to the shooting, Stacey Stevenson said she was in the back of a friend’s mobile home in Vanderhoof when Darren Sundman entered the room and told her to grab her belongings. Stevenson complied, the court heard, and went out to the kitchen where she saw McLeod sitting on a bar stool in the middle of the room. Darren Sundman tried to convince McLeod to unlock his phone but he refused and Sundman grabbed the phone away from him, Stevenson said. From there, they filed out of the home and into a pickup truck where Kurtis Sundman got into the driver’s seat while McLeod got into the passenger side. Stevenson sat in the middle back with Darren Sundman sit-
She said they took off and made their ting behind McLeod and Martin behind the driver, resting a shotgun between his knees. way onto a logging road where they dumped the body – it was found off the With Kurtis Sundman “driving crazy” Kaykay Forest Service Road northwest of and “going quite fast” they headed to the city, the court has heard. In the hours Prince George and, after driving through that followed, they also retrieved McLeod’s the city, travelled east on Highway 16. car from Vanderhoof and abandoned it Stevenson said Darren Sundman began north of Williams Lake after hitting McLeod with the butt of a handgun and then, just As she bent over, rolling it down a gully and setting it on fire. as they passed Prince George The Sundmans and StevenRegional Correctional Centre, placing her head son were arrested a matter of McLeod was told he would between her hours later in Quesnel after have to jump out of the truck knees, Stevenson they tried to steal an all-terwhile it was still moving “or vehicle and then failed to he knew what was going to said she heard rain evade police. happen to him.” a shot and then Under questioning from They turned onto Upper Crown prosecutor Joseph Fraser Road and soon afMartin say “I got Temple, Stevenson spent ter, McLeod did jump out. him boss.” much of Monday setting the Kurtis Sundman pulled the scene. She and Darren Sundtruck over and the three men man had been living together jumped out. Stevenson got as girlfriend and boyfriend in Vanderhoof into the front because Martin had accidenwhere he had been working at a pellet plant tally set off a can of bear spray. in the community. As she bent over, placing her head He had been selling cocaine on the side, between her knees, Stevenson said she heard a shot and then Martin say “I got him with Stevenson keeping track of debts owed boss.” Stevenson, who turned tearful as she to him. But in late summer 2014, Sundman quit his job and they began using methamtestified, said she then heard a second shot and, when she looked up saw all three make phetamine heavily while selling cocaine to cover their bills. their way across a ditch and into the bush By December, Stevenson said she broke where they pulled McLeod’s body from the up with Sundman because she “just had trees and put it into the back of the pickup.
enough of everything” and was planning to move out. At about that time, Sundman was introduced to McLeod as a supplier. Stevenson said she began communicating with McLeod via text messages and phone calls behind Sundman’s back and when he and his brother left for Merritt, she stayed behind. Stevenson packed her bags while the Sundmans were away but when she convinced McLeod to pick her up and drive her to Prince George for New Years Eve she left them behind. While in Prince George, Stevenson stayed with some friends and then, for a brief time, with McLeod. While with him, McLeod asked Stevenson to text Darren Sundman and ask if he had the money he owed McLeod. “Yes, I have his f---g money,” Sundman tersely replied. She said McLeod had been friendly to Sundman in previous conversations but also a “little bit rude,” because he wanted Sundman to pay up. McLeod had “no real reaction” to Sundman’s text, Stevenson said. McLeod asked Stevenson for some photos of her and, in response, she sent him some portrait shots. McLeod drove her back to Vanderhoof and instructed Stevenson to “pretend like nothing happened,” because he wanted his money from Sundman. Stevenson’s testimony continues today at the courthouse.
Watts makes P.G. stop on Liberal campaign tour Arthur WILLIAMS Citizen staff awilliams@pgcitizen.ca Liberal leadership candidate Dianne Watts says it’s time to reboot the B.C. Liberal Party and she’s the one to do it. The former mayor of Surrey and MP for South Surrey – White Rock was in Prince George on Monday, promoting her bid for the job of leadership of the opposition. The B.C. Liberals will elect a new leader on Feb. 3. “I offer the B.C. Liberals a fresh start,” Watts said. While good work was done by the former Liberal government, she said, “there was a level of frustration” by the voting public which resulted in the loss of 11 seats in the 2016 election. She said her experience building coalitions and leading a government in Surrey would help her to unify the Liberals and present a united front in the next provincial election. Her experience in local government has taught her that one-size-fits-all solutions don’t work for B.C., she said. “Every community is unique, and every community has unique issues,” Watts said. “As a former mayor... we deal with things on the front line. We deal with homelessness,
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we deal with crime, we deal with first responders.” Supporting local leaders and communities to develop local solutions to local programs is key, she said. B.C. municipalities have limited options when it comes to raising funds, she said, and it may be time to consider giving municipalities more tools to allow them to meet their needs. However some of the common threads she has heard while travelling B.C. are concerns about health care and affordability. While the Liberal party in B.C. is the party of business and entrepreneurship, she said, it’s also important to focus on social programs to meet the needs of British Columbians. In order to achieve that, the province will require a strong, stable government – something that is unlikely under a proportional representation system. The NDP have pledged to hold a mail-in-ballot referendum this year on changing the province’s electoral system. Watts said the NDP are jumping the gun and should first ask voters if they want the province’s electoral system changed. Then, with a mandate of the people, gather public input and present voters with a number of options. “It should be decided by the people.”
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CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Dianne Watts stopped by The Citizen on Monday during a tour of the north.
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THE BEAST FRANK PEEBLES 97/16 staff
An all-star local cast has been announced by director Judy Russell for her upcoming production of Beauty & The Beast. Leading the list is a comeback performer who became one of the province’s top varsity singers while she was at the University of Victoria and she has been a big part of several Russell productions in the past like Nunsense, Nunsense 2, Hello Dolly and a star turn in the role of Eponine in Les Miserables. Kelsey Jewesson is back in Prince George and will be back in the spotlight as Belle. Opposite her will be another wellknown local performer who has not been front and centre for some time but has never been far from the action. Jon Russell is known more for his technical skills making everyone else on stage sound good, but he has also established himself as a top-shelf performer with notable roles in plays like Spamalot, The Producers, and he was also in that Les Mis cast with Jewesson. At the time, Citizen reviewer Christine Hinzmann said “Jon Russell played Enjolras with an incredible stage presence. His
vocal skills and effective body language tell the story of his convictions.” This time Russell will be The Beast. It should make for some bubbly on-stage chemistry when his brother, Matt Russell, takes him on in the villain role of Gaston. Other notable names on the cast list include Gary Chappel as Maurice, Bradley Charles as LeFou, Nigel McInnis as Lumiere, Franco Celli as Cogsworth, Andrew Lee and Addison Liu sharing the role of Chip, Sharon MacDermott as Madame Le Grande Bouche, Catherine Higgins as Babette, Andrew Russell as Monseur D’Arque, and there is a set of Silly Girls (Emma Forgeron, Kendra Hamelin, Kate McGowan, Sara McGowan). There is also a sizable ensemble of supporting singers and dancers. “There is so much talent in Prince George,” said Russell. “Every year it is more and more difficult to choose our cast. We took over 60 people but we could have easily had a cast of 100. I am afraid my costume mistress hates me.” Russell bids the public to “be our guest” this summer at the Prince George Playhouse for Beauty & The Beast. The show runs most nights between July 11-27 and tickets are already on sale online or in person at Central Interior Tickets.