Gateway October 2015

GATEWAY Amazing Race winner to speak at Healthier You Expo Citizen Staff Amazing Race Canada winner Tim Hague Sr. is the guest speaker at the annual Healthier You Expo, set for Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Prince George Civic Centre.

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., showcasing speakers and exhibitors presenting the latest trends in health, wellness and personal growth.

Hague, a registered nurse, is a popular public speaker who works extensively on creating more awareness and understanding of Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s at age 46 but didn’t let that stop him and his son from not only applying to take part in The Amazing Race Canada but being chosen and then going on to win the season. Viewers saw the many sideeffects of Young Onset Parkinson’s that Hague deals with daily and how these factors not only got him onto the show but contributed in their own way to the father-son victory.

Since then, Hague has been a sought-after speaker across North America, sharing his incredible story of courage and perseverance. Along with Hague, Dr. Nancy Gupta will give a lecture on diabetes and diversity.

The Healthier You Expo will also feature information sessions about mental, physical, emotional and

spiritual health for adults, youth and children.

Activities for children include a scavenger hunt and a play area hosted by the Northern B.C. YMCA. There will be live demonstrations of crossfit training by DarkStar Crossfit, yoga from Sufey Yogo and acupuncture by registered acupuncturist Wael Fawzi from Prince George Family Chiropractic.

Always a popular feature at the Healthier You Expo, Northern Health representatives will also be on hand to offer free flu shots on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Healthier You Expo is a partnership between the Prince George Citizen, the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism, Skills Training, the Minister Responsible for Labour and the MLA for Prince George-Valemount, and Baljit Sethi, the executive director of the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society of Prince George. Save-On Foods, Canadian Tire, the College of New Caledonia, the YMCA of Northern B.C. and Trendsetters Hair Studio and Day Spa are proud sponsors of the Healthier You Expo.

Handout photo

Amazing Race Canada winner Tim Hague Sr. is the guest speaker at the annual Healthier You Expo on Oct. 18 at the Prince George Civic Centre.

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Your community voice for the north!

WEDNESDAY October 14, 2015

NEWS AND EVENTS FOR PRINCE GEORGE AND CENTRAL INTERIOR

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Aboriginal teen finds her voice through writing Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca The writing assignment started with one simple sentence: “I have places where all my stories begin.”

When Keisha McKenzie read American author Barbara Kingsolver’s words, she knew where her own story should start.

“One is a cramped town called Hazelton,” she wrote. “The wind loved to dance to the beating drums and children chuckled often.

Sadly, fists also flew to the beating drums and children screamed in dark ghastly corners. It’s peculiar how something can be so alluring, but be filled with resentment.

Here I feel absent from the luminous sun.”

With those words the Prince George secondary school graduate became one of nine winners in the youth competition for the ‘Ut’loo Noye Khunni ~ Weaving Words Celebration, an aboriginal storytelling festival.

Seated at Vanier Hall in Prince George with more than 400 other students, McKenzie watched a video of herself performing the short story – a nerve-wracking experience for the shy 17-year-old.

“It was really personal for me to release it,” said McKenzie. “I kind of look at it as my way of healing from my past, look at it in a better light, being thankful for the things that did happen in my hometown.”

For years she was embarrassed about growing up on the Gitanmaax reserve in Hazelton, which she left to live with her mother in Prince George at age 10.

Not anymore.

Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

Keisha McKenzie was one of nine winners in the youth competition at the ‘Ut’loo Noye Khunni ~ Weaving Words Celebration.

In the story, she describes the time as “bittersweet” and she ends it by recalling the moments that make her thankful.

“There is always someone to lean on in this small community,” she wrote, later suggesting painful experience can lead to something better. “If we didn’t know what heartache felt like, we wouldn’t know what happiness looked like.”

Many misunderstand the realities on reserve, McKenzie said, and often only choose to see the bad.

“I feel like a lot of my friends anyway look at First Nations as unsuccessful people,” said McKenzie, who is doing a two-year arts

degree at the College of New Caledonia. “It doesn’t matter your background, you can have a good education, a good career.”

Aboriginal writers must take charge of telling their own stories, visiting author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice told the audience.

“I think it’s the best way to educate Canadians about our culture but also help ourselves learn about each other,” he told the audience.

“It just takes one of us to have the courage to stand up.”

McKenzie’s Writing 12 teacher Heather Marren-Reitsma called the work “brilliant.”

“I always know when kids have the gift,” she said. “You can feel it, it moves you inside. It’s one of those moments when you’re reading something – English teachers understand – everything else in the world shuts away and then you just focus on that moment because the writing is so strong that it grips you completely.”

This year School District 57’s aboriginal department partnered with the event, garnering more than 100 youth submissions when there was less than 10 the year before.

“You are all storytellers,” said aboriginal education worker Tessa Fraser before a video presentation showed the youth authors reading their work. “It can be drumming. It can be dancing. It can be singing.”

Ten-year-old Avee Boyle tells her stories both in body movement and in bold sentences.

An avid dancer, Boyle, who won for her age category, wrote of the nerves and preparation surrounding her first dance competition performing to The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

“I didn’t want to be a lion because in ballet I thought of the pretty dress,” recalled Boyle. “After, my mom told me that the lion represents courage and strength.”

Boyle said her favourite part was playing with other sounds in the story, like the ding of a bell, or humming the tune of her song.

To finish the first-person narrative, Boyle wrote that she still embodies that character: “Today I have the courage and strength of a lion. I take risks, try new things, and have grown as a dancer and person.”

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GATEWAYnews

Moosehide mural honours aboriginal traditions Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca When you look closely at Duchess Park secondary’s new mural, among the dozens of images you can see a silhouette of a woman sitting beside a black tree.

“She’s sitting there with her hands raised up to give thanks to her ancestors for the beautiful culture and for the traditions and values that have been passed on,” said Candice George, an aboriginal education worker who helped lead the project with colleague Angela Sanderson.

“And form her hand there’s a beautiful wind coming up from one of her palms,” said George after Sept. 30’s mural unveiling.

“It looks like her thanks is going up to the wind and a spirit eagle is bringing those thanks and gratitude to the ancestors.”

The woman is just one of the images

George highlighted on the moosehide mural, stretched on a natural wood frame.

The hide is strung up, George explained, on deer babiche, which is deer skin that has been cut into rope.

But the mural itself also serves to remember a dark past recalling Canada’s residential schools.

It existence is meant “to honour survivors and to honour the children who did not survive,” but also to create a better tomorrow, George said.

In the top corner, written in syllabic on a drum that represents the sun, the title of the piece: healing with education.

The mural is the culmination of the Project of Heart initiative at Duchess Park Secondary to raise awareness of the history of residential schools in Canada and the impact the government-funded, church-run schools had on indigenous peoples.

—see NEARLY 200, page 5

Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

Alida Toms, 17, Tatana Lowen, 17 and Elizabeth Young, 17, where three of the Duchess Park secondary school students who helped create the Healing with Education Mural at the school.

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Nearly 200 students involved in mural project — from page 4 The event coincided with orange T-shirt day in schools, also meant to create a conversation around Canada’s history of forcibly removing indigenous children from their families.

George is a School District 57 facilitator for language and culture, an area of focus under the aboriginal education department’s FOCI program: focus on cultural integration.

The work started last January, when George and another facilitator worked with eight classes, and 181 students in Grades 8 to 12.

“They all put a piece in the mural.”

“The first step was to educate the students about residential schools,” said George, who said many students were unfamiliar with their legacy.

Next, George brought in a survivor. He asked students to shout where they went to elementary school.

Then he asked: how many of your elementary schools had a graveyard?

“And nobody raised their hand,” George said.

I’m just overwhelmed with happiness and also sadness at the same time.

More or less I’m honoured that the students put so much heart and so much effort into this beautiful art mural and actually opening their hearts and listening to the messages we had to share with them.

— Candice George, aboriginal education worker The Truth and Reconciliation Report found through its death registry 3,201 reported deaths between 1867 and 2000.

More than 1,000 of those are not connected to a name.

But when the report was released in June,

Justice Murray Sinclair, who headed the commission, said at least 6,000 children died and that the true number will never be known.

With more than 150,000 students passing through those hallways of Canada’s residential school system, that translates to at least one in 25 students dead.

George noted some schools had a 25 per cent mortality rate and in rare cases, half the student population died.

The tiles on the mural represent half of Duchess Park’s student population to underscore that harsh fact.

The tiles also offer images across all cultures, George said, from east to west coast, and First Nation to those of all different nations.

“These tiles are placed strategically on the babiche and the hanging tiles reflect fringes of a traditional woman’s dress,” she said.

“The fringe represents not letting that

negativity hang on to us and when we dance, the fringes move and it lets go of the negativity.”

The fringe is especially symbolic for George, of both Stellat’en First Nation and Wet’suwet’en First Nation ancestry, because her grandmother and great grandmother were traditional women.

“What we have is a tree that represents indigenous cultures across Canada and it reflects that indigenous peoples are rooted within tradition,” George said.

When George saw the finished project, and the crowd filling the school foyer where it hung, her heart filled with pride.

“I’m just overwhelmed with happiness and also sadness at the same time. More or less I’m honoured that the students put so much heart and so much effort into this beautiful art mural and actually opening their hearts and listening to the messages we had to share with them.”

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GATEWAYA&E

Thorogood back for thirds Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca Move it on over, Prince George, for the man will raise his third toast to this city. It must have been one bourbon, one scotch and on April 19 it’ll surely be one beer.

George Thorogood has been here twice before, once at the Civic Centre and once at CN Centre. That’s where he’ll be again next spring.

The king of boogie-rock, Thorogood is ubiquitous for his massive single Bad To The Bone, and if anyone ever mumbles “get a haircut” they are sure to hear the retort “get a real job.” That’s the kind of impact Thorogood has had on popular culture. He is a champion of the blues and classic rock.

You’ll be as likely to get a revamped Hank Williams tune in his set as you will John Lee Hooker. With his band The Destroyers backing him up, it’s all redline guitars and

smashmouth drums when he plays live, and you can’t knock that “happy to be here” grin off his face with a tire iron.

“Stan Musial was once asked, ‘What was the greatest day of your career?’ And Stan said ‘Every day when I walk onto the field is the greatest day.’ I feel the same way,” George said, as he announced his Badder Than Ever Tour.

“Every night when I walk out on that stage is the highlight of my career. I hit that first chord, the band kicks in, and we hear the audience respond. That’s the rush. Over 40 years into this, and every night that’s still the only moment that matters.”

Prince George is the first date on this Canadian tour, so the show will be as fresh and giddy as Thorogood can get. Tickets are on sale at Studio 2880, CN Centre Box Office and online via Ticketmaster. The floor is 19-plus cabaret seating while the bleachers are all ages.

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GATEWAYsports

Veteran golfer aces hole in Farr Wick tourney Andrea JOHNSON Citizen staff ajohnson@pgcitizen.ca Peter Sherba had a seven iron in his hand when one of his playing partners, Bob Cooper, asked what he was using to tee off with on the fifth hole at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club on Sept. 6.

“If I find myself in doubt, I take one club longer and I tee off right on the line, in between the blocks,” said Sherba.

Sherba then grabbed a longer six iron from his bag, stepped up between the white tees and took aim at the pin that was 155 yards away on the par-3 hole.

With ideal golf conditions – no wind or rain – Sherba struck the ball perfectly. So perfect that it landed on the green and rolled right into the cup.

It was a hole-in-one.

“I didn’t even see it go in,” said Sherba, who turns 81 on Oct. 18.

“People who watched it go in were more excited than I was.”

Sherba and Cooper, along with two other members of the foursome – Ken Wood and Rod McLeod – were competing in the two-ball Farr Wick tournament that Labour Day weekend.

Sherba pocketed $10,000 on the hole, with $2,000 of it already earmarked as a donation to the Prince George Community Foundation. Sherba matched that with his own $2,000, as well as a round of drinks for everyone back at the clubhouse.

The day before, on Sept. 5, Sherba’s shot on No. 14, another par-3, hit the pin and rolled by.

It’s not the first time Sherba, a

Sherba longtime PGGCC member who hasn’t missed Wednesday men’s night in 40 years, has aced a hole.

He’s aced every par-3 on the course at least once. Including his feat on Sept. 6, he’s holed No. 5 the most – three times.

He used a driver on the 196yard third hole, knocked the ball in twice on No. 10 from 155 yards and aced the 130-yard No. 14 twice. From 155 yards away, he also holed No. 12 once.

That’s nine holes-in-one on the course.

In total, Sherba, who holds a 16-handicap, has recorded 17 holes-in-one.

He said there’s really no secret to his success, except if he doubts himself, he takes one club length longer.

“You’ve just got to be lucky. If I can get it on the green, I’m happy.

You always try to get close to the pin. Anything can go wrong in a golf shot. It can go left or right, anywhere but on the green.

“I just play for fun and just want to get it on the green or close to

it for an easy chip to go up and down. It doesn’t guarantee any pars.

“I don’t play for a hole-in-one, I’m just lucky. A lot of pros don’t get a lot of holes-in-one.”

Sherba’s first ace occurred at PGGGC in 1968. Prior to Sept. 6, his last hole-in-one happened two years ago on a course in Mesa, Ariz., where he spends every winter with his wife and golfs three to four times every week.

“In 1968, I won a trophy for my first one,” he said. “And I bought a round for everybody. In the old days it was quite a big deal. This (on Sept. 6) is the biggest prize I’ve ever won.”

He’s always enjoyed the game.

It’s fun and good exercise.

“It’s a pastime and I don’t take it too seriously any more.”

GATEWAYnews

RCMP challenges teen artists to design coin Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca Artistically inclined high school students are invited to come up with a winning design for the flip side of the Prince George RCMP’s Challenge Coins.

The student who comes up with the best design will receive a $200 gift certificate for Pine Centre Mall, pizza for the class and the knowledge that his or her work will grace a side of the coins, which are used for awards and gifts.

The criteria is fairly wide open – judges are seeking a design that reflects our unique community.

But be warned, a depiction of Mr. PG won’t make the grade.

“Not that we don’t love Mr. PG, but there is so much opportunity that I hope some that we get some creativity,” said Prince George RCMP Community Policing coordinator Linda Parker.

“I personally hope we get something that really reflects our surroundings – the confluence of our two rivers – and the size of the coins gives a great opportunity to include some aboriginal art. I’ve seen some examples and they look just fantastic.”

The coins are 4.4 centimetres across and that needs to be taken into consideration.

Also, keep the wording to a minimum because it must be bilingual.

Parker suggests entries include two versions – a larger but to-scale one to show the detail and one to-scale to give judges an idea of what the finished product will look like in actual size.

It’s also suggested that anyone interested in sending in a proposal first visit challengecoins.ca and click on RCMP Challenge Coins to get a sense of what they’re all about.

“There are some very beautiful designs out there, so I hope the youth in our community come up with something brilliant as well,” Parker said.

“I’m sure they will.”

Parker said the design will probably be used on both a gold version, used as awards, and a silver one, used as gifts.

The deadline for entries is Oct. 30 and a winner will be selected by mid-November.

Entries can be emailed to linda.parker@princegeorge.ca or dropped off at the Community Policing office in the Prince George RCMP detachment, 455 Victoria St. For more information, call Parker at 250-561-3319.

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Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks speaks about a new program to help Syrian refugees who want to study at UNBC.

UNBC creates scholarships for Syrian refugees Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca The University of Northern B.C. and its partners have pledged full scholarships for five Syrian refugees among the millions fleeing the war-torn country.

Every year students at UNBC sponsor a refugee, typically from an African country, through a program organized by its chapter of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC).

On Monday, the university announced it has kicked in a further $180,000 to give that chance to four more students.

And with four million refugees fleeing the violence in Syria, that is the new focus.

“This is a particularly acute problem in the world,” said UNBC president Daniel Weeks.

“We’ve not seen anything like this in literally centuries of this magnitude. It will take every university in Canada, every university in the Western world really to step up and have a significant response if we’re even going to put a dent in this.”

UNBC drew a significant portion from its Area of Greatest Need fund, a pot of donations that lets the university decide where

money is most needed.

It’s likely the first students will arrive next September, but not all five at once, said WUSC volunteer Tegan Lott.

The local committee helps settle students, fill out immigration forms and provide support throughout the year.

Right now, Lott is the only coordinator on campus, and the committee hoping to get four volunteers to help with next year’s arrivals.

“I think it’s really important to get the idea of what we do out there,” said Tott.

“A lot of the time WUSC is under the surface a bit more. A lot of people on campus don’t know what we do.”

She said the group is grateful to have more community support to give refugees an opportunity at education.

“The Syrian crisis (means) huge amounts of people need help and I think it’s important to do as much as we can,” Lott said.

Every UNBC student pays a $5 fee that goes to support one refugee a year. Having these students is a positive for the whole student body, said Duncan Malkinson, president of the Northern Undergraduate Student Society.

— see ‘IT’S A CHANCE,’ page 11

GATEWAYnews ‘It’s a chance for us to show leadership nationally’ — from page 10 “It’s so beneficial for students that are removed from those kinds of circumstances to actually as they live and breathe, connect with somebody that was involved in those kinds of struggles,” said Malkinson, and adding the extra students was the right humanitarian choice.

“I think it’s a chance for us to show leadership nationally,” he said of UNBC. Mayor Lyn Hall was on hand to offer the city’s support and noted Prince George city council called for stronger federal action in a resolution before the Union of B.C. Municipalities last week. In the end, UBCM selected a similar resolution sponsored by the Whistler local government.

“There’s support even on a provincial level to take a look at what we can do during this really devastating time and (there’s) a real need to help these folks out,” Hall said.

It’s important the university lead by example, Weeks said.

“We have to show our young students

Lott that it’s important to look beyond yourself and look at what’s going on in the world and really put yourself in a position to make a difference.”

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GATEWAYnews

CMA cancels air service direct to Calgary Citizen staff Central Mountain Air suspended its service between Prince George and Calgary, effective Oct. 2.

The last flight on the route will occur on Saturday, the company said in a posting on its website.

“Unfortunately this service never quite reached our passenger load or revenue growth expectations,” CMA president Douglas McCrea said. “We have decided to make the difficult decision to suspend this service.”

Those who booked flights beyond Oct. 2,

not falling on a select date, will be provided a full refund.

“Prince George and Calgary continue to be very important destinations to Central Mountain Air’s operations, and we will continue to provide air service through our existing routes to both of those communities.”

CMA first provided the service in June 2013 on a five-day-per-week basis and soon added a sixth day. But in early 2014, Westjet jumped into the game with a comparable service.

Westjet’s six-day-a-week service will continue, a company spokesman said.

News tip? Call 250-562-2441, local 2759

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Time to switch over to winter tires Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

The B.C. Ministry of Transportation’s winter tire rules came into effect Oct. 1, which means for the next six months police have the authority to issue fines to drivers

who take to the highways with only summer treads on their vehicles.

But don’t worry, at least not yet.

“Common sense will prevail,” said Sgt. Al Steinhauser of the North District RCMP’s Fraser-Fort George traffic services division when asked if the rules will be enforced

in the immediate region given the mild weather conditions.

But it is a good time to make that appointment at the tire shop to switch them over.

By the time the daytime high has dropped to 7 C, it’s a good idea to be driving on winter tires.

“The reason for this is quite simple,” Steinhauser said. “Summer tires don’t grip the pavement as well in colder temperatures, and all-season tires aren’t suitable for harsh winter conditions, such as ice and packed snow.”

Historically, the 7 C mark is usually reached by Oct. 26 in the Prince George area, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Coldwells, who also warned it tends to drop off dramatically after that date.

The tires must have either the “mountain snowflake” or M+S (mud and snow) symbol on the side wall and have at least 3.5

mm of tread depth to meet regulation.

Of the two, Steinhauser recommends tires with the “mountain snowflake” symbol because it is the mark of a genuine winter tire. Tires marked M+S are essentially allseasons and, while they generally provide safe all-weather performance, he said they may not always be suitable for severe snow.

He also warned against wide, highperformance tires, other than those that are specifically designed as snow tires, saying they are not suitable for snow-covered roads.

“If you live in a remote area, you can add studs to your tires for better transaction on ice and snow,” Steinhauser said.

“Some tires are manufactured with studs built into the treads.

“The only drawback with studded tires is they lack traction in slush and on bare asphalt.”

— see WRONG TIRES, page 15

GATEWAYnews

Wrong tires can result in fines

— from page 14 The other telltale sign that it’s time to make the switch is when you see a sign warning that drivers of cars and light trucks must have on winter tires and that larger commercial vehicles – weighing 27,000 kilograms of gross volume weight or more, such as tractor trailers – must have chains onboard.

If you go beyond the signs without the proper equipment, you may be turned around by police or the Ministry’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement branch and be subject to a fine.

Driving without the proper tires can yield a $121 fine while the fine for failing to meet the minimum tread depth is $109.

The rules stay in effect until March 31.

For more information on safe driving in the winter, visit shiftintowinter.ca.

Five safety tips for installing winter tires 1. Look for tires marked with a picture of a peaked mountain with a snowflake.

The symbol ensures winter tires meet industry standards for snow traction performance and have been designed specifically for use in severe snow conditions.

2. Install tires in a set of four.

That’s to help maintain control and stability, which will help your car brake more efficiently in icy and snowy conditions. Also, avoid mixing different tread patterns, internal construction and size.

3. Make sure your tires are mounted on the correct side.

If they’re designed to spin in one direction ensure they are mounted correctly. An arrow printed on the sidewall should help.

4. Put tires with more tread, and hence more traction, at the rear, even on a front-wheel drive car.

Having more traction at the rear of the vehicle, instead of the front, reduces the chances of a vehicle spinning out of control.

5. Remember to keep an eye on proper air pressure.

As temperatures drop, tire pressure decreases.

Transport Canada recommends checking the tire air pressure at least once a month when the tires are cold, preferably after the car has been out all night.

— Source: North District RCMP

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Local lifter named North America’s Strongest Woman Andrea JOHNSON Citizen staff ajohnson@pgcitizen.ca Prior to competing for the North America Strongest Woman’s title, Jen Ferguson knew in her mind she was already a champion.

In the last year she was dedicated to training four days a week, undergoing a unique transformation as well as balancing her busy family and professional life.

But to actually go out and win the championship and the trophy is another thing.

Ferguson did just that two weeks ago in Las Vegas at the Olympia Powerlifting Invitational, winning the North America Strongest Woman’s heavyweight masters division against four others.

“It’s only my second meet I’ve ever done,” said Ferguson, 40. “To win is just over the top and amazing. All the work I did, committing yourself to something...

Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

Jen Ferguson, 40, won the North American Strongest Women masters division at the Mr. Universe competition in Las Vegas.

“My mind just zeroed in on the weights I had to do. The training took over and I trusted the training. I kept calm. The other athletes were amazing and supportive, cheering each other on.”

Ferguson is a palliative care registered nurse who travels around the region as a consultant. She’s also a married mom of two kids who coaches their softball teams.

And she found the time to train (at the XConditioning Gym) for the feat of strength like no other.

In Las Vegas, she had one minute to do as many repetitions as possible in hoisting a 155-pound log, a framed dead lift of 425 pounds and an 85-pound circus dumb bell.

She managed two reps of the log and tied for second place; she won the deadlift after pushing 13 reps and tied for second place after three repetitions with the dumb bell.

Carrying a 200-pound sandbag, she ran with it for 150 feet to win the event.

She clocked nine seconds after carrying a 450-pound yoke on her shoulders for 60 feet.

She accumulated enough points (17) to be crowned the champion, beating her next closest competitor by half a point.

My mind just zeroed in on the weights I had to do. The training took over and I trusted the training. I kept calm.

— Jen Ferguson Ferguson’s appearance in the Olympia strongest woman contest was her first. She qualified for it by winning the Level 2 North America Strongest Woman qualifier last spring in Chilliwack.

Ferguson said she learned a lot through the process.

“You can choose what you want to be.

I’m not done yet,” she said, adding there’s a possibility of competing in the open division next year.

“There’s next year. I learned that I have that drive within to compete at that level.

I wasn’t sure. They (trainers Mike Webber and Tara Green) told me I was good.”

— see ‘TO GET WHERE,’ page 18

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GATEWAYsports

‘To get to where she is now is amazing’ Fans thrilled by Canucks camp — from page 16 Webber said Ferguson is the first one from the gym to compete at that high of a level.

“I’m very proud since she only started six to eight months ago and to get to where she is now is amazing,” he said.

Webber and Green were also competing in Las Vegas.

Webber, 45, won the Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) world championship in the 275-pound Master 2 division.

He squatted 925 pounds, equaling a personal best, pushed 666 pounds on the bench press and managed 672 pounds on his dead lift for a total of 2,263 pounds.

His bench press and total are new world records. He had hoped to squat 1,000 pounds.

“On the bench I opened with 609 pounds which was a new world record, but I hurt my left elbow during warm-

ups,” he said. “My next lift was 666 pounds.

“I didn’t get the squat I wanted – I got it up but I fell backwards.”

Green, 25, was back for the second straight year vying for the Mr. Olympia women’s title. A year ago, she finished second overall and won the heavyweight division in the 82.5-kilogram division in the squat, bench press and dead lift events.

This time though, she had a few suit issues which prevented her from getting a squat total.

She did, however, set a new personal record in the dead lift with 468 pounds.

While it did not work out as planned for Green on the competition mat, she and Webber decided at the last minute to tie the knot a day later.

Together for six years, they’ll celebrate their honeymoon at the Arnold Classic 2016 in Columbus, Ohio, next spring.

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca The lineup for autographs along the fences was hundreds deep ahead of Keira Cosh as the Vancouver Canucks made the rounds after their training camp workouts in Prince George, but she didn’t mind.

Cosh knew eventually she’d have all their signatures on her jersey.

If the afternoon reception in front of CN Centre was any indication, the Canucks don’t mind going the extra mile to get up close and personal with their fans.

Cheered as they walked out of the arena, the players signed body parts, cracked jokes with the fans and posed for selfies – all to make sure the people of Prince George and surrounding areas left smiling.

“I’ve loved the Canucks my whole life – I’m going to faint right now, I’m so excited to see them,” said Cosh, 25.

Cosh is from a family of six, all of whom are Canuck diehards, and took in all three days of training camp.

She left totally impressed at the display of skill and athleticism the players brought to the ice.

“It’s amazing, I’ve never seen anything so fast,” said Cosh.

“I watch every game but it’s different seeing them live, and it’s just practice. We’re so lucky to have them here.”

Away from the rink it’s tough to identify the twins, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, but Cosh thinks she’s got them figured out.

“I don’t know how, but I feel like I know

Hamhuis which one looks like who,” Cosh said.

Cosh figured Canucks rookie defenceman Jordan Subban, the brother Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K.,was the most impressive player on the ice Saturday.

“I was watching some of the drills where they skate back and his tight turns were crazy,’ she said.

“I really hope they come back. They’ve been great with the fans and I love how they salute the fans every time when they go off the ice. That’s my favourite part, I get goosebumps.”

Jason Fox, 37, is originally from Vancouver and has been to many Canucks games.

— see ‘IT’S VERY ONE-ON-ONE,’ page 19

GATEWAYsports

‘It’s very one-on-one’ — from page 18 Fox has been to playoff games and was there the night Trevor Linden had his number retired, but in all that time, he’s never had access to the players like he had this weekend watching training camp.

Fox was wearing his bright yellow Linden-autographed early-90’s-era retro jersey with the big skate logo. Linden signed it in May when he came to Prince George to announce Canucks camp was coming to the city for the first time.

“I lived in Vancouver my whole life and ever since ’94 (when they got to the finals for the first time) I’ve been a real Canuck fan,” said Fox. “I’ve attended many games but here it’s very one-on-one, it’s very personal and it’s great for the local fans here.

We never get a chance to see them this close and I think it’s great they’re traveling to other communities.

“The team has some young talent I wasn’t

even aware of. They’re looking really good out there.”

Although there were plenty of empty seats in the CN Centre stands, all 5,688 tickets for the weekend on-ice workouts were sold for Saturday and Sunday.

All proceeds will be donated to local charities through the Canucks for Kids Fund.

Saturday started under rainy skies with the Save-On-Foods pancake breakfast in front of the rink to raise money for B.C. Children’s Hospital. The skies brightened in the afternoon just in time for the postworkout fan activities, which included a mascot contest, kids media conference and street hockey games. Canucks colours were abundant in the crowd and 13-year-old Liam Frose was in the autograph line wearing his Alex Burrows jersey. The veteran Canucks winger stayed so long signing his name Friday he missed the team bus and had to hail a cab.

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New rules for voters on election day

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t’s the light at the end of a 78-daylong tunnel: as of this week, registered voters should have received information cards in the mail from Elections Canada.

Canadians will select a new federal government on Oct. 19, but in order to do that voters actually need to mark a ballot. The issue of voting has remained at the forefront for months thanks to the Fair Elections Act coming into effect last June.

Bill C-Your ID The legislation changed the identification requirements for voting in federal contests, mainly removing the ability to use the voter information card as proof of identity and changing the vouching system for those without proper ID. It also added an extra day of advanced voting.

Special Report Charelle Evelyn cevelyn@pgcitizen.ca Opponents criticized the changes – which the government touted as necessary to prevent voter fraud – as having the potential to disenfranchise groups of voters, particularly students, the homeless and aboriginal people.

The Council of Canadians, Canadian Federation of Students and three individuals filed an injunction against the new law, which was denied in July by the Ontario Superior Court. If granted, that injunction would have allowed Canadians to use their voter information cards along with another piece of authorized ID to vote. A request to appeal that decision was also turned down,

with the court citing the timing as too close to the federal election.

“The Fair Elections Act was tabled just a year before a fixed election. Our legal challenge went before the courts two months before it went into effect, but the federal government delayed the process every step of the way,” said Garry Neil, Council of Canadians executive director, in an August press release. “In this case, justice delayed is justice denied.”

Card game To cast a ballot, voters need either one piece of government-issued identification with their name, photo and current address (i.e. driver’s licence, provincial ID card) or two pieces of ID – both with their name and one with their name and current address (i.e. passport and utility bill, prescription bottle and firearms licence, bank statement

and credit card).

Most Canadians won’t have issues at the polls, as about 86 per cent use their driver’s licence, said Elections Canada spokesperson Dorothy Sitek. People living in group settings where they may not have a civic address, such as people living on First Nations reserves, staying in homeless shelters or students living in residence, can have proof of residence letters signed by their local administrator. Letters are available on the Elections Canada website and can be brought along with another piece of ID with the voter’s name.

If a voter doesn’t meet any of the criteria (don’t have any pieces of correspondence with their current address), they can bring a neighbour who does have the appropriate ID and is also supposed to vote at the same the polling station to swear a written oath as to their address.

— see VOTER INFORMATION, page 21

GATEWAYnews

Voter information card useful — from page 20 While there have been some questions about identification from those visiting the local elections office, Prince George returning officer Lorraine Grant said any issues are usually easily resolved.

“We do everything we can to give them the opportunity to search their wallet or car,” Grant said of prospective voters who may not realize that their car insurance papers or library card is eligible documentation.

And even though the voter information card can’t be used as identification, bringing it along to the polls can save time, said Sitek, as it allows elections workers to more quickly assess if someone is at the correct polling station and if they have the correct ID. “If you’re like me, you go when it’s convenient. The majority of Canadians vote on election day – like 80 per cent and above go on election day. A lot of people go after

work. So if it’s convenient for me, it’s probably convenient for a lot of other people,” Sitek said. “So even if you go during highvolume traffic periods, if you have those pieces with you – the voter information card and the authorized ID, you’ll still get processed faster than if you went without.”

The voter information card is a treasure trove of information.

Some of its key features include: • Where you vote – unlike provincial or municipal elections, you have to vote on election day and on advanced voting days at a designated place determined by where you live.

• Accessibility – the cards outline the level of accessibility at the polling station you’ve been assigned to. If your designated voting place doesn’t meet your needs, contact Elections Canada to be assigned to a spot that can better accommodate you.

— see EARLY VOTING, page 22

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Early voting available now — from page 21 • Time – thanks to the rise of social media making it easier for results to be communicated across the country before all the polls closed, voting times have become staggered. In B.C., polling stations are open for 12 hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on election day. However, they are open from noon to 8 p.m. on advanced voting days (Oct. 9-12).

If any information on your voter information card is incorrect, or if you didn’t get one, head down to the Elections Canada office, call 1-800-463-6868 or visit the website (elections.ca) to ensure you’re registered and that your address is correct.

Vote early, vote often Even though general voting day is Oct. 19, voters can mark their ballots

Citizen file photo

Your voter information card contains plenty of useful information and can should be brought to the polling station when you intend to vote. anytime between now and 7 p.m. on elec-

tion day. Grant said special ballot voting

has been available since the election writ dropped Aug. 2 and advanced voting takes place over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“It was slow to start with but I would say since then there have been people in each day to take that opportunity of filling out a ballot,” said Grant, who has been the returning officer in Prince George since 2005.

Special ballot voting is open to anyone who is eligible to vote, regardless of in which riding they are registered, provided they have the appropriate identification.

The ballot can be filled out on site or brought home and returned no later than 6 p.m. on election day.

Unlike the ballots provided during advanced voting days or election day, there are no names to select from on special ballots and voters must write in the name of their preferred candidate.

— see VOTER INFORMATION, page 24

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Voter information campaigns underway — from page 22 The easiest way to use this method is to head down to the returning office, and request a special ballot voting kit. Elections Canada offices are open seven days per week. A special ballot voting office is also available at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre from Oct. 5-8.

The rising tide There’s a lot of information available to voters about the process this year; Sitek likened it to “drinking from a fire hose.”

But the flow of information can be easily managed if people give themselves enough time to sort things out.

A variety of organizations also have programs aimed at educating voters about the process.

Samara Canada, a non-partisan charity focused on reconnecting people to politics, has developed a kit for community groups to boost voter participation called Vote PopUp. The kit available for download online consists of a mock polling station to “demystify the voting process” especially

for new or infrequent voters, said Samara executive director Jane Hilderman.

“It’s a chance to invite people in to ask them ‘do you have a plan to vote? Do you know what sort of ID requirements you might need? Do you know how to cast a ballot? Do you know what a ballot looks like?’” she said.

B.C. students participating in the ThisTimeWeDecide.ca campaign are also promoting voter education.

The provincial branch of the Canadian Federation of Students is behind the new initiative aimed at getting 10,000 students

to cast ballots for the first time.

“We’re really trying to push for people to vote in the advanced polls just because they’re a lot more forgiving than when you show up on election day and you don’t have the right piece of ID or the lineup’s too long or a number of things can go wrong on election day,” said CFS-BC spokesperson Jenelle Davies about the focus on information. “Because there’s a lot of confusion about the new election rules with the Fair Elections Act that went through. So we’re just trying to make sure people are informed as possible.”

GATEWAYnews

Group eyeing cumulative impact Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca When it comes to resource development, northern B.C. has strong researchers looking at the impact on environment, and community and human health.

But the groups aren’t necessarily working together and sharing that knowledge, said Chris Buse.

“There’s not a lot of integrative crosstalk,” said Buse, the project lead for the new Cumulative Impacts Research Consortium.

The University of Northern B.C. initiative is launching this weekend to introduce its research team and showcase other experts in an event open to the public Friday and Saturday.

CIRC was born in January 2014, Buse said, out of “this idea that we need a new kind of body that’s capable of spending a significant amount of time and energy really focusing on this issue and doing it in an

integrative way.”

The hope is that the weekend’s conversations will help the consortium crowd source ideas for strategic research work, but also give the group a list of all the projects that are happening in the north.

Buse said he envisions the group as a knowledge hub archiving existing projects, but also to “start to be able to see the connections between those projects and see the gaps and focus on filling those gaps.”

About 80 have registered for the event from across sectors, including industry, government, First Nations and health agencies.

“It’s a really eclectic group,” he said.

“We want to be engaged in questions around renewables, we want to be engaged in questions around mining, in energy development. If it has anything to do from resource development, we’re interested in being part of that conversation.”

— see CONSORTIUM, page 26

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Consortium made up of three groups

UNBC handout photo

Chris Buse, UNBC’s Cumulative Impacts Research Consortium project lead, stands with other project members Margot Parkes, Art Fredeen and Kyle Aben.

— from page 25 The consortium involves three existing UNBC bodies: the Community Development Institute, the Health Research Institute, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute.

One project that’s top of mind is LNG in the Peace Region. But it can be difficult to separate projects, Buse said.

“How is it that we separate the impacts of oil and gas development in an area that’s got a number of land use legacies? Everything from mining to agriculture, forestry operations,” he said.

“How do you separate the impacts of these new projects that

are ongoing with the historical land uses that have already impacted the development of those communities and its impacts on the environment?”

One goal for the group is improving B.C.’s existing environmental assessment process.

While it occurs for large industrial projects, Buse said, “we do have some concerns about how that process is implemented and the kinds of things that are measured and accounted for and not accounted for, so particularly trying to develop a new assessment architecture that’s mindful of sort of the spatial and temporal scale of impacts.”

GATEWAYA&E

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CN Centre marks 20 years of sports, entertainment

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hen the Victoria Cougars Hockey Club announced it was leaving its Vancouver Island home and moving to Prince George, part of the deal made between city hall, the WHL, and owner Rick Brodsky was for a suitable home rink to be built.

For the 1994 season, the relocated team worked out of the Prince George Coliseum while up at Exhibition Park (this was controversial, as many felt the new arena should have been downtown for economic stimulation in the city core) a large, modern facility was under construction.

The place was not originally attached to the adjacent three Kin Centre rinks, that would come later (and it ended the controversy, as the interconnected four rinks was a key to winning the 2015 Canada Winter Games bid), but what was ever present in the design and construction of the place

Special Report Frank peebles fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca was versatility. Thus, its original name, bland and utilitarian though it was, was the Prince George Multiplex.

It opened 20 years ago last month. A ceremony was held on Monday to commemorate the official opening date of Sept. 28.

On hand for the ceremony was Don Grantham, the original city council chair of the building committee. He pointed out that, in his experience as the former mayor of Vanderhoof, that the majority of Vanderhoof’s disposable income in those days was spent in the Prince George market, so a building like the Multiplex was a big

win for the Prince George economy and regional culture as well.

If you attended any of the 2015 concerts and trade shows, you would still find a significant number of regional residents who came into “the city” to join the CN Centre crowd.

And what a year it has been, to celebrate both the building’s milestone birthday and the city’s 100th anniversary. New Year’s Day at CN Centre saw Cirque du Soleil perform one of its series of Dralion shows.

Not long after that, the building was home to the Canada Winter Games, then the national broadcast of Rogers Hometown Hockey, the coast-to-coast broadcast of Stuart McLean’s radio show The Vinyl Cafe, the first Cougars playoff games in years, and the Vancouver Canucks held part of their training camp there, to list just a few of the highlights. It has been a steady rush of concerts, sports and events with in-

ternational superstar Shania Twain the last big hurrah on the 2015 schedule (so far).

“We’ve tried to give people something to celebrate,” said facility manager Glen Mikkelsen. “This place really has become a treasured part of this community for all kinds of events, celebrations, games. People come here to cheer, to be entertained, to draw together with others from the community, to draw in people from other places to share our community. In those moments, there is a lot of pride coming out.”

Going back through the building’s records, Mikkelsen was able to determine the largest crowd ever assembled was the 7,000-plus who attended the health rally in 2000 that eventually sparked the medical program now housed at UNBC which led to the cancer treatment facilities Prince George is now home to, and many other life-saving, community-building amenities.

— see ELTON JOHN, page 28

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Elton John holds record for largest concert — from page 27 Mikkelsen said it is not official but quite likely that the attendance record was equaled or broken this past February when the 2015 Canada Winter Games opening ceremonies were held inside.

The exact numbers could be tallied, but it is virtually a tie for the touring act with the most ticket sales accumulated over multiple visits to CN Centre. Bryan Adams and Nickelback have each been there four times, and each one was a sellout. Adams has the slight edge, since one of those concerts – his Feb. 24, 1998 debut – was held in the round so 6,308 people could see the stage.

That stood for many years as the record for largest concert audience.

Other notable concerts were performed

by Our Lady Peace (four times), The Tragically Hip (four times, including once this past week), Motley Crue (three times), BB King (three times), Avril Lavigne (three

times), Johnny Reid and Corb Lund (three each), George Thorogood is about to make his third CN Centre appearance to go with his Civic Centre show, Snoop Dogg (twice), Def Leppard (twice), Dwight Yoakum and Toby Keith each came twice, as did Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Rogers, George Jones (once with Tammy Wynette), John Fogerty has been here twice and his CCR bandmates came once on their own, plus single gigs by the likes of ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, KISS, John Mellencamp, The Band Perry, Alabama, Big & Rich, Melissa Etheridge, Carrie Underwood, Merle Haggard, The Rankin Family, Hootie & The Blowfish, Martina McBride, Motorhead and Journey.

The largest single name of the bunch – Sir Elton John – also got the largest crowd of the bunch. Organizers found a way to get 6,648 people into that event, which is unmatched for a concert performance.

— see BARENAKED LADIES, page 29

Citizen file photo

Elton John performs at CN Centre in June, 2010.

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GATEWAYA&E

Barenaked Ladies set to play fourth CN Centre gig — from page 28 The Barenaked Ladies are about to play their fourth CN Centre show. One involved a broadcast live to all of Canada during the 2001 Juno Awards. They performed Lovers In A Dangerous Time during the induction of Bruce Cockburn into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame that night, then accepted an award of their own as the ceremony was held in Hamilton and they were standing in Prince George.

Also winning a Juno that same night was country superstar Terri Clark who played her first show on Canadian soil here at CN Centre after her 1995 debut single broke in the United States where she had been living.

Other entertainers who have

performed in Prince George on the CN Centre stage include illusionist David Copperfield; magicians The Pendragons; comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby and Larry The Cable Guy; comedic pianist Victor Borge; musical theatre productions of Grease, Chicago and Jesus Christ, Superstar. TV show The Price Is Right came for a live visit. The RCMP Musical Ride was done inside CN Centre. The animated screen/ live symphony show Video Games Live performed there.

The building has also been converted into a church, on occasion.

The annual Watchtower convention for the Jehovah Witness faith is held there, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints held a convention there in the

1990s attended by its top leader, the late Gordon B. Hinkley.

Major social gatherings have happened at the CN Centre as well, like the pivotal health rally, the Highway of Tears Symposium in 2006, the BC First Nations Elders Gathering in 2013, and numerous forums and conventions and trade shows.

On the sports side, the Cougars are not the only athletes who have utilized the facilities.

A stunning list of figure skating superstars have performed on the CN Centre ice.

Automobile athletes have also revved and jumped and jockeyed there.

Rodeo riders have been tossed by bulls.

— see ‘IT IS,’ page 30

Citizen file photo

Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies performs during a concert at CN Centre in February 2007. The band will be performing their fourth show in Prince George on Oct. 19.

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‘It is always an interesting place’ — from page 29 Acrobats have bent and balanced in the circus ring.

The Prince George Fury professional indoor soccer team was based there in their brief history in 2010.

CN Centre was also host of the first (an exhibition tilt on Nov. 2, 2001) and last games (Nov. 27, 2004 only days before the franchise folded) in the history of the Vancouver Ravens professional lacrosse team.

The Scott Tournament Of Hearts was a major success in 2000 and led to other major curling events here, like the Road To The Roar Olympic qualifying bonspiel.

Speed skating has hosted numerous highlevel events on the CN Centre field of play, which was built as one of the few in Canada that could convert to Olympic size ice.

Theatrical wrestling has been held at CN Centre more than once, the Extreme Fighting Challenge for MMA-style fighters, and

it was also the controversial location for filming the Hockey Enforcers on-ice prize fighting spectacle.

Another dubious ice honour involved CN Centre. On Oct. 28, 2006 a between the Cougars and Everett Silvertips was started but halted at the end of the second period due to poor ice quality. The third period of that game was not played until Feb. 27, 2007. It remains the only time in WHL history that a game interruption needed a calendar to rectify. (Fun fact: Dan Gendur was a Cougars player when the game was halted, got traded to the Silvertips in the ensuing weeks, and finished the game wearing the opponent’s uniform - the only WHL player to ever play for both teams in a single game.)

On the happier side of hockey, this was one of the rinks to host the Brad May & Friends exhibition game during the NHL lockout of 2004. The roster of celebrity

players included former Cougar Eric Brewer. Brewer and fellow Cougars co-owner Dan Hamhuis have both won Olympic gold for Canada after playing their junior careers here on CN Centre ice.

Other hockey highlights included the Subway Super Series game between Russian junior stars and the WHL stars in November 2010 and the WHL All-Star Game in 1996 (Cougars captain Geoff Lynch won game MVP).

Although the public never got to see it, CN Centre was also where the film Miracle did some preliminary pre-production work, and it was where rock star John Mayer set up secret shop for three days and rehearsed his band for their 2004 world tour.

“It is always an interesting place,” said Mikkelsen.

“Economically, it has been a major enhancement to the Prince George infrastructure,” he added. “It has done a lot

to improve the quality of life here, and provide the kind of events and entertainment and public gatherings that helps attract and retain professionals to Prince George, people who want to raise their families here, and give local residents who grow up here a sense of pride in what their community can do. Without this building, think of all the performers who would never have come here, the opportunities to showcase Prince George to the nation. We would never have gotten the chance to host the Canada Winter Games. But there was foresight from community leaders a little over 20 years ago to build something the community deserved and the community was ready for.”

The construction was not perfect, said Mikkelsen, but this build was designed with a multitude of uses in mind and “it has served us well, and aged really well. It is still quite a community asset.”

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