Gateway to the North

GATEWAY

Your community voice for the north!

WEDNESDAY July 15 2015

NEWS AND EVENTS FOR PRINCE GEORGE AND CENTRAL INTERIOR

The Tragically Hip The Fully and Completely Tour

The Tragically Hip to be at CN Centre September 26! Critically acclaimed for more than two decades, The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled in this country.

Sd57’S Inclusivity Teacher Dedicated To Widening Reach

Mcbride Farm Institute 100

Family friendly ideas to enjoy a nature staycation this summer

NEWS PAGE 3

NEWS PAGE 12

PAGE 26

2

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews SD57’s inclusivity teacher dedicated to widening reach

By Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN

When Sue Trabant walks into schools across District 57, she sees the subtle signs of inclusivity.

It’s in a rainbow-coloured rug in the classroom, in the posters that show a diversity of families and in the words of teachers she’s worked with who now feel more comfortable speaking about LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) issues.

Trabant, a College Heights Secondary teacher, became the district’s “inclusivity teacher” soon after the February 2014 LGBTQ policy was approved by the board, promising “a safe and positive environment for all students, families and employees, including those who self-identify as LGBTQ.” For Trabant, fundamentally this fight has always been about human rights and it’s a role she’s occupied in her school’s halls for years. Now she has what amounts to an hour each day dedicated to widening her reach to the

district’s borders.

“It’s been really busy,” she says of her first year on the job, which mostly targets other teachers’ ability to deal with LGBTQ rights and issues that crop up in schools.

“They need to be addressed and we need to be making our buildings safe and inviting for all people,”Trabant.“We need to be able to walk into our schools and know we belong there.

“Homophobia and transphobia is based on fear.”

Her role is also focused on encouraging ways to reach vulnerable students directly.

Now, all of Prince George’s high schools have Queer Straight Alliances, something she hopes to see move into elementary schools.

“It’s been shown statistically that if students can make one connection to a school, whether it’s through a program, whether it’s through sports, or it’s one particular person in the building, that can be enough to keep them Cont’d on page 4

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

Colleen Sparrow Publisher

www . pgciti z en . c A

Neil Godbout managing Editor

3

4

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Cont’d from page 3 in school,” says Trabant, who did her thesis on how those relationships improve graduation rates.

“That’s all it’s about, making that one connection with students.”

Belonging also means students see themselves reflected in the day-to-day classroom experiences.

“If you’re going to read a story in kindergarten, read a story about all families,”Trabant suggests.“If you’re making a math question, include all types of people.”

The district took that advice to heart two years ago and sought out learning material that better reflected the diverse families in the community. But those resources had to be approved by the Educational Resource Acquisition Consortium, said Cindy Heitman, district principal of learning innovations.

“We submitted a rather large list,” Heitman says.“So as a result other districts are moving those books into their schools.”

Heitman notes each school is different and the learning environment should reflect a reality “specific to the culture of the building.”

“I think the kids are feeling safer in our schools as well, just more opportunities to be themselves.”

District 57 is one of the rare regions that has devoted staff hours to achieving its inclusivity goals.

“Even with the creation of my job it put us in a leader

status,” says Trabant, who recently started a two-year certificate as a sexual health educator, offered for the first time in the north.

Trabant is a leader in the province, too. She’s a facilitator for the BC Teachers’ Federation, which brought on a brand new workshop on gender inclusivity in school environment. She’s also worked as the Social Justice chair for the Prince George District Teachers’Association.

A year in and Trabant has visited most schools or in cases like Mackenzie, she’s had Skype sessions so the conversations still happen.

She’s most excited about an upcoming after-school session this month available to teachers across the district focussed entirely on training and development.

“Mostly this job was created to be able to educate teachers to give them the kind of vocabulary and communication resources so they could be doing this kind of stuff in classrooms themselves and build their confidence,” she says.“Even to be comfortable to use the vocabulary can be daunting.”

The language is constantly shifting, she says, compounded by simply knowing how and when to correct a student on hurtful language can be a difficult.

“Sometimes people don’t interject because they don’t know how to or they’re not sure how to deal with it or they’re not even sure if it is homophobic.”

The epithet “that’s gay” is still common in schools.

“You could just interject by saying ‘That’s probably not gay. It probably doesn’t have the ability to choose a sexual orientation.’”

It’s become such a part of youth culture that often it becomes a matter of explaining why a term is hurtful when they don’t give it a second thought,Trabant says.

“They’re using terms that they’re hearing, not really understanding what it is that they mean, not really understanding the effect that that can have on other people in a building.”

Addressing transgender violence and phobia is a key issue for Trabant.

“There’s a lot of fear and anxiety around working with trans people for the general population because there hasn’t been a lot of education out there,” says Trabant, but even that is changing.

The goal is to pass the education from her to the teachers to the students.

“As teachers we would love to be able to snap our fingers and put a stop to it but really we can’t - it’s up to them. It’s about educating them so that they know if they don’t change, it’s not going to change.”

GATEWAYnews

Woodland caribou facing extinction

By Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN

A new study warns a type of woodland caribou is nearing extinction despite conservation efforts, and links that decline to significant habitat loss.

“It’s a rather depressing story to have to tell and it’s one we wanted to let people know about,” said Chris Johnson, an ecology professor and one of the authors of the study, published in Biological Conservation in March.

The researchers studied five sub-populations found in northeast B.C. to look at the connection between population levels and habitat loss for the central mountain caribou, which is considered ”evolutionarily distinct.”

On average, the population has declined by 64 per cent since the mid 1990s, Johnson said. Several of those populations have less than 20 animals and one of the five populations they studied has been classified as extirpated – or eradicated – with one caribou recorded in 2012 despite having 17 caribou six years before.

“Although habitat change has been significant, it’s a complex set of factors which has probably led to the demise of these caribou,” said Johnson, like getting hit on highways, loss of access to old forest in the winter which they prefer, and less space to get away from predators.

The biggest threat has probably been the increased levels of

predation from wolves and bears, he said.

But that, too, is tied to habitat loss.

“We know that when we disturb these boreal and subboreal forests we create lots of what’s called early successional forage and that forage is great habitat for moose and elk and deer,” he said, which then draws the predators.

“More bears and wolves result in fewer caribou.”

WOLF CULL The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations referred to the wolf kill program as an important aspect of caribou conservation.

“Government recognizes that habitat restoration and protection are a necessary element of recovering caribou herds,” said the statement.

“However, we also know that habitat protection is not enough.That’s why we’re also undertaking wolf control measures.”

The wolf control program will occur over five years and it will take that time to see if it is successful, the statement said.

This year 84 wolves were killed, less than half of the 184 the province initially announced hunters would shoot.The cull began Jan. 15 in the South Selkirks and the South Peace Cont’d on page 6

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

5

6

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Cont’d from page 5 regions. In the South Peace, the forest ministry said wolves account for 37 per cent of all adult caribou deaths.

Despite the controversy of the cull, Johnson said it is a necessary but likely a short term solution.

“We basically need to buy these caribou some time,” he said.

HABITAT LOSS AND PROTECTION

The study examined habitat loss – typically due to development – over a 22-year-period and from 2000 to 2011 followed geo-tagged caribou to watch their interactions with the affected areas.

“The data also showed us that caribou were avoiding many of the industrial features we looked at,” he said in reference to disturbances caused by roads, clearcuts, seismic lines as well as wildfires.

The study reported dramatic habitat loss, which strongly correlated with population decline, Johnson said.The Bearhole – Redwillow subpopulation had lost as much as 66 per cent of its high quality habitat – and now has 14 caribou on record, down from 49 in 2008.

Addressing the loss of habitat will take a proactive approach to conservation, he said.

“You simply can’t turn the clock back so we need to be proactive in sort of maintaining some of those existing caribou habitats.We need to think about restoration.What would that look like, what would that cost?”

Johnson referred to habitat protection and a maternal penning program for one group, which keeps the caribou penned for the early months of a calf’s life.

“There’s been some habitat protection, but I still think there’s room to go.

Government is still trying to find a balance between socioeconomics and caribou conservation.”

Johnson criticized the Peace North Caribou Plan, set out in 2012, which protects 90 per cent of “critical habitat” for caribou and 80 per cent for the Quintette subpopulation (one of the few “relatively stable” subpopulations, Johnson said).

The ministry said there was no plan to change those guidelines and that it will “continue to implement the Peace Northern Caribou Plan (PNCP), which was developed based on the best available science and technical information available.”

The ministry said it has been working to minimize habitat fragmentation and support long-term habitat conditions.

“Every other mitigation effort, including addressing habitat protection and

GATEWAYnews recovery, has already been well underway for some time,” the statement said.

To date, the province has protected more than one million hectares of land from development and also requires anyone who disturbs caribou habitat to set aside four hectares for every one hectare disturbed.

That program has meant about 6,000 hectares have been set aside and 1,500 hectares disturbed.

“Through a combination of these measures, and existing parkland, the PNCP will ultimately protect over 498,000 hectares of high elevation winter range caribou habitat out of a total of 553,477 available,” the ministry statement said.

Even that small loss of critical land can make a difference for the endangered caribou given the “dire straights” the caribou are in, Johnson argued.

“That doesn’t seem to make very good conservation sense for these animals given the steep rate of decline,” he said.“If they’re already declining at this rate and they’re already turning toward extinction it’s hard to understand how losing another 10 or 20 per cent of their habitat is going to do anything but make it even worse for them.”

— with files from the Canadian Press

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

7

8

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Training program offered for unemployed miners

By Frank PEEBLES

The suspension of activities at Endako’s molybdenum mine has caused a significant employment crunch in the nearby town of Fraser Lake.

To help affected miners and related professionals through this indefinite period, the B.C. government and College of New Caledonia announced Thursday that they are launching a dedicated training program.

“From the moment we heard that there was a pending mine suspension in Fraser Lake, we have had a support team on the ground working closely with the community,” said Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs,Tourism, Skills Training and Labour.

“We have been impressed by the hard work and determination shown by the region and local MLA John Rustad, as together we are finding ways to mitigate Cont’d on page 10

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

9

10

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews Cont’d from page 8 the impacts on workers, their families, contractors and the community.Access to training programs, such as those offered through the College of New Caledonia, are an important part of assisting those affected to adapt to the changing landscape and develop new skills to succeed.”

The new funding amounts to $150,000 and is in line with other programs provided to other communities that experience industry slowdowns requiring worker retraining.

CNC will provide the majority of this slate of training at the Fraser Lake Adult Learning Centre, with some courses provided in Burns Lake or Vanderhoof.

Bond said a community transition team is also working with CNC to help identify the types of training that will best support future job prospects for Fraser Lake workers.

Training will complement the skills and experience the workers already have,

along with helping them develop new skills intended to transition them into available jobs without having to move to another community.

“CNC is pleased to receive government funding that will help us provide training so impacted workers in Fraser Lake can find new careers,” said CNC president Henry Reiser.

“There is a growing demand for skilled workers, and CNC graduates develop the skills needed to support the province, their communities and their families.”

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

11

12

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

McBride farm institute 100

By Citizen staff

Many farms and ranches in the northern region have now reached the 100 year plateau. In McBride, an even deeper historical milestone has been reached.

The Robson Valley’s primary agricultural association is now a century old, connoting not only farming in that region going on that long duration, but farming in an organized and politically active way.

“For the past 100 years, the McBride Farmers’ Institute has proudly represented

area farmers and it is this century of commitment that is being celebrated,” said Shirley Bond, MLA for Prince GeorgeValemount.“It was late winter in 1915 when the McBride-area settlers signed a Declaration of Association to become a Farmers’ Institute.A Certificate of Incorporation was issued shortly after and the McBride Farmers’ Institute started their work promoting agriculture in the area. It was busy times as the institute lobbied for

GATEWAYnews roads, schools, trails, tourism and farming needs.”

In 1940, a boys and girls poultry club was established, and in the 1980s, the institute acquired the use of a reclaimed garbage dump and built a yard for gathering livestock for weighing and shipping.Today, the McBride Farmers’ Institute meets monthly and its 30 members continue to provide agriculture leadership for McBride and the Robson Valley. For this achievement, the group was presented with the provincial government’s Century Farm Award.

“Each Century Farm Award celebrates the rich heritage of farming and ranching families and organizations in B.C.,” said Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick, who noted the program was created in 1994 to mark the centennial of the Ministry of Agriculture itself.“Congratulations to the McBride Farmers’ Institute on 100 years of promoting agriculture excellence.Thanks to your organization, we are ensuring the legacy of farming and agriculture in British Columbia continues with the next generation.”

“Our organization is honoured to receive the Century Farm Award,” said Marion Cousineau, secretary-treasurer of the organization.“We appreciate the dedication of our early settlers who established the McBride Farmers’ Institute and we look forward to continuing the legacy of representing farmers in the Robson Valley.”

“Very few organizations can boast about this kind of accomplishment and I am proud to present them with this special recognition,” said Bond.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

13

14

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Minerals North coming back to P.G.

By Frank PEEBLES

For the third time in 15 years, Prince George will play host to the Minerals North mining conference.

The news was disclosed on Thursday night during this year’s edition of Minerals North being held in Mackenzie.The organizing society makes it known two years in advance which community is in line to host, to allow for planning by all stakeholders.The 2016 event will be held jointly in Smithers and nearby Telkwa.

The last time Prince George hosted Minerals North was in 2010 and the time before that was 2002.According to conference organizers’ data, the 2010 event was attended by more than 450 people, featured 30 presenters, the trade show had 200 exhibitors using 100 booths,

and the spinoff fiscal impact at that time was more than $575,000 injected into the local economy.

“We are looking forward to working with our partners to ensure this event is a valuable resource for local and regional businesses and are excited about the positive economic impact it will have locally,” said Heather Oland, CEO at Initiatives Prince George.“Prince George is a fantastic location for this conference because as the service and supply centre for the region, Prince George provides about 20 per cent of northern BC’s employment in the mining sector, with a similar percentage for the number of businesses involved in mining.”

Initiatives Prince George - the economic

GATEWAYnews development arm of Prince George’s municipal government - worked in tandem with Tourism Prince George to win the bid for 2017 host, with the help and support of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation in which Prince George is located.

“We have been actively working with stakeholders on a community wide approach to meetings and conventions and are proud to have been named the official host city for the 2017 Minerals North Conference,” says Erica Hummel, CEO at Tourism Prince George.“Prince George has what it takes to host major meetings and conventions: modern and well-equipped facilities; urban sophistication that includes a variety of accommodations, restaurants, attractions and shopping options; a proud hosting history; and a proven track record of hosting major events.We are looking forward to showing delegates our thriving, diverse, and modern community as well as our northern hospitality.”

On hand in Mackenzie for the announcement was Mayor Lyn Hall who left Prince George that afternoon with fingers crossed knowing that the city’s bid

was strong.

“This event will provide an opportunity for residents and businesses in the region to learn more about opportunities the mining and exploration sector presents for northern BC,” said Hall.“Local and regional businesses will use the conference to establish new contacts and working relationships.The event will also provide a venue for mineral industry participants to learn about the community and issues and concerns that are important to residents of the region.”

It is scheduled to be held at the Prince George Civic Centre from April 25-27, 2017.

Billing itself as a “respectful and informed discussion about the benefits and impacts of responsible mineral exploration and development,” the conference is a place for the northern region to generate the dialogue about one of the most pivotal parts of the economy. For more information about Minerals North, visit mineralsnorth.ca.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

15

16

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

17

Schools underused, report finds

By Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN

A new school district facility report is forecasting a number of financial decisions dealing with School District 57’s used and vacant properties that trustees will have to address in the fall.

The report, presented to the board Tuesday and released online Wednesday, discussed the 41 properties in use as well as the 18 considered surplus.

“Despite the closure of 21 schools since 2001/02, the capacity in the district is still considered under-utilized as the enrolment continues to decline due to a decreasing school age population,” the report said.

In May 2014 the previous school board approved a motion to talk with senior administration about addressing sustainability and long term viability in the school district.

Those discussions have yet to happen.

But, the board promised it would address the facility report in the fall, when it also gets a report from its recent strategic planning sessions.

“No decisions have been made,” chairperson Tony Cable stressed in a press release.

“We will begin that work, including consultation with our education partners and the community, in the fall.”

Of the 41 operating facilities, several are well below their ideal capacity, adding further strains on the budget.

Schools in the Robson Valley and Mackenzie have less than half the number of students they were built to accommodate.

Reed also spoke to the board about

“significant physical condition challenges” some schools face. By the provincial standards, Spruceland, Kelly Road and Blackburn are rated as poor, and should be considered for demolition, the report said.

Three schools are excellent, two are average and 33 are fair.

The document, mandated report by the Ministry of Education, makes a number of recommendations that the board will consider come fall.

Some include shifting school catchment boundaries to redistribute student populations.Another suggested moving the French Immersion Program to Prince George secondary school, which has more than enough room for new students.

Its current location in Duchess Park secondary school is already over capacity and forecasted to be 128 per cent capacity by 2023.

Of the 18 surplus properties, six closed and vacant schools present the biggest cost at $102,000 each year, said district secretary treasurer Allan Reed.

“It’s the biggest piece of it on an ongoing basis,” said Reed, while other sites are leased or are just land, presenting a minimal cost to the district.

“If we were to demolish those buildings or sell them that would be cost relief and that is one of the things the board needs to consider.Those schools are closed but the board has not yet taken the action which it needs to do before the ministry would approve any disposition.”

Karen Wong, president of CUPE 3742, spoke at Tuesday’s meeting of the costs of

keeping up cold schools, including utility, repairs and heating in the winter.

“It’s alarming,”Wong said.

“We have grounds maintenance, security, vandalism of playground equipment that still has to be maintained within the community, fire alarms, phone lines – all are costs that continue even when a school building is empty.”

Population decline The facility problem is directly connected to the population decline in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, which shares borders with the school district.

In 1996, at its peak, the district’s population sat at 101,000. In 2014 the district’s population was 93,645, down 548 from the previous year, according to BCStats.And, as slice of the total population, school-aged children present a more problematic picture.

Between 1991 and 2011, those youth went from 22 per cent of the population to 16 per cent.

The report projects population decline will end in 2016 and start to slowly rise, but not near enough to address the existing capacity numbers.

The total student enrolment for 2013 was 12,147, while the district’s operating capacity is 14,108 students.

Since 2002, the district has closed 21 schools, but the report noted the board has not had discussions around school closures since 2010.

The recommendations • Adjusting Foothills, Heritage and

Quinson school catchment areas in order to redistribute students from Foothills and Heritage to Quinson.

• Continued efforts be made to dispose of surplus properties (vacant land or land and buildings.)

• Those buildings in the poor category and coming to the end of their life cycle (Spruceland, Kelly Road, Blackburn) be considered for demolition to avoid becoming targets for vandalism, to reduce liability for the School District and to save on costs for their ongoing maintenance.

• The French Immersion Program be relocated from Duchess Park secondary school to Prince George secondary.

• An adjustment be made to the catchment boundary between Duchess Park and DP Todd to redistribute secondary students from DP Todd to Duchess Park, subsequent to space becoming available at Duchess Park after the relocation of the French Immersion program.

• A funding request be made to the ministry in the district’s five-year capital plan for the amalgamation or renovation/ replacement of Blackburn and Buckhorn elementary schools.

18

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Telus Cup bringing top midgets to P.G. in 2017

By Ted CLARKE

The Cariboo Cougars will get to play for a national hockey championship.

They’ve got a spot already wrapped up now that Prince George has won the right to host the Telus Cup midget national championship in April 2017.

In a Hockey Canada vote, Prince George was picked over competing bid from Langley.

“Prince George is a hockey community along with the north and what we did with the Canada Winter Games, hosting Canada on that stage, was outstanding for us to do here and Hockey Canada and BC Hockey are confident that we’ll knock it

out of the park,” said Trevor Sprague, head coach and general manager of the Cariboo Cougars, who will have an automatic berth in the 2017 championship as host team.

A Cariboo Cougars committee headed

by Shawn Rice and Jane Newman put together the bid package and submitted it on March 11, 10 days after Hockey Canada asked the local group to apply to host to the tournament.

“We only had eight days to put it together, everybody else had six months, so it was quite a whirlwind week with meetings,” said Sprague.“It was outstanding what Shawn Rice and Jane Newman were

able to put together.”

Prince George hosted the event in 2001, when it was known as the Air Canada Cup.The midget Cougars had applied to host the 2012 tournament but lost out to Leduc,Alta.Although the committee had short notice to brush up on its 2012 bid, it received strong support from committee members Andy Beesley of the WHL Cougars, Jack Fomenoff of CIF Construction and John Morrison of Western Equipment. Sprague said CN Centre manager Glen Mikkelson and mayor Lyn Hall also backed the bid to help sway the Hockey Canada vote.

Beesley ,a former manager of the Cariboo Cougars who is now the WHL Cougars’ business manager,told Sprague his organization will do whatever it takes to help make the 2017 Telus Cup an organizational success. Sprague, a scout with the WHL team, said the Cougars will pursue a bid to host the 2019 Memorial Cup, which follows a similar organizational format to the Telus Cup. “We’re a hockey town, there’s nowhere else on all of Canada or North America that has a WHL team, a junior A team and a major midget team,” said Sprague.“We breed hockey players up here and we

GATEWAYnews represent well.”

BC Hockey president Randy Henderson said Prince George has a proven track record with Hockey Canada in hosting national hockey events like the 2001 Air Canada Cup midget tournament, the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup junior A tournament, and the 2015 Canada Winter Games, which carried considerable weight with Hockey Canada.

Henderson has no doubt local hockey fans and sponsors will support the Telus Cup, which will bring four regional champions and the host team together in a week-long tournament.

“I couldn’t be happier for them, I think it’s a real compliment to the team and its management and a compliment to Prince George for the way the city has hosted events similar to this in the past,” said Henderson.

“The hockey at the (2001 Air Canada Cup) was fantastic. It’s the best midgets from across the country and unlike a U-16 select team, these guys will have played together all year, they’ll have their systems in place and it just makes for really fast hockey with is a treat to watch.”

“We’ll have the best boys in the country here and I have every confidence that from the city, right down to minor hockey to the Cougars, there’s going to be a lot of solid effort to make sure that this is an event that puts Prince George on the map again.”

The tournament,April 16-22, starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday.All five teams will play each other once in a round-robin format before the playoff round begins.All games will be played at CN Centre, unless the WHL Cougars are still involved in their playoffs, in which

case, the tournament would be moved to the Coliseum.

Sprague and Citizen advertising manager Dave Smith were the assistant coaches in 2001 under head coach Brent Arsenault with the Coast Inn of the North Cougars team which won the Pacific regional midget title that year, while the Calgary Royals took the host team slot in the Air Canada Cup national tournament.

“If history could repeat itself, that would be nice,” Sprague said.

This past season, the midget Cougars won the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League regular season title and were crowned champions of the prestigious Mac’s tournament in Calgary but lost in the playoff final to the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs.

Sprague said next season’s team will be at the young end of the 15-and 16-year-old age spectrum. He’s hopeful the chance to play in a national championship will make it easier for the Cougars to recruit the best players in the region.

“This year we’re looking for guys that, for the most part, are here for a two-year commitment,” said Sprague.“We have to keep a nucleus of the guys in and then put a couple pieces of the puzzle together for next year to kind if out us over the hump.”

The national midget championship began in 1973 as the Wrigley Cup and became the Air Canada Cup in 1979.Telus took over as the major sponsor in 2004.

The tournament has been hosted in B.C. only three times -- Victoria in 1982, Kamloops in 1996 and Prince George in 2001. Prince George will join Oshawa, Ont., Moncton, N.B., and Calgary as the only cities to host the event twice.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

19

20

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Aspen helped slow forest fire, antiherbicide activist says

By Mark NIELSEN

A Prince George-area campaigner against the use of herbicides in the region’s forests is pointing to the Little Bobtail Lake wildfire to support his position.

With the 25,000-hectare fire contained, James Steidle of Stop the Spray B.C. conducted a survey of the area and says he found that spots where there was a high percentage of deciduous trees like aspen did a better job of standing up to the blaze.

“It has long been known that aspen don’t burn as readily as conifer trees like pine,” Steidle said in a press release this week.“This fire is a good demonstration of how aspen can be used to benefit fire suppression and make our forests more resistant to fires and catastrophic failure.”

Steidle said government law requires the elimination of aspen trees and makes it illegal for forest companies to allow mixed stands. Herbicides are routinely applied throughout this area to achieve this objective, he said.

Older, mixed stands from the 1960s and 70s, like the one on the east shore of Little Bobtail Lake, appeared to have fared better than more recent plantations, according to Steidle.

“Ironically, these stands weren’t as aggressively managed as they are today and had high aspen content, which modern managers would see as a failure, but which in this case clearly helped it survive,” Steidle said.

Phil Burton, an associate professor in the ecosystem science and management program at the University of Northern British Columbia, said Steidle has a point and noted the use of aspen as a firebreak has been advocated and tested in Alberta’s Foothills and northwestern region.

“But I would add that it’s a complex system related to what season of the year the fire happens and so forth,” Burton said.

“You could actually have hotter, more intense spring burns if the aspen stands

GATEWAYnews have a grassy understory and it depends on whether it’s leaf on or leaf off, and whether the sap has risen in the nearby pine trees and so forth, so it’s not a black and white story by any means.”

As for the use of herbicides, Burton said he would not abandon their use completely but suggested their use could be scaled back. Research he’s done suggests herbicides are overused in the name of trying to accelerate the growth of specific species.The downside, according to Burton, is that a forest’s resilience and ability to survive things like climate change, pests and forest fires is compromised.

Burton said the move away from mixed stands is the “product of a long and complex set of policies dating back to the 1980s” and has become “embedded in the provincial regulations.”

“There was some movement in the late ‘90s in which they allowed one or two aspen stems within the influence zone of a designated crop tree of pine or spruce but I don’t know even how flexible they are on that anymore,” Burton said.

More research is need, according to

Burton.

“It’s difficult to provide management and policy guidelines to government when we no longer have the Science Council of B.C., we no longer have Forest Renewal B.C. funding to pursue these questions in any sort of fact-based manner,” Burton said.

In a response to Steidle’s press release, a Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations spokeperson agreed that deciduous species like aspen pose a lower fire risk than coniferous species.

But while they can lead to reduced fire behaviour in some situations, the spokeperson said the ministry cannot comment specifically on how they affected the Little Bobtail Lake fire because it was hot enough to achieve the second-highest ranking in the wildfire management branch’s fire intensity ranking system. It was classified as an “extremely vigorous surface fire or active crown fire.”

It was also noted that in B.C. trembling aspen grows in later successional stages with many shade-tolerant conifers, and is present most frequently on disturbed sites, including ones caused by wildfire.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

21

22

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYcareers

(BPT) - Pop culture tends to portray accountants as number-obsessed managers tethered to their desks. But this picture doesn’t reflect the reality of the profession today.Accounting work environments aren’t limited to the desks of public accounting firms, and accounting job responsibilities are far more diverse than preparing taxes.Today’s accountants have opportunities to provide financial leadership and support in almost every industry, including entertainment, sports and travel. However, a recent survey by DeVry University revealed that the incoming workforce might not be aware of the real opportunities the profession offers.

The survey sheds light on the evolving, dynamic world of accounting to attract talent to the field.

It revealed that only 18 percent of respondents described accounting as “exciting,” and half believe accountants spend all day at their desks.

On the contrary, accounting offers interesting and specialized career tracks in many industries and job settings.Whether individuals have a case of wanderlust or a desire to work in Hollywood or the competitive world of sports, they can find an accounting role that’s suited to their passions and goals.

“Everyone has unique interests; however, they may not seamlessly transition into a career that provides both financial stability and gratification,” says Joyce Barden, senior professor of accounting at DeVry University.“A degree in the growing field of accounting can facilitate opportunities to break into industries that complement an individual’s passion points, providing a unique blend of purpose and self-fulfillment.”

Barden says every industry requires skilled accountants, including entertainment, professional

Hollywood to sports stadiums, modern accountants go exciting places athletics, travel and nonprofit organizations, so the possibilities to parallel your favorite pastime with career opportunities are endless.

Entertainment accounting If a behind-the-scenes look at star-studded Hollywood piques your interest, you could find your way in through an accounting career. Celebrities need accountants to help manage assets, investments and estate planning.A job working for entertainment’s elite may take time to secure, however, once you do, you could make as much as 5 percent of your client’s annual salary, according to the American Institute of CPAs. Studios, production companies and record studios also provide employment opportunities for accountants, as these professionals can provide oversight on production costs, valuation of companies and budgets for concert tours.

Sports accounting Don’t have what it takes to be a professional athlete, but have a desire to support your favorite team from the sidelines? Sports accountants determine athlete salaries, manage budgets and control payroll.

Christine Harms joined the Arizona Cardinals Football Club as senior accountant following a brief hiatus to raise her children. She says the key to landing a coveted accounting position is networking and knowing your strengths.

“In my first interview, I was asked where I wanted to be in five years,” Harms says.“I said I wanted to be controller.

Within five years, I was. I enjoy overseeing operational efficiencies and working with a dynamic team. Meeting NFL players doesn’t hurt, either.”

In addition to team organizations, broadcasting companies, recreational sports centers and apparel manufacturers are just a few of the sports-oriented organizations that need accountants to manage budgets and balance sheets.

International accounting The increasingly global economy has opened up a world of opportunity for international accountants.The rising number of global companies, removal of barriers to international trade and rapid growth of hotel chains, tourism boards and travel companies, are creating many new jobs. International accountants keep tabs on local tax laws to ensure a company’s growth abroad aligns with international rules and regulations and furthers their bottom line.

Accounting managers and tax accountants in this sector of the industry work overseas with contractors, coordinate audits and prepare tax returns. If you consider yourself a globetrotter, a career in accounting can be the catalyst for seeing the world and working alongside colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures.

Non-profit accounting More than 1.5 million non-profit organizations in the United States need accountants to develop financial policies and ensure their donations are being used efficiently.

Professionals who are committed to a specific cause may find fulfillment certifying that its dollars go far. Non-profit accounting provides this ideal combination of personal and professional satisfaction.

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in accounting to launch a career in the field, and most employers require a CPA designation.You can improve your marketability by honing your skills in an internship, which can be a stepping stone to a full-time position.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accounting openings are expected to grow 13 percent by 2022.

The possibilities for employment in a hybrid career path that fuses education and personal passions in a dynamic industry make the old adage “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” a reality for many job seekers.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

23

24

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYhealth&wellness

How men and women experience retirement differently

(BPT) - What’s retirement like?

The answer may depend upon whether you’re a man or a woman.

Women report more positive experiences in retirement than men, yet also say they are more likely to experience negative emotions, especially stress, according to a study conducted by MassMutual.The study’s findings have implications for retirement planning, both financially and emotionally.

“Women often experience high levels of stress before retirement as they juggle both professional and family responsibilities,” says Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual Retirement Services.

“We are learning that the stress women feel often carries over into retirement, but we’re also hearing that women often make more of their retirement opportunities and experiences than men.”

The study surveyed 905 retirees

within 15 years after retirement and 912 pre-retirees within 15 years before retirement.The responses for both groups were evenly split between men and women and respondents had a minimum of $50,000 in retirement savings.

One in five women (20 percent) is at least moderately stressed in retirement compared to 15 percent of men, the study finds. Women also are more likely to feel frustrated, sad, lonely and nervous.

Before retirement, women are much more likely than men to report being stressed.The study finds that 49 percent of women pre-retirees say they are at least moderately stressed compared to 38 percent of men pre-retirees.

Though whether you are a man or a woman, saving for retirement contributes to positive emotions and experiences in retirement.

Cont’d on page 25

GATEWAYhealth&wellness Cont’d from page 24 Those who have a 401(k) or other retirement savings plan were more likely to report experiencing positive emotions as compared to those who did not. Of the retirement plan participants, 74 percent say they are “extremely” or “quite a bit” happy compared to 68 percent who did not participate in a retirement plan and 70 percent of retirement plan participants say they are “extremely” or “quite a bit” relaxed compared to 61 percent who did not have a plan.

“Overall, positive emotions for both men and women tend to increase and negative emotions tend to decrease in retirement,” says Mathew Greenwald, president of Greenwald & Associates, whose firm conducted the study on behalf of MassMutual.“People also tend to exaggerate expectations for retirement, especially women, partly because it’s difficult for many people to envision what life in retirement will actually be like.”

In the years before retirement, women have markedly higher expectations than

men for enjoying the social aspects of retirement and somewhat lower expectations for their financial fortunes.

During retirement, women report having less free time than men and yet are more likely to have new experiences, find more time for friends, and enjoy more opportunities. Men’s expectations tend to be more in line with their eventual experiences, which are typically less fulfilling than women, according to the study.

Sarsynski recommends that pre-retirees take steps to help themselves gain a more concrete understanding of what their lives may be like once they retire.

“Spend time with retirees to gain insights and better prepare both financially and emotionally for retirement,” Sarsynski says.“We also suggest that pre-retirees track all of their purchases, especially when on vacation or participating in activities they enjoy.That will help them better understand how costly, and therefore how feasible, the lifestyle they envision will actually be.”

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

25

26

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYhealth&wellness

Family friendly ideas to enjoy a nature staycation this summer

H

ave you ever heard of nature deficit disorder?

It refers to the adverse effects of spending less time outdoors.This summer, make getting outdoors easier than ever with seven family-friendly ideas from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

• Explore the outdoors: Go birdwatching, plan a family hike or join a guided nature walk.There are many opportunities to enjoy nature in your own community.

• Organize a nature-inspired scavenger hunt: Make a checklist of natural items to watch for – like butterflies, maple trees or shrubs with berries – and check each item off the list after it’s spotted.

• Plant a garden: Enjoy the benefits of nature in your own backyard by planting and maintaining a vegetable or flower garden.

• Become a friend to a local park: See if there are any groups in your community dedicated to the

preservation of a local green space.

Whether it’s through educational initiatives, park cleanups or plantings, the whole family can get involved.

• Take it outside:Take lunch on the go to a local park, set up an outdoor movie night, or have a camping adventure in your own backyard.

• Participate in local greening activities: Whether it’s a park cleanup or a community garden, take the time to plan your own activity or volunteer for a neighbourhood project.

• Get in touch with trees: With a bit of research first, parents and kids can together explore and learn to identify the trees and shrubs in their community, including those that are native to their region and invasive species. Check out the leafsnap app to get started by visiting: CanadianWildlifeFederation. ca/Leafsnap. www.newscanada.com

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

27

28

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYgrill

The perfect sausage recipe for your summer BBQ patio party Sausages are perfectly designed for the kebob, and Piller’s corporate Chef D provides a tasty glaze to make a barbecue sensation.

Cont’d on page 30

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

29

30

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYgrill Cont’d from page 28

Smoked Sausage Kebobs Ingredients: • 1 pkg. Piller’s Knackwurst Sausage, cut in 1” pieces • 1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1” squares • 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut in 1” squares • 1 large green bell pepper, cut in 1” squares • 1 large red onion, cut in 1” squares • 6 wooden skewers • grilling spray Paprika Glaze: • 20 ml (1 ½ Tbsp.) olive oil • 5 ml (1 tsp.) smoked paprika • 2 ml (½ tsp.) salt • 2 ml (½ tsp.) pepper Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes. Combine olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Spit sausage, peppers and onion onto skewers and brush with paprika glaze. Spray grill and preheat to medium heat. Grill kebobs until sausage is grilled and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and serve immediately. Serves 6 More information and recipe ideas are available online at pillers.com. www.newscanada.com

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

|

www . pgciti z en . c A

31

32

www . pgciti z en . ca | W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5