Maria Martins, an intern at the Prince George Railway and Forestry
museum this summer. The work is being done in preparation
eight-acres of the museum. The Cottonwood Minitrain will
musicians, and a visit from Santa. The Celebration of Lights is from Dec. 18 to Dec.
food donation for the food bank. The Celebration of Lights will continue Dec. 27 to Dec. 30 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Judge upholds verdict, finds man guilty of sex interference
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
A Prince George man’s bid to have a conviction overturned for inappropriately touching a young girl has failed.
In February 2015, a jury found Paul Veeken guilty of sexually interfering with a person under 16 years old and he was subsequently sentenced to two years in jail followed by one year probation.
In the aftermath, Veeken, now 45, won a new trial, this time before a judge alone.
But on Wednesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lance Bernard effectively upheld the jury’s verdict, finding Veeken had inappropriately and deliberately touched a girl over the course of about two years starting when she was 10 years old, often under the guise of pulling her onto his lap and tickling her. When testifying, Veeken had admitted to hosting get-togethers for groups of children at a cabin in the region where they would use a hot tub and watch movies on a television he had installed.
He also admitted to stocking the cabin with candy and ice cream, along with toys and children-friendly movies, but maintained it was only because he liked such things.
Veeken also stressed he maintained a
“two-kid rule” to avoid being unfairly accused of inappropriate behaviour. But Bernard found that troubling given his admitted behaviour, which included joining girls in the hot tub when no adults were present.
The matter came to a head when the girl took a course on babysitting and was warned about fathers who might try to touch a babysitter in the car on the way home. She brought Veeken’s behaviour up with her parents and eventually it was taken to the police.
Bernard had some strong words for Veeken in reaching his decision, finding he had groomed the girl for his own sexual gratification while “hiding in plain view” by using the other children as a “smokescreen of sorts.”
Bernard found the victim was a “naive young girl” who was entranced by Veeken and the cabin and all it had to offer.
“It was a child’s dream that sadly turned into a nightmare” when she came to realize Veeken was sexually molesting her, Bernard said.
Veeken will be sentenced at a later date after a pre-sentence report has been completed. He remains out on conditions that include staying away from parks, pools, playgrounds and other areas where children tend to congregate.
Graduation rates on the rise
Citizen staff
Nearly 80 per cent of students attending a School District 57 high school are completing Grade 12, according to numbers released this week.
At 79.7 per cent, the figure for the 2017-18 school year represents a 6.5 per cent rise over the previous school year.
The rate for all of B.C. is 84.8 per cent.
In a statement, school board chair Tim Bennett said trustees are “excited by these results” but also know more work needs to be done to not only reach parity with the rest of the province but to reach 100 per cent completion.
“We also need to ensure that this is not a blip on our chart but the new baseline,” he added.
Called the six-year graduation rate, it is based on the number of students who earn either a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood) or B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood) within six years of enrolling in Grade 8.
It does not include students who achieved a British Columbia School Completion Certificate (Evergreen), which applies to those with special needs who have met the goals of their individual education plan.
The school district also witnessed an increase in the graduation rate for Aboriginal students, which rose 8.5 points to 65.8 per cent. B.C.-wide, it is 69 per cent. Likewise, the graduation rate for English language learners rose 7.9 points to 64.3 per cent and for students with special needs, it rose 13.3 points to 57.8 per cent. B.C.-wide, the rate for English language learners is 87.7 per cent and for special needs students it is 71.7 per cent. A five-year strategy, dubbed “Inspiring Learning Anywhere” and approved by trustees in 2016, is credited for the improvement. It outlines overall and specific goals, including raising graduation rates to the point where they meet or exceed the average for the province.
BENNETT
New Elksentre flooring made from recycled tires
Citizen staff
Tires that once traveled along the road are now being tread upon as new flooring at the Elksentre Arena.
It has been installed throughout the arena’s walkways, front lobby, skate shop, and dressing, referee, and storage rooms and, in part, is due to a $25,554 grant from Tire Stewardship B.C.
The city funded the remaining project cost of about $40,000.
The project replaces roughly 465 square metres of aging and damaged flooring, installed when the Elksentre was first constructed in 1976.
The new flooring is made out of 4.5 tonnes of rubber from 670 recycled passen-
ger vehicle tires from around the province. It is made from a product produced by a company called Dinoflex and consists of up to 90-per-cent recycled, post-consumer tire rubber.
“The recycled flooring improves the durability, shock absorption, maintenance, and resistance of the flooring at the arena,” city officials said in a press release. Located in the Hart neighbourhood, the Elksentre hosts many tournaments, special events and training programs during the year.
Tire Stewardship B.C. has also given the city grants to use recycled materials to improve fall protection and accessibility at Duchess Park and to replace worn-out flooring at the Kin arenas.
Citizen staff
Burned-out Christmas lights are being accepted for recycling at two depots in Prince George. Both the Salvation Army’s Curt Garland Community Support Centre, at 3500 18th Ave. and PG Recycling and Return-It Centre, 2614 Petersen Rd., are taking them in on behalf of Product Care Recycling.
“When it comes to recycling Christmas lights, many of the components such as metal and plastic can be recycled and repurposed for other uses,” the agency said in a press release. The two locations also accept other kinds of lighting products for recycling ranging from fixtures to fluorescent tubes, halogen bulbs, CFLs and LEDs. For more information, go to www. lightrecycle.ca.
Cirque Musica show a family affair
Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff
chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca
Coming from a long line of performers, a hula hooping contortionist will be one of the many stars to grace the stage with her beauty and mad skills when Cirque Musica Holiday presents Wonderland at CN Centre during a one-show-only event Saturday.
Noemi Lee Espana is an eighth-generation performer whose entire family is involved in the show. Father Noe is directing the show while mother Vivien will take her performance to new heights as an aerialist and brother Elan juggles and performs with a giant yo-yo called diabolo and tests his talent in the giant Cyr wheel that he is in when it spins.
The Wonderland storyline finds a young girl, Caroline, not feeling the Christmas spirit this year. Feeling a little lost, Caroline finds the Wonderland book her parents used to read to her when she was little.
Her memories develop into a fantasy
where all of the characters and creatures featured in the book come to life before her eyes.
Those featured in the book are so happy to see her they put on a show for her and the audience.
Espana began her hula hooping performances when she was 14, whirling eight hoops at one time.
“Like every kids does, you just play with your hula hoop in the backyard, spinning it around your waist, and my dad said we needed a floor act because my mom had the aerial part covered,” Espana explained how she got started performing with the hula hoop. “I started to practice and I have a knack for it and I love it so much.”
It’s her favourite act, she added.
The contortionism is a separate act of strength and skill Espana developed over the years.
“I am lucky, I was born very flexible,” Espana said. “I just continued and stretched all the time until I was about 14 years old when I decided I wanted to
turn it into an act.”
Espana said her most difficult trick with the hula hoop is spinning four hoops on her body while being lifted into the air as she’s hanging by one arm.
“That one does take a bit of practice because not only are you manipulating four hoops with different parts of your body but you’re doing it with your feet off the ground,” Espana said. “So it’s a completely different motion.”
As far as the most difficult feat when it comes to the contortionism, Espana said it’s her last trick, because traditionally during a performance they always save the best for last.
“I spin on my handstand cane so I’m on one cane and spin two whole spins, so I think that one is probably my hardest trick,” Espana said.
Members of the local musical community will be performing as the symphony orchestra that accompanies the performers during the show. Tickets for the show are available at www.ticketsnorth.ca.
Polar bear dip set for Ness Lake
Citizen staff
The Ness Lake Bible Camp will ring in the new year with its annual polar bear dip.
Set for New Year’s Day, it routinely draws more than 50 people ready to brave the cold and raise money for a fund to help families who otherwise could not afford to send their kids to the camp.
“This year our goal is to send all the kids from the Harwin community,” organizers said. “Every kid deserves to go to camp and we have always strived to make camp accessible for all.
“One way we do that is by paying for part of the fees for families that are not financially in a place to afford to send their kids.”
Check-in is at 2 p.m. at the Welcome Centre, the log building near the parking lot.
At 2:30, p.m. everyone will meet in the gym for a safety talk and to judge the costumes, then they’re off to the lake.
Entry fee is $25, but that’s waived for anyone who raises more than $25 in pledges. Donations over $10 are tax deductible. About $7,800 was raised through last year’s event.
There is also a prize for the top pledge raiser and the first 40 people who sign up get a T-shirt at no cost.
Costumes are optional but encouraged.
Pledge forms and general information are found under coming events at www.nesslakebiblecamp.com.
Noemi Lee Espana will be performing her hula hoop act and displaying her strength and balance through contortion during Cirque Musica Holiday presents Wonderland at CN Centre on Saturday.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Roughly 50 people braved the icy waters of Ness Lake on Jan. 1 for the polar bear dip. Ness Lake Bible Camp will hold the annual fundraising event again on New Year’s Day.
Court upholds extradition of pair
accused of ‘honour killing’
Laura KANE Citizen news service
VANCOUVER — Two British Columbia residents accused of hiring assailants to kill a relative in India because she married a poor rickshaw driver must be extradited to face murder charges, the province’s top court has ruled.
The B.C. Court of Appeal has denied Malkit Kaur Sidhu and Surjit Singh Badesha’s request for a stay of proceedings and a judicial review, which their lawyers filed as the RCMP escorted them onto a Delhi-bound plane last fall.
Indian authorities allege the pair were involved in the so-called “honour killing” of Sidhu’s daughter and Badesha’s niece, Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, in 2000 after she married a man from a lower socio-economic class against her family’s wishes.
An RCMP operation to remove the two was halted in Toronto’s airport in September 2017 when Mounties learned lawyers for the accused had filed court applications for judicial review moments earlier.
The applications argued Sidhu and Badesha weren’t given the chance to review the federal justice minister’s decision to extradite them and that they were denied access to counsel.
In a written decision Tuesday, the court concluded the minister’s conduct did amount to an abuse of process, but it does not warrant a stay of proceedings.
“This is a close case but we conclude the balance favours denying the stay,” wrote Chief Justice Robert Bauman and Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein on behalf of a three-judge panel.
“The charges these applicants face are the most serious in our criminal justice system and the interests of India, and of our own community, in seeing them heard in court on their merits is very substantial.”
The pair have enjoyed a very “long and full day in court,” the judges added, noting their case has been considered by two justice ministers, the provincial appeal court and the Supreme Court of Canada. Sidhu and Badesha have long opposed their surrender to India, arguing they would face violence and torture in Indian prisons. The country is seeking their extradition for the offence of conspiracy to commit murder.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in September 2017 to set aside a previous B.C. Court of Appeal ruling that had stopped extradition proceedings. In 2017, after the Supreme Court held a hearing but before it made its decision, Sidhu and Badesha both filed new affidavits to the federal justice minister and requested she reconsider their removal from Canada.
The affidavits included statements from two of their co-accused in India who had been convicted at trial but acquitted on appeal. The men described
in India
Indian authorities allege the pair were involved in the so-called “honour killing” of Sidhu’s daughter and Badesha’s niece, Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, in 2000 after she married a man from a lower socio-economic class against her family’s wishes.
“shocking” prison conditions and included allegations by one of the accused of being beaten and tortured.
The federal justice minister had not yet responded to their reconsideration request on Sept. 20, 2017, when the RCMP commenced a covert operation to fly the pair to India.
Police flew them from Vancouver to Toronto and they were scheduled to board a flight to Delhi that night.
When news of their extradition broke in Indian media outlets that day, counsel for Sidhu and Badesha contacted a lawyer for the Department of Justice.
The lawyer wrote in an email that afternoon that the pair would not be surrendered until the justice minister made a decision on their reconsideration request.
However, if Wilson-Raybould decided not to reconsider the decision, the pair may be “immediately removed,” the lawyer said.
Sidhu and Badesha’s lawyers filed an application for judicial review in the B.C. Court of Appeal at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time, prompting the pair to be stopped while boarding a plane that was scheduled to leave just 30 minutes later.
The appeal court found that the minister planned to refuse their reconsideration request that day and intended for the pair to be removed from Canada immediately afterward, without giving them an opportunity to consult counsel or file for a judicial review.
The department and minister failed to exercise their authority with restraint, even-handedness and fair-mindedness, and as a result there has been a “very serious adverse impact on the integrity of the justice system,” the judges wrote.
“Looked at holistically, this conduct might be justified by some as ‘just desserts’ for two applicants who had their day in this country’s highest court and were filing a weak case for reconsideration in an effort to frustrate their timely extradition to India. They were dragging out the process with delay, delay, delay,” the judges wrote.
Sidhu’s and Badesha’s lawyers declined to comment on the ruling.
Mental health raises assisted dying concerns
Joan BRYDEN Citizen news service
OTTAWA — Experts the federal government charged with looking at whether people suffering only from mental disorders should be eligible for medically assisted death couldn’t even agree on what evidence is relevant to the question, according to reports tabled in Parliament Wednesday.
There was more consensus on two other issues: whether mature minors should be eligible for assisted dying and whether those facing eventual loss of mental capacity should be able to make advance requests for assisted deaths.
The three issues were examined by working groups created by the independent Council of Canadian Academies, representing some of Canada’s most august intellectuals. The government specifically instructed the council to make no recommendations on any of the three issues, so the reports released Wednesday just summarize the “state of knowledge” on the issues and canvass the pros and cons of extending the right to an assisted death to each group.
The government has already indicated it has little intention of expanding the law, which went into effect two-and-a-half years ago.
The reports come just over a month after a Halifax woman with incurable breast cancer, Audrey Parker, opted to end her life earlier than she wanted because she feared she’d eventually lose the mental competence required to seek an assisted death. Parker pleaded with the government to allow people like her to make advance requests for medical as-
sistance in dying.
At that time, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said she was satisfied with the law as it is.
“We’re not considering changing something in the legislation,” she said. “We’re confident in the legislation that we brought forward, that it finds the right balance in terms of being able to access medical assistance in dying, protecting the autonomy of individuals to make the appropriate decisions for themselves as well as protecting vulnerable individuals.”
The law allows medically assisted dying only for incurably ill adults who are suffering intolerably and are already close to natural deaths. It excludes minors and those suffering strictly from mental disorders and does not allow advance requests.
The law is facing constitutional challenges, based on the fact that it is far more restrictive than the assisted-dying regime sketched out by the Supreme Court of Canada when it struck down Canada’s prohibition on physician-assisted suicide.
The report says the issue is particularly challenging because a desire to die can be a symptom of a person’s mental disorder, clinicians disagree on which disorders can be considered incurable, and most of those suffering are not near death.
The report on advance requests says they could “provide comfort and relieve anxiety” for those facing the end of life with diminished competence. However, removing the requirement for express consent immediately prior to receiving an assisted death also raises the possibility a person’s life could be ended against their wishes.
Safety board issues advisory over lethal rail crash
Citizen news service
RICHMOND — The Transportation Safety Board has issued rail-safety advisories involving a crash in April of last year that killed three workers and injured two others in the Vancouver Island community of Woss.
A WorksafeBC report issued in October said decaying railway ties and the failure of a safety mechanism allowed rail cars at a Western Forest Products reload centre to run uncontrolled and hit two work equipment vehicles with the five men aboard.
The board’s report issued Wednesday adds to the conclusion, saying the 11 cars loaded with logs rolled away after a locking device between the cars inadvertently released.
The report also says a safety device meant to derail the runaway cars failed to work because the rail ties were deteriorating and the device hadn’t been adequately secured.
The board issued two rail safety advisory letters after its investigation, including one to railways, regulators and associations over the use of visual verifi-
cation to ensure locking devices between cars are secure.
It says another advisory letter went to B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation saying it may want to review how the derail devices are installed, maintained and inspected on properties operated by Western Forest Products. The railway operated by the company is provincially regulated, but the safety board conducted the investigation at the request of the Transportation Ministry.
The company announced in November 2017 that the Englewood Train – believed to be the last operating logging railroad in North American – would shut down.
A statement from Western Forests Products said the crash will forever impact the families of those lost and injured, those who worked alongside them and the company as a whole.
“The safety and security of our employees is our number one priority. We continue to work to ensure that families, workers and all affected by this tragic incident are supported in any way we can,” said the statement.
Trimming the tree
Devon Chambers, an arborist with the City of Prince George, prunes an elm tree in Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on Wednesday morning.
In this courtroom sketch, Michael Cohen, centre, listens during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday in New York federal court. Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump’s once-devoted lawyer and all-around fixer, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison.
Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen gets three years in prison
Citizen news service
NEW YORK — Michael Cohen, U.S.
President Donald Trump’s one-time fixer, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss’ alleged sexual affairs, telling a judge that he agreed time and again to cover up Trump’s “dirty deeds” out of “blind loyalty.”
Separately, the legal and political peril surrounding Trump appeared to deepen when prosecutors announced that another major piece of the investigation had fallen into place: the parent company of the National Enquirer acknowledged dispensing some of the hush money in concert with the Trump campaign to fend off a scandal that could have damaged his bid for the White House.
Cohen, 52, shook his head slightly and closed his eyes as a judge pronounced his sentence for evading $1.4 million in taxes, lying about Trump’s business dealings in Russia and violating campaign-finance laws in buying the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy centerfold Karen McDougal, who claimed they had sex with the candidate. Cohen and federal prosecutors have said the payments were made at Trump’s direction to influence the election.
“Time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds rather than to listen to my own inner voice and my moral compass,” said a choked-up Cohen, a lawyer who once boasted he would “take a bullet” for Trump. “My weakness can be characterized as a blind loyalty to Donald Trump, and I was weak for not having the strength to question and to refuse his demands.”
The twin developments represented a double dose of bad news for the president, who ignored reporters’ questions about Cohen during an appearance at the White House later in the day.
Cohen is the first and, so far, only member of Trump’s circle during two years of investigations to go into open court and implicate him in a crime, though whether a president can be prosecuted under the Constitution is an open question.
In a possible sign of further trouble for the president, Cohen said he will continue cooperating with prosecutors, and one of his legal advisers said Cohen is also prepared to tell “all he knows” to Congress if asked.
At the sentencing, defence attorney Guy Petrillo pleaded for leniency for Cohen, saying, “He came forward to offer evidence against the most powerful person in our country.”
U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III said the defendant deserved modest credit, but his assistance “does not wipe the slate clean.”
“Somewhere along the way Mr. Cohen appears to have lost his moral compass,” the judge said.
The judge also ordered Cohen to pay $1.39 million in restitution to the IRS, forfeit $500,000 and pay $100,000 in fines. He was ordered to report to prison March 6 and left court without comment.
The prison sentence was in line with what prosecutors asked for. Sentencing guidelines called for around four to five years, and the government asked in court papers that Cohen be given only a slight break.
The sentence was the culmination of a spectacular rise and fast fall of a lawyer who attached himself to the fortunes of his biggest client, helped him get elected president, then turned on him, co-operating
Canada pressured to match climate talk with action at key meeting
Mia RABSON Citizen news service
OTTAWA — The Canadian government is under intense pressure to fill a leadership void as countries try to hammer out how they will hold themselves accountable for implementing the Paris climatechange accord.
Political leaders from most countries are in the small, coal-mining city of Katowice in southern Poland for the 24th meeting of the United Nations “Conference of the Parties,” where the rulebook for the Paris agreement is supposed to be finalized.
With the United States preparing to leave the Paris agreement altogether, the host country less than enthusiastic about it and the biggest European powers distracted by domestic events like the Brexit crisis and riots against a fuel tax in France, Canada is being pushed to lead where they can’t or won’t.
The rules decided at Katowice are to dictate everything from how carbon markets work to what each country must do to report on their own emissions cuts and how they’ve helped finance the decarbonization of the developing world.
There is also a push for them to agree to make deeper emissions cuts, after the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported earlier this fall that global targets must be substantially higher if the world has any hope of slowing catastrophic global warming.
at the moment the only developed country really fighting for tougher cuts to emissions is New Zealand.
“They need help,” she said.
Other countries know that Canada is struggling to meet its own targets, that the Liberal government is facing legal and political pressure over its planned carbon tax and that Canada is continuing government support for developing oil and gas reserves.
Some officials are snarking that Canada is good for talking points but not action.
McKenna told The Canadian Press last week Canada will be ready – as the Paris agreement requires – to increase its targets for cutting emissions in 2020. It was a departure from an earlier line that McKenna had no plans to increase Canada’s ambitions until policies were in place to realize its existing ones.
Abreu was thrilled about the change of tone but said she will be happier if McKenna says it at Katowice as well. Thus far she has not.
In a call with reporters Tuesday, McKenna said only: “We are absolutely committed to meeting our target.”
She also said the Canadian government is well aware there are just 12 years in which to act, after which hope will be lost to keep the world from getting more than 1.5 C warmer than it was in pre-industrial times.
with two interconnected investigations: one run by federal prosecutors in New York, the other by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into Russia’s efforts to influence the presidential election.
Beyond the guilty pleas, it is unclear what Cohen has told prosecutors or what he has left to say, though one of Mueller’s prosecutors, Jeannie Rhee, said in court that Cohen has “provided consistent and credible information about core Russia-related issues under investigation.”
Legal experts said Cohen could get his sentence reduced by co-operating.
In the hush-money case, Cohen arranged for American Media Inc., parent of the proTrump National Enquirer, to pay $150,000 to McDougal to buy and bury her story, according to prosecutors. Cohen also said he paid $130,000 to Daniels and was reimbursed by Trump’s business empire. Both payments were made during the heat of the 2016 campaign.
Prosecutors said those secret payouts were not reported as campaign contributions and violated the ban on corporate contributions and the $2,700 limit on donations by an individual.
Shortly after Cohen’s sentencing, federal authorities announced a deal not to prosecute AMI. As part of the deal, prosecutors said, AMI admitted making the payment to McDougal “in concert” with the Trump campaign to protect him from a story that could have hurt his candidacy. An AMI representative had no comment.
Trump has denied any sexual relationship with the women and argued on Twitter earlier this week that the payments to the women were “a simple private transaction,” not a campaign contribution.
And if it was a prohibited contribution, Trump said, Cohen is the one who should be held responsible.
“Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me,” Trump wrote, adding, “Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!”
Trump’s legal culpability could hinge on whether the payments to the women were, in fact, made at his direction, and whether he intended them to influence the election.
In a case with some parallels, prosecutors in 2011 charged former Sen. John Edwards with funneling nearly $1 million in underthe-table campaign contributions to hide his pregnant lover during his 2008 run for president. Edwards had argued that the payments were a personal matter – intended to keep things secret from his wife – and had nothing to do with the election.
A jury acquitted the Democrat on one charge and deadlocked on other counts. He wasn’t retried.
In addition to pleading guilty to the campaign-finance and tax charges, Cohen admitted lying to Congress to conceal that he was negotiating a proposal to build a Trump skyscraper in Moscow well into the presidential campaign season. He said he lied out of devotion to Trump, who insisted during the campaign that he had no business ties whatsoever to Russia.
Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, who played a major role in exposing the hushmoney discussions, said outside the courthouse: “We will not stop until the truth is known relating to the conduct of Donald Trump.”
But he added: “Let me be clear, Michael Cohen is neither a hero nor a patriot” and “deserves every day of the 36-month sentence he will serve.”
Associated Press writer Jim Mustian contributed to this report.
Catherine Abreu, executive director of the Climate Action Network Canada, said
The existing policies under the Paris agreement have the world on track to exceed 3 C in warming.
Larry NEUMEISTER, Tom HAYS
The most stressful time of the year
It’s the most wonderful time of year, according to the Christmas carol, but we all know that’s a pretty big fib.
It’s the most wonderful time of year for some, it’s the most stressful time of year for many others and December is just another month of struggling to make ends meet, put food on the table and keep food on the table and the lights and heat on for the rest.
That’s not meant to be a Christmas downer, that’s just the reality. There are the fortunate that have few or no worries about financial security. As an analysis released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives shows, growing economic inequality is as real in B.C. as it is across Canada and across the world. In this province, the soaring value of property, housing and commercial leasing space in Greater Vancouver has helped make the rich even richer and priced many would-be homeowners out of the market. The top 10 wealthiest families in B.C. are worth about $25 billion, which is the same worth as the bottom 1.32 million residents
combined, which is more than a quarter of the provincial population. If some of the names aren’t familiar – Jim Pattison, Francesco Aquilini, Chip Wilson – then some of the companies they own – SaveOn-Foods, Vancouver Canucks, Lululemon – should be.
Jim Pattison tops the list at $5.7 billion but that’s not the only reason he’s special. He’s the largest private sector employer in Prince George by far, with four Save-On stores, the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group of two radio stations and one TV station, the Pattison Sign Group and, most of all, as the majority owner of Canfor.
In other words, many Prince George families owe their jobs to Pattison, even while their daily work further enriches him. Some would argue that’s a fair bargain, others not so much.
Regardless, Pattison is also one of just three of the top 10 richest families with first-generation wealth. The other seven were born into their privilege, one or more generations removed from the original benefactor.
That’s significant, argue economists Alex Hemingway and David Macdonald, the authors of the analysis, for two reasons.
First, the wealthiest individuals
YOUR LETTERS
Be part of the solution
The continued debate over climate change can often bring about some strange arguments, and stranger commentaries from the ranks of those who still haven’t accepted that climate change is indeed happening.
The recent submission to The Citizen by Art Betke, is astonishing, not just in its obvious denial of climate change, but in its view that the B.C. government is wasting its time with addressing climate change. Mr. Betke takes the approach that jobs, resource jobs, and the ‘ramping-up’ of fossil-fuel extraction and industry, are the only way in which the economy can survive, and I believe that opinion to be very short-sighted.
There is no arguing that an eventual end to the petroleum dependency would inevitably cost jobs, impact the petroleum industry and adversely impact the economy. The issue with this however is that to continue on the course we are on, will result in a climate catastrophe that we cannot come back from. If we compare the model for modern reforestation and silviculture, we find that the agricultural model used is ineffective. Sure, the economic boom from the improper forestry practices used and still taught today, worked for a time, but the practices used removed tree species diversity, seriously
and negatively impacted ecology, and has now resulted in large conifer parcels that cannot withstand natural forest-fires, a vital but now out-of-control process.
To argue that other governments are not tackling climate change and other countries are ‘ramping-up’ fossil fuel and coal burning activities, says two things. First, it shoots down Mr. Betke’s argument. If there is futility, it is because many of the nations that signed accords to combat climate change either are not doing their share to aid in the fight or they are in the pockets of big oil and refused to sign the accords. Regardless, failure to adopt to alternative energy and failure to fix things will mirror the failure of modern forestry.
Similarly, increasing coal-fired power negates any forward progress in fighting climate change. It’s like saying your cough isn’t getting better while you continue to smoke.
Secondly, he believes, that oil is an unlimited resource.
Sorry, Mr. Betke, it isn’t. Alternative fuels, sustainable resources, recycling, new products, and new manufacturing methods, not to mention a shift in the consumer and lifestyle paradigm, will happen. Overnight? No, but it needs to happen. If you see futility, it is because you live in denial. Join the fight.
Mike Maslen Prince George
Refine oil here
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced her desire to increase Canada’s capacity to refine oil. Should we as British Columbians embrace this? The answer is a solid yes. Right now, we ship part of our crude south to Texas which we pay for where it is refined, then we pay for shipping the refined product north to Canada for our use. We sell our Western Select Crude at a discounted price to pay for transportation of the crude plus handling. This crude is equal to Texas Sweet Crude. The crude that is bought from the Middle East is equal to Texas Sweet Crude. These multinational refineries pay world prices for Middle East oil and U.S. oil, but their generosity hasn’t been very kind to us Canadians.
I am of the opinion that we who live in British Columbia need to support the establishment of an oil refinery here in Canada. If that means using B.C. tax dollars for the building of it, than Premier John Horgan has my blessing. Over the years we Canadians have been too generous and supportive of our United States friends. Since free trade, that has been a one sided affair. Building a refinery would bring us back in charge of almost seven per cent of our economy.
Stan New Prince George
LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7.
and families, wherever they live, are increasingly growing their wealth not through their labour – which is how the other 99.9 per cent of the population makes its money – but through the rising value of the assets they already own and the new assets they acquire. They are capitalists in the truest sense of the word.
Second, that creates a disconnect between the vast majority who work hard for their money and the fortunate few who accumulate wealth because the riches they were born into does the work for them.
That’s not to say that the chil-
dren and grandchildren of rich and successful entrepreneurs don’t know the value of a dollar and don’t work hard. It simply points out the reality that they have far less skin in the game than everyone else. A drop in lumber prices or fewer people buying Canucks merchandise is a business problem for the Pattison and Aquilini families, respectively, but it’s a direct threat to the future income of their employees and the financial security of their families.
To be clear, this is not an attack on the fabulously wealthy, regardless of whether they have worked hard, were born into the family fortune or some combination of the two. Rather, it’s simply a reminder that while money doesn’t buy happiness, it does buy freedom from having to worry about how to pay for life’s necessities.
For those able to give, please give generously to those worthy agencies who devote their time and energy to help those less fortunate and please be mindful of those who experience “the most wonderful time of year” as little more than a mockery of their misfortune.
— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
Trump put Canada in tough spot
Just when it seemed we had run out of things we could blame on Donald Trump, along came the perilous mess with Meng Wanzhou. Canada, and specifically our region, has been wounded by friendly fire through the Huawei CFO’s arrest at YVR at the behest of U.S. authorities, her protracted bail hearing, and Trump’s reckless whim that – never mind the rule of law – her freedom might be an ideal bargaining chip in a U.S.-China trade pact. We were damned if we did, damned if we didn’t apprehend the telecom queenpin and give our treaty partner below the border the opportunity to lay claim to her presence at a trial on quite serious allegations of sanction violations.
I just wish her plane had landed in, say, Toronto. Why are we the ones with the Asian gateway? Delicious, too, that it happened while Trump was visiting Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and then tweeting about the masterwork of the meeting – all the while as he knew we were on latrine duty. Thanks for that, our superpower friend.
It is a fair wager that, barring sudden climate change in the rhetoric, our local retailers will bear a bit of a Christmas and Boxing Day boycott arising from the official fury. I read a piece from the influential Xinhua news agency and lost count of the falsehoods –the claims of inhumane treatment, the illegality of the apprehension, on and on. No matter, it is certainly not the ideal Tourism Vancouver postcard or invitation to invest in China.
We can only hope there is a calmer official appreciation of the court procedures, that the outrage is more mock than real, that any Trump threats of playing checkers with a global telecom executive wither, and that we are not the ones most burned by something we did not ignite.
In so doing, we are putting more stock in the predictability of Xi over Donald.
At least we can breathe relief about the bail hearing. To keep her detained, rather than merely restrained, would have been an absurdity.
She has the motivation and we have the technology – albeit a little behind hers – to ensure she stays in Metro Vancouver. If she flees, well, to sanitize a saying popular in Newfoundland, the bottom would be out of it.
Now she can set up shop in her Dunbar house, conduct business like thousands of others across time zones in our community, and merely be subjected to rain, followed by snow, followed by more rain before anything substantial might ensue in an extradition
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proceeding – assuming, of course, Trump doesn’t further unglue. Recreationally, it would be an ideal time for her to prove the camera claims made in commercials for Huawei smartphones: best of luck making our grey winter look sprightly. Culturally, she will have evenings to watch Hockey Night in Canada, try to figure out Don Cherry like the rest of us, and divine why her company is sponsoring the show. Academically, she has mused about taking an MBA while here at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business; much as I admire the faculty, she should be teaching the course, not taking it.
And in all seriousness, her presence is an opportunity to define the image of Huawei and address important concerns. In short, once a little dust settles, she should get out there and speak – we’re all ears, but we have questions.
As for Canada, an extradition hearing will provide our country presumably with a healthy glimpse into U.S. suppositions about Huawei that are as lost on us as they are on her. It might stimulate a more prominent debate in our country about our own industrial and political suppositions. This episode gives Justin Trudeau the opportunity to make clear why Canada does not see undue risk in associating with a company that our allies find quite problematic. We are, after all, alone among the Five Eyes countries in permitting the telecom powerhouse to play in our sandbox and risk purging our data. Our leading universities, among them UBC and Simon Fraser University, are conducting research or collaborating with generous Huawei grants, and the attention on Meng is a good opportunity to review what they’re doing, too.
If she is the example the Trump administration would like to make to subdue China’s determination to usurp American tech supremacy, I suspect the idea will founder. This is not a hostage-taking for ransom and the U.S. president will only diminish the rule of law by layering on a preposterous circus of barter.
But I have given up on betting on sanity with the world’s most powerful person. It gives me little joy to place more chips on his runner-up.
Kirk LaPointe is editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and vice-president, editorial, of Glacier Media.
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Guest Column
Trump comments could be used by Chinese exec to fight extradition
Mike BLANCHFIELD Citizen news service
OTTAWA — Remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump could be used by Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to fight her extradition to the United States, Canada’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
Chrystia Freeland said any comments made in the United States could be used by Meng’s lawyers before Canadian courts, which would have to judge their relevance in deciding whether to follow through on the American extradition request.
The Liberals have gone out of their way to show they are keeping politics out of the extradition process of the high-profile Chinese executive, warning it could impact the case in Canada.
Trump’s musing Tuesday about interfering in Meng’s case is fuelling Beijing conspiracy theories about Canada’s true intent behind detaining Meng. Canadian officials cited the mounting criticism against Canada in China, including on social media, behind their reason to bolster the security of diplomats in the People’s Republic.
Trump complicated Canada’s stance after he told Reuters Tuesday evening he would “certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary” in Meng’s case, if it would
help him forge a trade deal with China. China’s state-run media was already ridiculing Canada’s assertion that Meng would be dealt with fairly and transparently by an independent judiciary, the same view U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft put forward.
Freeland carefully avoided mentioning Trump by name, but she said she spoke with her U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, about the case on Wednesday.
The minister said it was “quite obvious” that anyone “seeking an extradition from Canada” has to recognize Canada is a rule of law country and that “any extradition request is about ensuring that justice is done, is about ensuring that the rule of law is respected and is not politicized or used for any other purpose.”
Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to the rule of law, “regardless of what goes on in other countries.”
The government dispatched five senior officials to hammer home the message, while Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said Wednesday that she takes her “extradition responsibilities and obligations very seriously” and reiterated that the final decision lies with her.
If Canada’s courts approve Meng’s extradition – a process
that officials suggested could take years – “then as the minister of justice, I will ultimately have to decide on the issue of surrender of the person sought for extradition,” Wilson-Raybould said in a statement.
The minister said she wouldn’t say any more because that “would risk undermining both the independence of the court proceedings and the proper functioning of Canada’s extradition process.”
Canadian diplomats in China have been advised to take extra precautions because of Chinese criticism, including on social media, over the arrest of the Chinese business executive, officials said Wednesday.
A senior Canadian government official, briefing reporters on the
condition of anonymity, said the federal government expressed concerns to the Chinese government over the criticism and asked the Chinese for extra security around its embassy and other places in China.
China, as the host country, is responsible for the security of foreign diplomats on its soil, the official said.
“We have made them aware of our concerns and they have stepped up,” said an official.
“We have asked our staff to be prudent.”
Two former policy advisers in the Prime Minister’s Office said Canada has only one choice: stay true to its adherence to the rule of law and hope that Trump’s involvement can somehow be treated as one more impromptu comment by an unpredictable president.
“I think we’re lonelier than we’ve been in a long, long time,” said David Mulroney, who served former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper as his first foreign-policy adviser and later as ambassador to China. “(Trump) gave credibility to an outrageous Chinese accusation – that the RCMP basically works as an extension of the U.S. government to capture a hostage who can be used in their trade negotiations.”
Roland Paris, who was Trudeau’s first foreign-policy ad-
viser, said Canada has for decades enjoyed the luxury of operating in “a very comfortable international context,” but not any more.
“Now, a lot of the assumptions that have guided our foreign policy are in question, including whether the United States has our back,” said Paris, a University of Ottawa international-affairs professor.
Both pointed to the fact that just hours before Trump sounded off, his ambassador to Canada was extolling the same separation of the law and politics as the Trudeau government.
Pompeo appeared to double down on Trump’s line on Wednesday in a televised interview with Fox and Friends.
“We always have to balance American interests. Any time there’s a law enforcement engagement, we need to make sure we take foreign-policy... considerations into effect,” said Pompeo.
“It’s totally appropriate to do so. The president’s mission is very clear. It’s America First, right?” Paul Evans, a China expert at the University of British Columbia, says the Chinese are listening and taking note.
“From a realist Chinese perspective, the Trump comment and the followup from Pompeo signal that law and politics are not separable, something they know in their bones,” said Evans.
MENG
Russia blanks Canada West
Citizen staff
Canada West is no longer unbeaten at the World Junior A Challenge.
At the international hockey tournament, being held in Bonnyville, Alta., Canada West lost 3-0 to Russia on Wednesday night. The Canadian squad, which features Prince George Spruce Kings defenceman Layton Ahac, had won its first two games, 2-1 in a shootout against the United States and 6-1 over Canada East.
With its victory on Wednesday night, Russia improved to 3-0.
In the game, Russia led 1-0 after the first period and 3-0 after the second. The third period was scoreless.
The opening goal for Russia was a power-play marker by Nikolai Burenov.
In the second period, Aleksandr Gordin and Maksim Groshev (shorthanded) added to the lead.
Russia outshot Canada West 2516. The Russians converted on one of their six power plays, while the Canadians went 0-for-8 with the man advantage.
Canada West faces the Czech Republic (0-2) tonight while Russia will take on the United States (2-0-1) on Friday.
Playoff semifinals are set for Saturday and the championship game will hit the ice on Sunday.
Victims of former coach say they were ‘sacrificed’ by Alpine Canada
MONTREAL (CP) — A lawsuit filed Wednesday against Alpine Canada by three victims of former national ski coach Bertrand Charest alleges the sports federation covered up the sexual abuse in the interest of results on the slopes and sponsorship money.
“The plaintiffs were sacrificed by Alpine (Canada) on the altar of performance and sponsors,” the statement of claim says.
The women are former Canadian skiers Genevieve Simard, Gail Kelly and Anna Prchal, who were all minors at the time of the sexrelated crimes for which Charest was convicted in June 2017.
They are each seeking $300,000 in damages for psychological, physical and sexual abuse they suffered. They are also seeking $150,000 each in punitive damages.
The suit, which has not been tested in court, says Alpine Canada did not take even the most basic steps to prevent the abuse. It alleges the organization was made aware of Charest’s troubling behaviour before it hired him in 1996.
After it became known in 1998 that Charest was having sexual relations with a number of his young skiers, Alpine Canada’s program director at the time, Joze Sparovec, was dispatched to the French Alps – where the team was competing – to deal with the crisis.
— see ALPINE CANADA, page 11
Virtanen making positive impact for Canucks
Newcomers bring confidence to national junior camp
Dirk MEISSNER Citizen news service
COLWOOD, B.C. — An undrafted player who is leading the scoring race in the Western Hockey League hopes his breakout season will soon be rewarded with a spot on Canada’s junior hockey team.
Brett Leason, 19, said Wednesday he’s brimming with confidence at the opportunity to win a gold medal for Canada.
The Prince Albert Raiders sniper said being invited to the national team selection camp after being bypassed for previous elite national teams exceeded even his wildest dreams.
“I believe I surpassed my own expectations,” said the six-footfour, 199 pound Leason. “I was nowhere thinking about this.”
He said he felt buried on an experienced Tri-City Americans team, but when he was traded to Prince Albert last year, his new
Ben KUZMA Vancouver Sun
We were privileged to play and we know what it takes to win gold and what a thin line it is between winning and losing.
coaches told him to play his own game, which let loose his scoring touch.
“The coach just let me do my thing,” Leason said.
Leason and other players from across Canada who were invited to the selection camp had an opportunity Wednesday to impress the coaches with their first pre-tournament exhibition game against a team of university hockey players.
Thirty-four players are at the camp, which must be reduced to 22 by Saturday.
Hulking forward Maxime Comtois of the Quebec Major Junior
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Making something happen instead of making a mistake.
That’s how the performance pendulum has swung in a positive direction for Jake Virtanen.
From measured minutes in a bottom-six role to a first-line presence with the game on
— Maxime Comtois
Hockey League’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, along with forward Alex Formenton of the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights, are the only two returning players from last year’s gold-medal winning team.
Comtois said he’s looking to inspire the new faces with his effort and impress upon them the hard work it takes to win the championship.
“It’s part of our job, me and Alex, to help the other guys,” said Comtois, 19, an Anaheim Ducks draft pick. “We were privileged to play and we know what it takes to win gold and what a thin line it is
the line, the Vancouver Canucks right winger has not only gained the trust of coach Travis Green, there’s reason to believe the best is yet to come from the 22-year-old New Westminster native and Abbotsford-groomed hockey product.
It’s not that Virtanen has already matched a career-high 10 goals and is on pace for 24. It’s that he was on the ice Tuesday in the dying
between winning and losing.”
Defenceman Evan Bouchard, who played seven games with the Edmonton Oilers before being sent back to the Knights, said his pro experience gives him confidence at the junior camp.
The 19-year-old said he’s an offensive-type rearguard who can move the puck in all zones of the ice.
“Everyone’s here for a reason, but I think for me it definitely does help a little bit that I was at the pro level,” Bouchard said. “They want me to just play my game here. Hopefully I make the team and hopefully contribute to a winning team here.” Team Canada coach Tim Hunter said Tuesday he was not yet prepared to discuss potential roster moves, preferring to give the players have more time to impress the coaches. He said he is putting together a team that is built on speed in all aspects in the game.
minutes of regulation time to help snap a 2-2 deadlock in Columbus. His wild, wide-angle shot somehow squeaked through the short side and it was a just reward for being responsible and not a liability.
“There was no room – it went in the only spot it could have,” Virtanen recalled Wednesday of his game-winner. see KEEPING, page 10
Brett Leason of the Prince Albert Raiders screens Russian goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov while playing for Team WHL in the CIBC Canada Russia Series in Langley in November. Leason is a Team Canada hopeful for the world juniors.
Keeping things simple working for Virtanen
from page 9
“It’s nice to have those go in for sure and to get rewarded for little things like that, but I was more happy about the win. We went through a stretch when that was us (one-goal losses).”
Virtanen logged 17:36 against the Blue Jackets and had four shots, five attempts, two hits and a blocked shot. He has been over the 20-minute mark on two occasions this season and it’s a marked improvement from where he was the last time the Canucks visited Music City.
On a memorable and emotional Nov. 30 that saw the injured Derek Dorsett officially retire, Brock Boeser bag his third two-goal game of a six-game road trip and Daniel Sedin reach the 1,000-point plateau in a 5-3 comeback victory, Virtanen played just 9:17, had one shot and was a minus-1.
In the first meeting with the Nashville Predators this season – a 5-3 decision at Rogers Arena on Dec. 6 where the Canucks played their best first 40 minutes of the season – Virtanen ripped a cross-ice feed home at speed from Antoine Roussel. And he had plenty of giddy-up on an oddman rush to put a perfect pass on Bo Horvat’s tape for a bang-bang goal.
This stuff doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of tough love and a willingness to be better. Green acknowledged as much following the improbable triumph in Columbus by saying Virtanen’s improvement is “nice to see.”
“It’s definitely nice to hear and I’m just kind of going with it,” added Virtanen. “We’ve worked on that trust and he has seen me play enough. He knows how I am in the D-zone and that late in a game I’m going to keep it simple. And with all the stuff Greener and me have been through – being with him in Utica and doing video every day and talking to him every day – and him being hard on me, it has improved my game.” Virtanen has always been able to
skate, hit and shoot, but the process of putting everything together in a meaningful and consistent manner is the ongoing challenge.
Seahawks’ Kendricks out for rest of season
Tim BOOTH Citizen news service
RENTON, Wash. — Mychal Kendricks’ awkward season came to an abrupt end Wednesday when the linebacker was placed on injured reserve after injuring his left leg in the Seattle Seahawks’ win over Minnesota.
Coach Pete Carroll said Kendricks will need surgery to repair what sounds like a pair of injuries to his left knee and leg. Carroll didn’t get into specifics.
“There’s a little nick in there. There’s a couple of things they’re going to work on. It’s not a terrible knee injury but it’s going to take a little bit,” Carroll said, noting it likely would have taken Kendricks at least six to eight weeks of recovery to come back.
The injury brought an end to a roller coaster season for Kendricks. The Minnesota game Monday night was his first following an eight-game suspension handed down by the NFL after Kendricks pleaded guilty to federal insider trading charges. Kendricks was originally suspended indefinitely but the suspension was reduced.
Kendricks started the season in Cleveland but he was released in late August after he was charged. Seattle signed him before Week 2 and he played in three games prior to his suspension.
“It’s just been such a difficult season for Mychal. My heart goes out to him,” Carroll said. “He wants to be part of this thing so badly. He doesn’t get to this time around. We’ll look forward to getting him back next time and being with us.”
When and if Kendricks ever rejoins
Wentz may suit up for Eagles
the Seahawks is likely in the hands of a federal judge. Kendricks is expected to be sentenced sometime in the first couple months of 2019.
He may still be recovering from surgery when that happens. Kendricks was hurt in the third quarter of the 21-7 win over the Vikings but missed only a couple of plays. He was examined by trainers and returned to the field. Kendricks played 76 per cent of the defensive snaps.
“Getting back with the guys, getting acclimated to the system and practicing well, it turned over to the game, the game is just like practice,” Kendricks said after the game. “We’ve been practicing well and we play well. And we came away with the victory.”
Seattle middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said that for a few moments, it seemed like a revolving door playing
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carson Wentz is sidelined with a back injury, but two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press the Eagles quarterback hasn’t been ruled out for Philadelphia’s game at the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
next to him. Kendricks left the field to be replaced by Shaquem Griffin, and then he was replaced by Austin Calitro before Kendricks was back on the field.
“I didn’t know the extent of the injury,” Wagner said. “Something might have happened, he mentioned something, but he said he felt good, said he was OK and went out there. I didn’t know it was that extent until after the game.”
With Kendricks out, the Seahawks will likely rely on Calitro in the short term with the hope that veteran K.J. Wright will be able to return before the end of the regular season. Wright has played in just three games this season due to surgery to repair a knee injury suffered in the preseason. He returned in Week 8 and played three straight weeks before missing the past four games.
“He’s getting close. This will be an important week to work him back in and then hopefully a couple of weeks from now we’ll have a chance to get him back,” Carroll said.
Calitro has proven to be a capable fill-in after some struggles early in the season and he could end up being one of Seattle’s main options going into next season. The second-year player started three games at weakside linebacker this season, but Calitro said it was the game he started in Week 2 at middle linebacker that really helped his development.
“The game just finally slowed down for me. I don’t feel like I’m playing catch up as much as I was at the beginning of the season,” Calitro said. “I got comfortable with both positions and know how each position is fitting off each other.”
Both people spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team hasn’t made any definitive determination, pending further evaluation and testing.
“Carson has a little bit of back soreness, a little tightness, so
we’re going to rest him today, continue to evaluate him and make sure he’s good,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “Sometimes he just gets a little sore, a little tight. Just going to rest him today and evaluate him further.”
“I’ve been a lot better defensively and trying to make the right play and not get too fancy,” he added. “Keeping it simple and getting pucks in behind and trying to be good in gritty areas. I’ve done a lot better job and not just trying to beat the defenceman wide every time, but pull up and try to find a late guy.
“It’s trying to make a play and it’s nice when you can hold on to a puck and not be chasing all the time. It’s a lot more enjoyable to have it, turn up and try to make a play.”
Making the right plays tonight in Nashville will be crucial.
The Canucks played with speed the last meeting with the Predators and that could be their ticket to a three-game trip sweep and stretching their win streak to a season-high four games.
“They’re a pretty aggressive team and thrive on transition to get pucks up quick – and that’s how we like to play,” said Virtanen. “As long as we play aggressive and have that weak-side winger slashing and supporting each other, it’s going to be a key.”
So is the intangible of building off what occurred Tuesday. The Blue Jackets were all over the Canucks in the first two periods – taking time and space away, forcing turnovers and using quick, sharp passes to open shooting lanes – and yet the Canucks found a way.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,” said Horvat. “We know we’re in every game and we’ve beaten some really good teams. It’s huge for us.
“Last game (against Nashville), we didn’t give them a lot of 5-on-5 opportunities in the first 40 minutes. It came from using our speed and backing their defence off and playing in their end and hemming them down.
“Nobody likes playing in their own end – especially top lines who want to score.”
SPORTS IN BRIEF
Gushue evens record at National
CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L. (CP) — Hometown skip Brad Gushue of St. John’s bounced back from an opening-draw loss to beat Scotland’s Ross Paterson 8-1 on Wednesday at the National Grand Slam of Curling tournament.
Gushue (1-1) scored a deuce in the first end and was up 6-0 before Paterson (1-1) got on the board with a single in the fifth. Gushue added two more in the sixth and the skips shook hands before starting the eighth.
Also, Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., (2-0) downed Winnipeg’s Braden Calvert (0-2), 7-3 for his second straight win, Saskatoon’s Kirk Muyres (1-1) beat Glenn Howard Penetanguishe, Ont., (1-1), 6-4 and Sweden’s Niklas Edin (2-0) edged Team Carruthers (1-1) of Winnipeg 5-4 with a single in the eighth. Team Carruthers is being skipped by Mike McEwen, with Reid Carruthers playing third.
In women’s evening play, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (2-0) doubled up Toronto’s Jacqueline Harrison (0-2), 6-3. Round-robin play continues today.
Irving catches fire
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored Boston’s last 12 points, including back-to-back three-pointers in the final 40 seconds of overtime to outduel John Wall in a point-guard showdown, and the Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games with a 130-125 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
With his team serenaded by “Let’s go, Celtics!” chants on the road, Irving even got his own “M-V-P!” chorus late, finishing with 38 points and seven assists. Marcus Morris added 27 points and nine rebounds for Boston, which played without Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown – its No. 4-6 leading scorers.
No matter how many players they were missing, and no matter how disjointed their offence looked for a half, the Celtics had too many interchangeable parts to get beaten by an opponent that has been inconsistent all season. Wall returned after missing a game with an aching left heel to pour in 34 points with 13 assists. But his seven points in OT weren’t enough to keep pace with fellow All-Star Irving.
Jake Virtanen takes Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators into the boards during a Dec. 6 game in Vancouver.
KENDRICKS
Yankees intent on keeping Happ
Ronald BLUM Citizen news service
LAS VEGAS
— As Brian Cashman tried to close a deal to keep left-hander J.A. Happ, the New York Yankees general manager made clear Wednesday he could shift his focus from pitching to high-priced free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado at any moment.
“We are prepared to pivot and react at any moment if things change,” Cashman said. “You know where my current focuses are, but at the same time we’re a fully operational Death Star.”
Cashman has said all off-season he has more than enough outfielders. Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, said earlier in the day the Yankees had not told him they were uninterested in his top free agent of the off-season. Employing yet another of his increasingly flamboyant metaphors, Boras said the amount of teams currently seeking Harper is not nearly as noteworthy as those bidding at negotiations’ end.
Happ is a more imminent target for a rotation projected to include Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and James Paxton, acquired from Seattle in a trade. A first-time all-star, Happ was acquired from Toronto on July 26 as a summer rental and went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts for New York. He did lose at Boston in the Division Series opener, allowing five runs in two innings.
Now 36, Happ is expected to get a contract of two or three years guaranteed.
“A real pro,” Cashman said. “Had a veteran presence within that clubhouse, knew exactly what was necessary and brought it every five days in the most competitive division in all of baseball.”
Cashman has expressed interest in Machado since Didi Gregorius had Tommy John surgery in October, an injury likely to sideline the shortstop for at least half
the season. Machado is expected to get the second-largest contract among this offseason’s free-agent class.
The Yankees also have been speaking with the crosstown rival Mets, a club they rarely deal with on trade topics. Multi-team
swaps involving Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto have been discussed.
“Brian and I have had a lot of discussions about a lot of different things, and I don’t think he would waste my time and I think I would waste his time without a willingness
to try to see where we could line up,” new Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said. “Whether that happens this off-season or this week, time will tell. But I certainly don’t think there will be closed doors for us being able to work together going forward.”
Phillies, McCutchen agree on three-year $50M contract
Citizen news service
LAS VEGAS — All-star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized a back-loaded $50 million, threeyear contract on Wednesday, a deal that includes a team option for 2022.
McCutchen gets $10 million next season, $17 million in 2020 and $20 million in 2021. The Phillies have a $15 million option for 2022 with a $3 million buyout.
The 32-year-old was an all-star each season from 2011-15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012-14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.
McCutchen spent nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to San Francis-
co last winter. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.
McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major league seasons. He would get a $100,000 bonus for winning another MVP, $50,000 for finishing second in the voting and $25,000 for third. He would get $100,000 for World Series MVP, and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards Philadelphia remains interested in Bryce Harper, the top free agent on the market, but has a surplus of outfielders, includ-
ing Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Aaron Altherr and Roman Quinn. Rhys Hoskins is moving from left field to first base after the team traded Carlos Santana to Seattle for infielder Jean Segura last week. Herrera, a former all-star, is a trade candidate. He struggled in the second half last season and finished with career lows in batting average (.255) and on-base percentage (.310).
Rays sign Morton
LAS VEGAS (AP) — All-star pitcher Charlie Morton and the Tampa Bay Rays have reached a $30 million, two-year deal.
The 35-year-old Morton was a first-time all-star last season when he went 15-3 for Houston. He had a 3.13 ERA in a careerhigh 30 starts. Morton helped the Astros win their first championship in 2017. He started and won Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees, then was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers with four innings of relief. The right-hander joins a Rays staff led by AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. The Tampa Bay rotation was beset by injuries this year, and the team often used relief pitchers as starters in their “opener” strategy on the way to 90 wins.
Alpine Canada had ‘code of silence’ about abuse: lawsuit
from page 9
The lawsuit says that in a frosty meeting with Sparovec and two team officials, Simard remained silent about the abuse while Prchal and another skier, Allison Forsyth, acknowledged they had been abused. Kelly, in a state of “significant emotional and psychological distress,” met Sparovec alone. The lawsuit alleges Kelly was asked to sign a document promising not to take legal action against Alpine Canada if the incidents adversely affected her athletic career. It says she signed without even reading the document.
Charest was forced to resign as a national coach, but Alpine Canada never withdrew his coaching license, the suit alleges. And it says that “even though a crime had been committed against minors for whom it was responsible,” Alpine Canada did not notify police.
“During the rest of their careers as skiers, the code of silence prevailed at the heart of the Alpine (Canada) organization,” reads the suit, filed in Montreal. “Nobody spoke of the events. The victims felt guilty and responsible for the abuse.”
Alpine Canada said Wednesday it is studying the details of the lawsuit and declined a
request for an interview. In a statement, the federation said discussions with Charest’s victims continue, and it is providing support to the extent that it is able.
“These women have shown extraordinary courage in agreeing to speak, and we salute their determination and their commitment to contribute to change,” the statement said.
It took the victims years before they felt able to go to authorities and bring Charest to justice. He was sentenced last December to 12 years in prison for sex crimes. He is appealing both the verdict and his sentence.
The lawsuit says the plaintiffs have lived with “multiple, devastating” effects of the abuse. It says punitive damages are warranted because Alpine Canada was “wilfully blind” in its handling of Charest: “It covered its actions, seeking to smother a scandal, which led to repeated abuses on its part against the plaintiffs.”
It is also alleged that Alpine Canada rejected the plaintiffs’ effort to resolve their claim through private mediation, which would spared them having to recount again in court their abuse.
New York Yankees starting pitcher J.A. Happ throws against the Boston Red Sox during the American League Division Series on Oct. 5 in Boston.
Emily Blunt a practically perfect Poppins
Jocelyn NOVECK Citizen news service
In the half-century since the original Mary Poppins debuted, we’ve learned a lot about refined sugar, frankly none of it good. Doctors tell us it can lead to obesity, heart disease and all sorts of other detriments to our health.
But let’s face it, there are times when a little sugar – oh what the heck, let’s say a spoonful – is just what we need, if not for health then for happiness.
So it’s sweet news indeed that Mary Poppins Returns, a sequel 54 years in coming, provides just that spoonful of happiness in the form of Emily Blunt, practically perfect in every way as the heir to Julie Andrews.
“Spit spot!” “Pish Posh!” “Jigetty Jog!” (Did we spell that right?) These Poppinsisms slip effortlessly off Blunt’s tongue. It’s also no simple feat to gaze at one’s reflection and say “practically perfect in every way” and not seem egotistical, but Blunt’s easy warmth and charm shine through.
Of course she can also sing, and dance, with partners both live and animated. And she’s funny – witness her priceless indignation when a child asks how much she weighs. But then she can spin on a dime and convey that steely Poppins nerve, that sense that in a crisis, she knows exactly what must be done, and everybody else had better stand aside.
There’s further happy news here: It’s not just Blunt that’s at the top of her game in this thoroughly delightful enterprise by director Rob Marshall and a crack team of artists devoted to both honouring a time-worn classic and finding something new to say.
The visuals are lovely, from the oil paintings in the opening credits to the balloonfilled spring fair at the end. And Sandy Powell’s costumes are fabulous, especially the reds and blues and stripes and polka dots that adorn Mary, from her strawhatted head to her turned-out feet (What we wouldn’t give for one of those slenderwaisted, caped overcoats, or polka-dot bow ties). And those candy-hued clothes that Mary, Jack and the Banks kids wear in the centerpiece scene mixing live action and animation? They’re literally hand-painted, to delectable effect.
Blunt’s star power is complemented here by appealing turns from Lin-Manuel Miranda as the afore-mentioned Jack, a kind-hearted lamplighter who once worked for Bert the chimney sweep (aka Dick Van Dyke); Ben Whisham and Emily Mortimer as the elder Banks children, a slimy Colin Firth as the bank chief, and, for icing on the cake, a flame-haired Meryl Streep as Mary’s vaguely Eastern European cousin Topsy (“Vat do you VANT?”)
Then there’s the icing on the icing: a cameo by Van Dyke himself, still spry at 92,
that is hands-down the emotional peak of the film – even before he starts to twinkle those toes.
The setting is Depression-era London, where widowed Michael lives with his three young children at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, struggling to stay afloat. Sister Jane, a labour organizer, lives in a flat across town.
As we begin, Michael learns he’s behind on loan payments, and the bank wants to take his house. He’s given five days to find proof that his father owned shares there, which could save the home. Searching desperately, he comes across an old kite but tosses it in the trash. Luckily it’s a windy day, and who flies in with that kite? Yep, Mary, emerging
from the sky with her bottomless bag and umbrella (If you’re crying already here, and you might be, you’re in trouble).
“It’s wonderful to see you,” exclaim a shocked Michael and Jane.
It’s also no simple feat to gaze at one’s reflection and say “practically perfect in every way” and not seem egotistical, but Blunt’s easy warmth and charm shine through.
“Yes it is, isn’t it?” Mary replies. Just like that, Mary’s sliding up the banister again. First order of business: the children’s bath, which turns into a wild adventure down the drain and into the colourful sea, flying dolphins and all.
Can You Imagine
That? Mary sings, one of the catchy original songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. There’s also the mournful The Place Where Lost Things Go, about loss, and Streep’s tour de force, Turning Turtle, and the brassy performance number A Cover is Not
the Book. Each song has its spiritual antecedent in the original film, including the lamplighters’ dance number Trip a Little Light Fantastic, a nod to Step in Time.
As for Miranda, though the role he’s given could have used more of a backstory, his presence injects a warm and sunny vibe into grey Depression-era London, and it’s totally infectious. His Cockney accent is better than his predecessor’s, too, and it’s nice that he gets to rap a bit in the animated fantasy sequence, as did Van Dyke (sort of) in the original. Mortimer and especially Whisham are both touching in roles that could have felt perfunctory.
Perhaps no more explanation is necessary – after all, as Jack says, “Mary Poppins never explains anything.” Will we be meeting her yet again? Who knows. But it was wonderful to see her, especially in Blunt’s loving hands. “Yes it was, wasn’t it,” she’d surely reply. — Three and a half stars out of four
Just For Laughs founder charged with rape
Stephanie MARIN Citizen news service
MONTREAL — Just For Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon, who resigned from the entertainment company last year amid allegations of abuse, was charged with rape and indecent assault Wednesday.
Quebec’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions announced the two charges in a statement.
They stem from allegations of a single female complainant dating back to 1979. The charges laid correspond to the wording in the Criminal Code at the time of the alleged assault. Rozon, 64, said by email that he learned of the charges Wednesday morning and noted that the accusation goes back nearly 40 years. “I will continue to defend myself before the justice system, and I reserve all comment for that authority,” he said.
The prosecution service said criminal complaints against Rozon brought by 13 other alleged victims will not result in charges. It said the women who made the complaints have been informed of the reasons behind the decision.
In Quebec City, Justice Minister Sonia LeBel said the women whose complaints did not lead to charges should not interpret the decision as “a value judgment” on their stories.
“It’s a very specific decision in a specific context – that is the capacity to file criminal charges,” she said. She added that she does not want the news to discourage others from reporting abuse allegations.
“The worst thing is silence,” she said.
In a statement, the prosecution service noted that the burden of proof in criminal cases is very demanding.
“As a result, it occurs that the prosecutor, even though he believes the victim, comes to the conclusion that the evidence in the file does not allow a demonstration beyond a reasonable doubt, or that the facts fall under sexual harassment, civil law or sexual misconduct,” the statement says.
One of the women who filed a complaint with police, Martine Roy, said she was frustrated and ashamed when she learned Monday that there would be no charges in her case.
“The shame of not being believed,” said Roy, the sister of Rozon’s ex-wife. “You feel like you were not taken seriously.”
This image released by Disney shows Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns.
May lives to fight another day
British Prime Minister survives no-confidence vote over Brexit deal
Jill LAWLESS Citizen news service
ritish Prime Minister
BTheresa May survived a political crisis over her Brexit deal Wednesday, winning a no-confidence vote by Conservative lawmakers that would have ended her leadership of party and country.
But the margin of victory – 200 votes to 117 – leaves May a weakened leader who has lost the support of a big chunk of her party over her handling of Britain’s exit from the European Union. It also came at a steep price as she promised not to run for re-election in 2022. Britain’s Brexit problem, meanwhile, remains unsolved as May seeks changes to her EU divorce deal in order to make it more palatable to Parliament.
May said she was “pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues” but acknowledged that “a significant number” had voted against her in Wednesday evening’s secret ballot.
“I have listened to what they said,” May promised as she stood in a darkened Downing Street after what she called a “long and challenging day.”
The threat to May had been building as pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers grew increasingly frustrated with the prime minister’s handling of Brexit. Many supporters of Brexit say May’s deal, a compromise that retains close economic ties with the EU, fails to deliver on the clean break with the bloc that they want.
The balloting came after May’s Conservative opponents, who circled the beleaguered prime min-
ister for weeks hoping to spark a no-confidence vote, finally got the numbers they needed to call one.
The vote was triggered when at least 48 lawmakers –15 per cent of Conservative legislators –wrote letters asking for a no-confidence ballot.
On Monday, May postponed a vote to approve the divorce deal to avoid all-but-certain defeat. She has until Jan. 21 to bring it back to Parliament after – she hopes – winning concessions from the EU.
The result of the vote was announced to loud cheers from lawmakers gathered in a stuffy, ornately wallpapered room in the House of Commons. Under party rules, May cannot be challenged again by fellow Conservatives for a year.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, an ally, said the result showed that May “has the support of her party.”
“This is a clear statement by the parliamentary party they want her to go forward, they want her to lead us through Brexit,” he told Sky News.
But pro-Brexit lawmaker Mark Francois said the result was “devastating” for May, who has lost the support of a third of her party in Parliament.
“If I were her, I wouldn’t be pleased with this at all,” Francois said. “I think she needs to think very carefully about what to do now.”
Before the vote Wednesday, May had vowed to fight for the leadership of her party and the country “with everything I’ve got,” and spent the day holed up in the House of Commons trying to win over enough lawmakers to secure victory.
May said she was “pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues” but acknowledged that “a significant number” had voted against her in Wednesday evening’s secret ballot.
In a bid to win over wavering lawmakers, May indicated she would step down before the next election, due in 2022.
Solicitor-General Robert Buckland said May told lawmakers at a meeting that “it is not her intention to lead the party in the 2022 general election.”
May’s victory is a reprieve but does not lay to rest uncertainty about Britain’s EU departure, due on March 29.
Opposition lawmakers expressed astonishment and outrage at the Conservative civil war erupting in the middle of the fraught Brexit process.
“This government is a farce, the Tory party is in chaos, the prime minister is a disgrace,” Scottish National Party leader Ian Blackford said during a pugnacious Prime Minister’s Questions session in the House of Commons.
British business figures expressed exasperation at the continuing political uncertainty.
“With news that the prime minister remains in place, business communities will hope that these political games can finally be put to bed,” said Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce.
“Westminster must now focus all its energy on urgently giving businesses clarity on the future and avoiding a messy or disorderly Brexit.”
The vote confirms May’s reputa-
Siemens gets major contract from Via Rail
MONTREAL (CP) — Via Rail has selected Siemens over Bombardier Inc. for a $989-million contract to modernize its passenger rail service along Canada’s key rail corridor between Quebec City and Windsor, Ont. However, the German manufacturer could receive up to about
$500 million more from the stateowned railway if it exercises options for another 16 trains on top of the 32 awarded Wednesday. The increased order could take place if the federal government approves Via Rail’s plan to add more departures between Quebec City and Toronto, said chief ex-
ecutive Yves Desjardins-Siciliano. It expects Ottawa will announce a decision next year on the project that includes a rail network dedicated to passenger traffic. Under the contract, which doesn’t require local content, Siemens will build the trains at its North American headquarters in
tion as a dogged, determined political survivor. But today she will head to an EU summit in Brussels facing another difficult task. She is seeking changes to the withdrawal agreement that can win support in Britain’s Parliament. But EU leaders say the legally binding text won’t be reopened, and the best they can offer are “clarifications.”
May said she would “be seeking legal and political assurances that will assuage the concerns” of lawmakers.
Among EU leaders there is sympathy for May’s predicament – but also exasperation at Britain’s political mess.
The European Parliament’s Brexit point man, Guy Verhofstadt, could not contain a note of annoyance, tweeting: “Once again, the fate of EU-U.K. relations, the prosperity of businesses & citizens’ rights are consumed by an internal Conservative party catfight over Europe.”
On the streets of London, some felt sympathy for the embattled leader.
“It’s embarrassing for a start to the rest of the world and I feel really sorry for Theresa May – she’s being battered by everybody,” said Abby Handbridge, who was selling Christmas cards and wrapping paper at a London street market.
“I hope she stays in power and sorts it out.”
California. The new trains, which will maintain Via Rail’s capacity of 9,100 seats, should enter into service in 2022, with deliveries staggered until 2024.
Via Rail and Siemens also announced a 15-year technical services and parts agreement valued at $355.5 million.
“Many a small thing has
Wednesday.
Stock markets got a boost after U.S. President Donald Trump said trade talks were progressing and said he would intervene in the case against China’s Huawei Technologies if it helped to reach a trade deal. They were supported later in the day ahead of British Prime Minister Theresa May surviving a confidence vote.
“The trade issue is definitely the number one thing affecting the markets right now,” said Michael Currie, vice-president and investment adviser at TD Wealth.
The geopolitical issue drove up big U.S. stocks like Caterpillar and Boeing that are highly sensitive to China trade.
“Those are the ones getting the boost so generally the feeling is that’s going to get settled,” he said in an interview.
The S&P/TSX composite index gained 115.23 points to end at 14,783.06 with all but the real estate sector rising.
The information technology sector rose 2.2 per cent on the back of gains by Shopify Inc. and Constellation Software Inc.
Higher gold prices helped gold stocks like Yamana Gold Inc., Kinross Gold Corp. and Goldcorp Inc.
The February gold contract was up US$2.80 at US$1,250 an ounce and the March copper contract was up 0.3 of a cent at US$2.77 a pound.
The run-up in metal prices stemmed from the strength of the British pound which put pressure on the U.S. dollar, said Currie.
The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 74.93 cents US compared with an average of 74.62 cents US on Tuesday.
The energy sector was up 1.55 per cent even though crude prices lost ground despite a strong start to the day caused by a drop in U.S. crude inventories, lower Libyan exports and reaction to OPEC cutting production.
“All of that stuff pushed oil up at the beginning of the day but for some reason it ended the day down,” he added.
The January crude contract was down 50 cents at US$51.15 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was down 27.1 cents at US$4.14 per mmBTU.
“It’s not a significant drop...but it’s kind of surprising with the good news that it hasn’t done better,” he said of crude prices.
In
PHOTO
British Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday after surviving a no-confidence vote.
An ecosystem beneath our feet
Having read Citizen columnist Nathan Giede’s reference to REM, I thought I would start with one of my own: “Oh, life is bigger, it’s bigger than you, and you are not me.”
These lines are what struck me as I read about an interesting study.
Scientists and engineers drilling bore holes into the Earth have been uncovering a world teeming with organisms. Researchers at the Deep Carbon Observatory are nine years into a 10-year-long research project to uncover and catalogue life in this pristine environment. What they’ve discovered is a whole new ecosystem.
It is readily apparent there is an ocean of organisms living beneath our feet. The team – which consists of 1,200 scientists from 52 countries and in disciplines such as chemistry, geology, microbiology and physics – estimates 70 per cent of the bacteria and archaea on Earth actually live within the Earth. Life is much bigger and more diverse than anyone had anticipated at the start of the project and it is certainly very different from you and me.
For example, one organism found 2,500 metres below the surface has been buried for millions of years. It has no connection with the normal diurnal or annual rhythms as we experience them. It is quite likely it has never experienced sunlight.
Perhaps more importantly, it doesn’t metabolize in the same way as surface organisms. Instead it is a methanogenic organism capable of producing methane although not as part of its energy cycle. Rather, the methane is used in repair mechanisms. In such a low energy environment, lifespans extend for millennia and reproduction or growth is not a high
demand activity. Indeed, many of the organisms which are being retrieved from the deep have such low energy demands they are perceived to be in a form of stasis. They are almost in a form of suspended animation as envisioned in numerous science fiction movies and books.
The total mass of organisms has been estimated to be between 15 billion and 23 billion tonnes. To put that in perspective, the total mass of humans is estimated at 316 million tonnes. And subsurface organisms are thought to occupy as much as two billion cubic kilometres of the Earth’s crust –more than all of the oceans on the planet combined.
The strangest aspect of these organisms is the diversity of hostile environments in which they have been found. Living on the surface of Earth, we tend to associate life with what we call the Goldilocks zone – not too hot, not too cold, and just the right amount of water. Earth’s average surface temperature is about 15 C and typically ranges from -20 C to +40 C, although there are extremes at both the high and low end.
In the subsurface, single-celled organisms have been found living in hydrothermal vents feeding into geysers at temperatures exceeding 100 C. They live in sulphur environments rich in minerals, generating sulphuric acid as a waste product. They live in environments under pressures hundreds of times higher than on the surface.
Furthermore, everywhere scientists look they find traces of life
Science of gene editing demands caution, consensus
AChinese scientist’s claim to have edited the genes of human embryos has provoked condemnation from scientists worldwide, and rightly so. He Jiankui barged ahead without ensuring that the genetic changes he says he made – meant to confer resistance to HIV infection – would not cause unintended harm to the children, twins who have now been born. His insistence that he fully informed the parents of the risks involved is absurd: the risks are unknown. His experiment was conducted without oversight, and he’s published no report that would allow other scientists to check and verify his assertions.
have to go through the same process. That would preclude the kind of reckless experiment just undertaken in China.
Countries shouldn’t inflexibly ban all embryonic gene-editing – as, in effect – the U.S. has done.
One good thing can come from this outrageous lapse of judgment, though. It shows that the need for tight restrictions on editing of germline genes – those that can be passed from generation to generation – is urgent.
Countries shouldn’t inflexibly ban all embryonic gene-editing –as, in effect – the U.S. has done. One day this technology might be used to fight heritable diseases and disorders. But research should be carefully restricted and monitored.
The U.K.’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which regulates fertility clinics and research centres, is a good model. The agency has approved the use of so-called Crispr geneediting technology on embryos that will not become pregnancies, to advance research on how genes control early human development. It has allowed in-vitro babies to be conceived using a technique that combines DNA from three people, to prevent mitochondrial diseases. In every case, the authority grants approval only after meticulous review, and oversees the work as it moves ahead.
Any efforts in Britain to embark on germline gene-editing would
living at the extremes.
This research has implications for astrobiology. So far, the search for exoplanets has focused on finding planets within the Goldilocks zone. In part, this is driven by the far-off dream of eventually inhabiting the cosmos or, at least, finding other inhabitants similar to us. But multicellular organisms are the exception and not the rule.
The vast majority of life – fully three quarters of the biomass on Earth – consists of single-celled organisms. We are far more likely to find methanogenic archaea on other worlds than primates. And the range of possible habitats extends well beyond the zone we normally consider habitable.
This is, in part, why NASA is spending so much time, energy and
The strangest aspect of these organisms is the diversity of hostile environments in which they have been found.
money on exploring Mars. There is certainly sufficient evidence to suggest it might once have also been the home to living organisms. If we dig deep enough, we might find it still is housing organisms similar to the ones the Deep Carbon Observatory team members have already uncovered here. Of course, there is still much to be discovered about the world
beneath our feet. For example, just what are the temperature limits for life? Currently, it is thought to be around 122 C but that record might be broken if we drill deeper and as our ability to detect life becomes more sophisticated. There are also questions of how life developed in these environments. Were they colonized by surface dwellers looking for an escape from a changing atmosphere or might life have begun down deep and slowly made its way to the surface? There is much we don’t know about the origins of life on Earth.
What we do know is life is big – much bigger than you and me. It occupies every niche it can and exists in magnificent, complex variety.
The U.S. has no such special agency, but it does have the Food and Drug Administration, which has authority over human gene editing. In the U.S., it would be illegal to embark on clinical trials without applying for a license from the FDA. Theoretically, this should allow for a careful process similar to what Britain has. But there’s a complication. In 2015, following previous reports about Crispr being used on embryos in China, Congress barred the FDA from even considering applications for research that would lead to the creation of an embryo with modified heritable genes.
True, the congressional ban –added as a rider to the omnibus spending bill, and since renewed – blocks irresponsible genetic engineering. But the FDA was in a position to block it anyway. This extra restriction is mistaken because it stops the FDA from engaging in any thoughtful regulation of embryonic gene-editing.
The news from China certainly proves the need for thought, and, ideally, for a set of adequately strict regulations that all countries could adopt.
Three years ago in Washington, an international group of scientists agreed that it would be “irresponsible to proceed” with germline editing until there is “broad societal consensus about the appropriateness of the proposed application,” and until all risks are known and considered. A concerted international push to form that consensus, while enforcing adequate rules in the meantime, can’t come too soon.
IMAGE COURTESY OF GAETAN BORGONIE, EXTREME LIFE ISYENSYA, BELGIUM
A nematode (eukaryote) in a biofilm of microorganisms. This unidentified nematode (Poikilolaimus sp.) from Kopanang gold mine in South Africa lives 1.4 kilometres below the surface.
TODD WHITCOMBE
Bloomberg
Guest Column
We would like to express our gratitude to all who have reached out to us during the sudden loss of our beloved Stephen Walker. We appreciate the calls, cards, and messages we have received over the past weeks. My personal thanks to Emergency Responders, Kyle from the Pilot Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, and Eric from Assman’s Funeral Home for their care and understanding. Special thanks to our friend Maria who kept my head above water and continues to support me through the most difficult experience of my life. Thank you also to Jana, Todd and Terri who worked hard to create the respectful service Steve deserved. There have already been contributions to the Stephen Walker Memorial Bursary care of SD57. From the bottom of our hearts thank you.
Wendy Taylor, The Taylor Family and The Walker Family
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John Alex Campbell
John passed away peacefully on December 5th, 2018 after a long battle with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). He was born February 28th, 1938 in Port Hood, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, one of ten children. He was predeceased by his parents John Martin and Mary Jessie Campbell; three brothers Buddy, Duncan and Donald and two sisters Florence Fecteau and Marie McLellan. He is survived by one brother Anthony and four sisters: Theresa Hogan, Josephine MacDonald, Tena Murphy and Betty Ann Campbell. He is also survived by Mary, his loving wife of 47+ years, his only son Jason and grandchild Caden. There are many nieces and nephews, as well as grand nieces and nephews that know him as Uncle. After attending Univ. of St. Francis Xavier he worked in a pulp mill in Port Hawkesbury for a while but one weekend he and a buddy decided to go to B.C. After arriving in B.C. he got a job logging around Gibsons Landing later leaving for Prince George where he went to work for Northwood Pulp Mill. Later he did construction jobs and eventually worked for Hydro as a general tradesman and did Power Smart before retiring. John will be remembered for his sense of humour and good times with friends and family. He had a creative side and enjoyed building different things like my tea wagon and making special things like the metal sculpted owl that sits on our mantle. He was a lot of fun to be around. Funeral services for John will be held on Saturday December 15th, 2018 at 1:00pm from St. Mary’s Catholic Church on 1088 Gillette St. Prince George, B.C. with Father Gilbert and Father Ken officiating. Assman’s Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements.
“John Will Be Greatly Missed and Forever Loved”
The family of Harold Woolgar are sorry to announce his passing on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at the age of 82. He was born on March 16, 1936 in Montreal, Quebec. He was predeceased by his parents Margaret (Heaney) and Harold Woolgar and Sister Joan, Survived by sisters Ruth, Bev and Edith. He leaves behind his loving wife and best friend Marilyn, married 55 years. Daughter Barb (Brian), sons Greg (Rhea) and Darren (Alison). Also his six grandchildren Jeff, Garrett, Ryley, Paige, Claire and Isaac. Harold worked for B.C Rail for 22 years, belonging to the Masonic Organization, and was a Shriner. He loved nature, camping, birds and taking photos. Service will be held at St. Michael’s Anglican Church Monday, December 17 at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Parkinson’s Society or the Spirt of the North Healthcare Foundation.
Rest in Peace, we will miss you.
Lori Gay Tidsbury August 7, 1957 to December 9, 2018 With heavy hearts and lots of tears our beautiful Lori joined her son in Heaven on December 9, 2018 at 9:30 AM. She fought a long and hard battle against pancreatic cancer. Lori’s heart of gold, radiant smile, contagious laugh, and love of life will never be forgotten and will forever be held in our hearts. She loved her family, friends, her puppies, and a good glass of white wine. Lori is survived by her loving husband Rod Tidsbury, children Brandon Koch, Jennifer (Koch)Walker and Avery Walker, Shane and Candace Tidsbury, grandchildren Alia and Aiyla Walker, Jack and Willie Tidsbury, parents Gwen and Ed Labas, Ross Marra Senior, siblings Scott and Mary-Ann Norgren, Ross Marra and Carol McLelan, Craig and Corinne Labas, Lauren Labas and David Siebenga, nieces & nephews Michael and Chelsea Norgren, Jordan and Eric Labas, Alex and Max Marra. Our hearts would like to convey a heartfelt thank you to all the doctors and nurses at the B.C. Cancer Agency and Prince George Hospice. In addition, we would like to thank all friends and family for all of your love and support. In lieu of flowers please donate to B.C. Cancer Agency and Prince George Hospice Society in Lori’s name. Please save the date: Celebration of Life will be held here in Prince George on August 3, 2019. We all know how she loves sunshine and warm weather. Information to follow. Kaethe Tagmann October 16, 1920December 9, 2018 It is with great sadness that the family of Kaethe Tagmann announce her passing on December 9, 2018. Kaethe lived a long and fulfilling life with many people who loved and cherished her. She was born in Germany in 1920 and lived there many happy years raising her daughter Barbara on her own. She met her husband Ulrich and moved to Canada with him in the 1960’s to live a new life where she met many new friends. Kaethe is survived by her grandsons Matt Hammond and Kris (Holly) Hammond, and her great grandchildren Shania, Riley, Logan and Ella. Predeceased by her husband Ulrich and her daughter Barbara Hammond. Many thanks to the staff at Jubilee Lodge for taking such good care of her in her final months. A small service will be held for Kaethe on Sunday December 16, 2018 at the Prince George Memorial Park Cemetery Niche Wall/Rose Garden at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to her favorite charities the BC SPCA or Easter Seals BC.
Card of Thanks
Torch relay emotional for local residents
Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff
chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca
With an overwhelming sense of emotion one Lheidli T’enneh elder clasped the Canada Winter Games torch in her hands Saturday morning and said afterwards she felt like she floated along the 300 metres of the downtown Prince George route, which was part of the Canadawide relay that brings the torch to Red Deer, Alta., where the athletic competition takes place Feb. 15 to March 3.
Darlene McIntosh, Lheidli T’enneh ambassador, said her first question when she got the news about becoming a torch bearer was ‘do I have to run?’ she laughed.
And no she didn’t.
And how heavy is the torch? It’s a hefty seven pounds.
“But in the moment it didn’t feel heavy at all,” McIntosh said. “It was just a beautiful representation of this event.”
Being a torch bearer brought McIntosh back to 2015 when the Canada Winter Games were held in Prince George.
“Lheidli T’enneh was co-hosting with the City of Prince George the beautiful Canada Games,” she said. “And it shifted the energy of the Lheidli (T’enneh). The connection that was made, the pride that was felt, the remembrance of who were were came forward and to be honoured by the City of Prince George – basically by Mayor Lyn Hall, who was the instigator of building relationships and beginning on the road to reconciliation – and on our traditional territory. Prior to that we weren’t acknowledged. We were just there. So it really brought us back to who we were in a big way.”
The Lheidli T’enneh pavilion, which was part of the Canada Winter Games events located in the heart of downtown during the games in 2015, showcased many traditional elements of the local First Nations’ heritage.
“It was a big hit of the 2015 Games and to be able to support all these young people in their athletic endeavours was
so honouring and prideful,” McIntosh said, who is part of a large lacrosse family. “It was so nice to see our young people do so well in the games.”
McIntosh said it was such an honour to be asked to carry the torch Saturday and she had such a strong sense of pride, not only as a resident of Prince George but also as a member of the Lheidli T’enneh nation.
“It overwhelmed me with pride,” McIntosh said, who was able to share the honour by walking with family and friends during the torch relay. “That in itself made me proud because it was a family event, a community event, a Canada event. It was just beautiful. I am so happy I was able to participate and represent the elders of our community, chief and council, our youth, and you know, we’re going places now and that makes me very proud.”
One of the other 12 torch bearers was Mayor Lyn Hall who said he was humbled when he heard McIntosh’s words about the impact he made when he included the Lheidli T’enneh First Nations in the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
“It was important for me because the First Nations are a big part of our community,” Hall said.
The relationship between Hall and First Nations people officially began during his time as a trustee on the School District 57 board in the early 2000s before he became a city councilor and then mayor.
“From the day I started on the school board we talked about First Nations students and their needs,” Hall said. “I was part of establishing what we originally called the First Nations Choice school, that then turned into Nusdeh Yoh. That really was the start of my involvement with the Lheidli T’enneh. I guess back then I didn’t realize what it would turn into. Over the years it was vitally important to make sure that they were involved because they are a big partner in our community. When they were named to be the first host nation of a games I could just see the pride in each one of their faces. You could hear it in their voices.”
When the Lheidli T’enneh Pavilion was
set up at the games to showcase their culture, Hall said that was a turning point in the relationship between the City of Prince George and the Lheidli T’enneh community, solidifying a strong partnership between the two, while bonding the friendship and professional relationship between mayor and Chief Dominic Frederick.
“For me it started in the 2000s with the school board and now it’s come full circle,” Hall said. “The games changed this community in a number of positive ways and having the Lheidli T’enneh community come to events shows how far the relationship and partnership has come.”
During the Prince George segment of the torch relay on Saturday, local drummers accompanied all the torch bearers throughout the event that ended at the Civic Centre for speeches, entertainment, sports-minded games and refreshments.
The 2019 Canada Winter Games torch relay began Oct. 4 in Ottawa with the lighting of the Roly McLennan torch from the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. From there it went to Halifax. Montreal, St. Catharines, London, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, and Victoria.
It was in Kelowna most recently and then came to Prince George on Saturday. Alyson Gourley-Cramer started the relay off from Canada Games Plaza Saturday at 11, and was followed in order by Joel McKay, Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris, Catherine HansenMcCarthy, Darlene McIntosh, CaribooPrince George MP Todd Doherty, Citizen sports reporter Ted Clarke, Mayor Lyn Hall, Mandi Graham, Tony Cable, Myrna Cable and figure skater Justin Hampole. From Prince George, the torch was flown to Newfoundland for an unscheduled stop in St. John’s before it continues its tour in Alberta on Jan. 5. Thirteen Alberta cities are on the torch relay route to Red Deer. When it’s all said and done, a total of 48 Canadian communities will have been part of the torch procession.
Citizen photo by James Doyle
local skater Justin hampole carried the torch back to Canada Games Plaza during the final leg of the MNP Canada Winter Games torch Relay on Saturday.
Citizen photo by Christine hinzmann
lheidli t’enneh elder and ambassador darlene McIntosh and City of Prince
George Mayor lyn hall pose with a replica of the 2019 Canada Winter Games torch at the Civic Centre where celebrations took place Saturday.
Give your holidays a healthy makeover
Healthy eating can sometimes take a backseat during the holiday season, only to reappear come Jan. 1. With busy schedules and festive gatherings, it can be challenging to carry healthy habits through the winter months. Fortunately, even seemingly small decisions can make a big difference.
Food for Thought
Use one or more of the following tips from Health Canada to keep your diet balanced and healthy during the holiday season, while still enjoying your favourite foods: 1. Enjoy your “must-have” treats. It can be easy to overindulge, with treats at every turn; be choosy about what you eat. Are you really going to enjoy that leftover, hard-as-a-rock Halloween candy? Or would you rather eat a Nanaimo bar after
supper? Make trade-offs with your indulgent choices throughout the holidays, to help ensure you’re following a balanced diet without feeling deprived.
2. Eat regularly. Skipping meals can lead to overeating later on, since many people tend to overcompensate for missed meals. Eat small meals and snacks every three to four hours to keep your energy levels up and your hunger under control.
3. Load-up on colour. Fill half your plate with vegetables. Not only will you be increasing your intake of valuable nutrients by including more dark green and orange vegetables, but the extra fibre from all those veggies will help keep you fuller for longer and prevent overeating calorierich foods.
4. Use smaller plates. Use smaller dessert plates, instead of dinner plates for meals. You can still enjoy your favourite foods around the holidays by keeping your portions in check. Half your plate should be vegetables, a quarter starch and a quarter protein.
5. Watch your drinks. Whether alcoholic or not, calories from drinks add up quickly. Drink slowly and choose low sugar, low calorie, alcoholfree choices more often. If you do choose to drink alcohol, alternate with non-alcoholic, low calorie options such as sparkling water, low-sodium vegetable juice or cranberry juice with club soda. Keep in mind that egg nog is a calorierich drink; try watering it down with low-fat milk or treat it as a dessert in itself.
6. Try a new vegetable side dish. Create a new tradition by adding a healthy vegetable side dish to your holiday meals. Serve roasted carrots and parsnips, baked acorn or butternut squash with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, sautéed collard greens or herb-roasted mushrooms instead of a heavy green bean or potato casserole.
7. Make over your holiday favourites. With a few small substitutions, you can lower the calories, fat and sodium of some of your holiday standbys, without sacrificing flavour:
• Use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes for more fibre and beta-carotene.
• Replace the butter or cream in your mashed potatoes with buttermilk.
• Make stuffing with whole grain bread, wild rice or quinoa, instead of white bread.
• Add carrots, celery, a small amount of dried fruit and nuts instead of sausage to stuffing.
• Use lower sodium broth when making gravy.
• Try thickening your gravy with cooked, pureed carrots
instead of flour.
• Skip the cream soups and opt for a lower sodium or no salt added broth-based soup.
• Replace half the butter or oil in your quick bread recipe with applesauce, pureed prunes or mashed bananas.
• Reduce the sugar in your quick bread recipes by one-third to one-half.
• Substitute half the white flour in your recipes with whole wheat flour.
For more healthy holiday recipe ideas go to the Dietitians of Canada recipe website at www.cookspiration.com .
– Kelsey Leckovic is a registered dietitian with Northern Health working in chronic disease management.
Kelsey lecKovic
Citizen news serviCe photo by Matthew Mead
this file photo from 2015 shows a veggie oven hash featuring a mix of roasted vegetables for a caramelized sweetness that feels homey yet healthy.
Bringing glow of hope to classic Scrooge tale
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
The Ebenezeer Scrooge of Christmases past is back on stage in the present tense.
Gary Chappel has portrayed the iconic character three times, now that he has been cast in the current production of A Christmas Carol staged by Judy Russell Presents. He will once again pinch his pennies and freeze love out of his heart on the stage of the Prince George Playhouse, but as legendary writer Charles Dickens shows us, there is always a warm glow of hope for any cruel miser.
Anyone familiar with Chappel will know that he has been cast ironically. There is typecasting but in his case with Scrooge it is anti-typecasting. The actor is as affable and giving of himself (he is a youth-care worker by profession) as Scrooge is heartless and antisocial.
“I am grateful and humbled to receive the role of Scrooge again. I guess I must be doing something right,” he said, with a bashful chuckle.
There are many people in this cast of A Christmas Carol who have been in the show in past years, but many of them are in different roles, and many rookies are also in the mix. Chappel is an anchor in his familiar lead role.
It comes with the benefit of knowing the substantial amount of lines and physical blocking, and each time he gets to inhabit the Dickens protagonist he gets to colour the character a little more deeply.
“This third time round I have noticed during the rehearsal process I am listening more closely,internally and to what the other actors are saying and doing on stage,” he said. “In response, I have evolved a more layered, dynamic character. At least I feel I have. I have found
greater humour and wit, resentment and shame, pain and joy – a more human Scrooge.”
There is a bubble of timelessness that has floated A Christmas Carol from 1843 on to today. It is still a common and favourite story told at Christmastime despite the better part of two centuries going by since it was first published in Victorian England.
“Even though it was in a very different time and a different place, it still rings very true,” Chappel said. “It is still important to try, always, to be a better person, it is still important to think about how we can take care of the people in our community and the people in our world. We all can do a little more, care a little more, and mostly love a great deal more. In this incredible world we have, we need love greater than ever. For we are the custodians, the only ones who can create a positive change for the betterment of all. This is what I most wish to convey to the audience, aside from them being thoroughly entertained.”
Chappel loves the mix in the cast of younger and older actors, those with experience on the stage and those getting their first credits.
“That’s what community theatre is all about – your friends and neighbours making live theatre happen for you,” Chappel said.
Acting is not the main profession for any of these performers, but they have all focused on it with appetite and some, like Chappel, it could easily be their careers if they had so chosen.
Chappel would also be remembered by local audiences as cranky Mr. Banks in the Judy Russell production of Mary Poppins in 2016, as the heartbreaking grocer Herr Schultz in last year’s presentation of
Twelve Days of Christmas
Twas twelve days before Christmas and all through the house, the children were stirring because they don’t sleep ever. Seriously. The stockings were hung by the fireplace at last, in the hopes that Fortis won’t run out of gas.
The children were nestled all snug in our bed, while visions of cartoons danced in their heads.
Mom wears no kerchief and Dad wears no cap, but we’d trade our left arms for a long winter’s nap. When all of a sudden, what is it we hear? It sounds like the neighbour is revving in gear.
Away to the door, I ran in a flash, stepped on some Lego, and threw out my back.
I flung open the door to see what was the matter, then slipped on the remnants of a child’s Jello splatter.
I opened my eyes, and what should appear but the FedEx lady and she’s bringing good cheer. With boxes, and boxes, and boxes of stuff at the door, it all topples over – but wait – she brings more!
The packages piled that need a good wrap, we both ask the question, “Did you buy this crap?”
As the season of Christmas begins to take shape, I swear on my life someone’s hiding the tape. Bows, ribbon, and paper-cut strife, “You couldn’t wrap a present to save your life!”
Bandaged and bloodied, the kids out of sight, we hear from the hall, they yell, “scissor fight!”
So, “No Christmas!” we say, in our parenting daily, we need a large glass of rum and some Bailey’s.
They pay us no mind as their battle ensues, “I’m going to call Santa, and it will be bad news!”
“You can call Santa?” they say with surprise. We look at each other, a glint in our eyes.
“Of course we can call, I’ve got the number right here! You had better smarten up, or there will be no cheer!”
With reluctance and awe, they stop being bad, another small victory for this Mom and this Dad.
On Liam, on Emily, on Megan, and Will, Christmas is close and it brings such a thrill.
On Grandma, on Grandpa, on Uncle and Aunt, we hope you’ve enjoyed our seasonal rant.
The crafts have all failed and the sewing’s gone wrong – the bears have it right, “god, this season is long!”
As dinner approaches, we sing and we fight, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Hopefully – if we make it.
Cabaret, as as Thenardier the inn keeper in Les Miserables five years ago, and he was most recently involved in a professional production to a closed audience as he portrayed lifelike scenes to help train field workers in the social services professions.
In a way, he is doing exactly the same thing for us all as Scrooge goes through his emotional and psychological journey in A Christmas Carol running at the Prince George Playhouse from today through Dec. 22. Tickets are on sale now at the Central Interior Tickets website.
Citizen file photo
this photo from 2012 shows Fred, played by Steph St. Laurent, and Scrooge, gary chappel, talk about taking christmas Day off work.
Megan kuklIs
Home Again
How to unseal adult criminal files for when you travel
B.C. Provincial Court
If you are convicted of a crime when you are 18 or older, that information will be recorded in a permanent criminal record. If you later apply and receive a pardon or record suspension, your criminal record may be sealed so it cannot be accessed. Your record may also be sealed after a period of time if you are sentenced to an absolute or conditional discharge for an offence.
However, you may find it necessary to unseal your criminal record in order to apply to enter the United States. This column explains how to have your
record of B.C. Provincial Court convictions or discharges unsealed in order to make a waiver application to enter the U.S. This process applies only to adult convictions in the British Columbia Provincial Court.
Two ways to apply:
1. Appear in person with government-issued photo identification at the registry (the records office) of the courthouse where your conviction was entered and request copies of your sealed court documents.
2. If you can’t get to that court registry, you may apply to the court registry where your conviction was entered by mail. Whether you apply in person
or by mail, the following documents are required:
– A signed Application to Unseal Adult Criminal File for Travel form (Form PCR958). Fill out the “APPLICANT” and “An application is made to:” sections. (Make sure that the application form you send to the Registry is the original document that has been signed by you and dated, and that it states the place where the application was signed.)
– A certified true copy of government-issued ID (such as a current driver’s license or passport) notarized by a notary public or lawyer.
– A list of your criminal convictions showing the date and location of each conviction. (List your convictions on either the application itself or a separate attached page, or provide a copy of the Schedule of Offence(s) Respecting a Pardon Under the Criminal Records Act from the Parole Board of Canada.)
If you have convictions entered at different court registries, you will need to submit a separate application to each court registry where a conviction was entered.
What if I want someone else
to apply for me?
If an agent is acting on your behalf, you must still sign the application form in the Signature of applicant space and either:
– the agent must provide authorization signed by you and stating that you have consented to their making an application for you; or
– you must complete the Name of Agent for Applicant field in the APPLICANT section of the Application to Unseal Adult Criminal File for Travel form.
All documents must be received by mail (not by email or fax) at the relevant court registry.
When an application is made to the court registry, what happens next?
The Court Services Branch Justice of the Peace will look at the application and supporting documents. If they are complete, they will grant the application and court registry staff will unseal and mail the records to you or to the agent representing you. If the application and supporting documents are not complete, or if there is a reason
that the application cannot be granted, the application will be denied with reasons given and the application documents returned to you.
You may then need to apply again ensuring that all the requirements are met.
How do I access other court records?
See the court’s policy on how to access other Provincial Court of British Columbia records. How do I get access to files at the Supreme Court of British Columbia?
The provincial court is separate from the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
If you are seeking access to a B.C. Supreme Court file, or to unseal your record of sentences in that court, see the B.C. Supreme Court’s Court Record Access Policy.
Note: This article reflects a change in the process resulting from an amendment to Notice to the Profession and the Public, NP 14, effective Dec. 1, 2018.
This article provides general information only and should not be used authority in court proceedings or as a substitute for legal advice.
Things to do in Prince George
Handel’s Messiah
Saturday from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Vanier Hall, 2901 Griffiths Ave., Prince George Cantata Singers with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra present the very first choral piece they sang 50 years ago, Handel’s Messiah. The Prince George Cantata Singers, guest soloists and the PGSO all combine to make this a concert not to be missed. For more information call 250-562-0800 or email GM@pgso.com.
Cirque Musica Holiday presents Wonderland
Saturday at 7:30 p.m., at CN Centre, 2187 Ospika Blvd. S., Cirque Musica Holiday presents Wonderland, a fun-filled concert experience for the whole family featuring the talented cast of Cirque Musica accompanied by holiday songs performed by a live symphony orchestra of local musicians.
The audience will journey into a visual world of Wonderland with amazing acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday cheer. The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with the sensory majesty of a symphony orchestra performing the greatest holiday music of all time. Tickets are at www.ticketsnorth.ca
A Christmas Carol
Today through Dec. 22, at the Prince George Playhouse, 2626 Recplace Dr., Judy Russell Presents: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, adapted by Anna Russell. A Christmas Carol tells the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy businessman, who thinks only of making money. One fateful Christmas eve he is visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. The story is filled with Christmas music, dance and entertainment for the whole family. For more information and tickets call 250-596-0020 or visit www. centralinteriortickets.com.
Free swim at the Aquatic Centre
Sunday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 1770 George Paul Lane, the Prince George Aquatic Centre is making a splash with its 20th anniversary celebrations by offering a free swim. There will be music presented by DJ Ant. There will be games and prizes, balloons and cake.
The Aquatic Centre was established in 1998 and features a 50-metre pool, a wave pool, diving boards and tower, an onsite fitness centre,
pro-shop, and a hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Learn more about the Aquatic Centre, including the facility and programs at http://princegeorge. ca/aquatics or call 250-561-7787 for more information or email servicecentre@princegeorge.ca.
Celebration of Lights
Tuesday through Sunday, Dec. 23 from 4 to 8 p.m., Dec. 24 from 2 to 6 p.m. and Dec. 27 to 30 from 4 to p.m. at 850 River Rd., the Railway & Forestry Museum presents their annual Celebration of Lights where people are invited to take a walk through time to enjoy more than 100,000 likghts and displays throughout the eight-acre park.
Many rail cars and coaches are lit inside and out and a highlight is taking a ride on the Cottonwood Minitrain. Take the chill off by browsing the gallery while local choirs and musicians entertain while guests can visit with Santa.
On Tuesday, Dec. 18 admission is free with a non-perishable food donations. Proceeds from this event will be shared between the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Each night there will be train rides, a concession where you can either roast your own hot dog on the bonfire, or let staff cook it, s’mores, and hot chocolate for purchase. For more information call 250-563-7351 or visit www.pgrfm.bc.ca
Moonlight snowshoe
Saturday, Dec. 22 from 6 to 11 p.m. at 8141 Otway Rd., the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club invites everyone to celebrate the winter solstice and beginning of the holidays at Otway with a guided snowshoe under the full moon.
There will be a variety of guided tours available, led by our amazing volunteers, to accommodate different ability levels.
Sign up ahead of time for easy, intermediate, or difficult level routes. Warm up by the fire at the gravel pit with s’mores and hot chocolate. Then finish the night in the lodge, enjoy a drink (or two! or three!) with friends.
Hot soup and snacks will be served in the lodge for free. Beer, wine, and cider will also be available for $5 each. The snowshoe will begin at 6 p.m., arrive earlier to sign in, find your group leaders and put on your equipment. Rentals will be available on a first come, first serve basis in the rental office.
All proceeds will go towards the school ski programs. Must be 19+ to participate. For more information call 250-564-3809 or email manager@caledonianordic.com.
Still dancing after all these years
Larry and Phyllis Anderson have been in Prince George since 1958. Larry, one of six children was born in Winnipeg, Man., in 1938 and spent his early years on a farm. His father sold the farm and moved the family to Vancouver in 1953 to work in the construction industry.
He went to John Oliver High School and noted that at the time this was one of the roughest and toughest schools in the Lower Mainland. He easily made friends with all the biggest kids in his school and the rowdies quickly learned to leave them alone.
Jobs were scarce in Vancouver so his parents moved the family to Prince George in 1956 and Alex Moldowan hired his father to drive a lumber truck.
Larry finished his schooling at Prince George Senior Secondary and then went to work for BC Equipment as a Kardex clerk in the inventory control department, moved up to the parts department and then became the parts manager.
Larry said, “Over the next 35 years the company was sold to International Harvester, then Canadian Aviation Electronics and finally Vulcan Machinery. My chair never moved, my job stayed the same and the only thing that was different was the colour of my paycheque. When the company closed, I worked in the parts department at NR Motors for the next 10 years. I took early retirement and disability in 2001.”
Larry met Phyllis Favelle in 1958. Phyllis, who is of Metis heritage and one of eight children, was born in Gypsumville, Man., in 1937. Her father was wounded in the First World War and raised his family by working at the local gypsum mine.
Phyllis left home when she was 14 years old and went to work. She eventually worked as a nurse’s aide in the Tuberculosis Sanitoriums in both Ninette and The Pas, Man. She particularly enjoyed the work in the area of the nursery.
Phyllis said “in 1958 I traveled to Prince George to visit my sister. I met Larry when he was doing the books for my brother-in-law. I worked as a waitress at the Mason’s Café and then Garland’s Café in Giscome for two years. Larry and I dated, got married in 1962 and the rest is history.”
Larry and Phyllis have three sons: Allen, James (Lydia) and Marty (Carla) who in turn gave them six grandchildren. Over the years, Phyllis volunteered for everything to do with her children, took in newborn foster children and still found time to babysit the neighbour’s children. She taught cooking and crochet classes at the school and chaperoned the road trips with the school band. She volunteered for 20 years for the Festival of Trees and said she enjoyed the experience immensely.
To help support their family she operated a family only catering service out of her home, did domestic work for family and friends and worked in a gift store. She learned to make beaded earrings and to sew her own square-dance outfits.
Ladies softball was her game. She proudly said, “My coach said I was really good at the game and I was proud of that. Over the next 40 years, if I wasn’t playing ball, I was enjoying five-pin bowling.”
Larry said, “When I was still in high school, I worked weekends in a doughnut bakery deep frying and then icing the donuts. Now Phyllis makes the doughnuts and I still fry and ice them. Making and serving fresh donuts is a ritual at Christmas, birthdays and other big family gatherings.”
Seniors’ Scene
Kathy NadaliN
Larry’s hobbies were hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, camping and his evenings out square dancing with Phyllis for 22 years. He is now a licensed ham radio operator and is involved with emergency communications and disaster preparedness along with other members of the Prince George Amateur Radio Club.
Larry said, “For me amateur radio (ham radio) is a great hobby. As a club, almost everything that we do is either done solely for public safety or has a large public safety component to it.”
His volunteer work included serving as the block watch captain, Boy Scout leader and being active with the Prince George post-polio awareness and support group.
He has a 10-year award for his community work as a volunteer member of the RCMP Auxiliary.
He has traveled all over Canada and the States on work related trips and has many interesting stories about events from each trip especially his trip to the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
He traveled all around the Prince George area with his sister June Chamberland as she did the research needed to write her book called From Broad Axe to Clay Chinking.
Larry’s medical history is complicated. He explained, “I came down with polio in 1953 and spent three months in the hospital and another 10 months learning to walk again. I came down with rheumatic fever and acute nephrites. The doctors had me flown to Vancouver with a one in a thousand chance of surviving.
“When we were going to be married, the doctors called Phyllis in and advised her that I may not live past 26 years of age but she married me anyway. That was lucky for me because she has kept me alive all these years.
“In 1981 I came down with blepharo spasm and in 2001 I was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome. The specialist told me I could probably work for another year and end up in a wheelchair and not be able to do much of anything or to quit working now and see how long I could keep going. I guess I made the right choice because I am still getting around even though it is starting to take its toll on me.
“In 2008 I had neck surgery because my spinal cord was being pinched off by my spine and I was quickly becoming paralyzed from the neck down. To make a long story short the surgeons successfully bolted my spine together with titanium rods after cutting a piece of horseshoe shaped bone out of my spine.
“In 2013 I had a heart attack and as well I have a leaky heart valve from the effects of rheumatic fever. I had a pacemaker installed a few months ago.
“Every time one illness was treated, it aggravated the other. I survived each time with the outlook that I would have maybe 10 more years to live. Well, I am still here today and I give thanks to Phyllis for that. I went through a lot of pain over the years and she has been my life saver and my pillar. She kept me alive and gave me the reason to carry on.
The doctors tried to tell her before we got married that I wasn’t a good bet but that did not stop her and she married me anyways. We have been married for 57 years and I know it has not always been easy for her. I am so thankful for my wife and the rest of my great family.”
Citizen photo by brent braaten
phyllis and Larry anderson, prince george residents since 1958, have pursued many interesting pastimes during their lives here, including phyllis teaching cooking and crochet, while Larry took up operating a ham radio.
The many faces of St. Nick
Though it is technically the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ for Christians, there are many traditions which merge to form what we call Christmas. Some traditions are indeed Christian, but others are not. Some date from eras before Jesus was born, and some are more recent.
One of the most endearing today is that of Santa Claus, the jolly and generous old man who brings gifts in a spirit of joy and good cheer.
On the surface, Santa appears to have little to do with the birth of Jesus. Underneath, we find a real person who understood and embraced the message of love for all humanity.
Nicholas of Myra was born into a wealthy family and lived in the third and fourth centuries in what is today southern Turkey.
Given the passage of time it is sometimes hard to determine what is fact and what is fiction about his life. It is said, for example, that when he learned of young women needing dowry money or facing a possible future of prostitution, he secretly put money into their shoes, when they were left out at night.
Nicholas has become one of the most beloved of Christian saints, and many miracles are attributed to him, involving women, children and even sailors. His feast day is celebrated all over the world, normally on Dec. 6.
It is interesting to note that the Dutch name for St. Nicholas is Sinterklaas, and over the last few hundred years, he evolved into Santa Claus. Just as with Christmas, his legend is a conglomeration of Christian and non-Christian stories.
Purists may argue that we have moved away from the true meaning of Christmas, as well as the essence of the message of St. Nicholas. Maybe we have in some ways, but maybe in our multicultural way we have come even closer to the essence of a universal truth.
Living a joyful and meaningful life is about giving what we have. If we share peace and goodwill with others, we find them growing within ourselves. If we
Lessons in Learning
share kindness we actually become kinder. When we create happy memories for others, we create them for ourselves as well. In essence, there is no difference between giving and receiving.
These are beautiful points which St. Nicholas clearly understood. One can see from his life that he embraced the message of Jesus on a very profound level. How was hoarding the riches of his family going to benefit him? He realized that he had far more to gain by using his wealth to change the lives of others for the better.
We sometimes forget, however, that our financial wealth is not the only thing we have to share. Perhaps the greatest gift I ever received at Christmas was given to me by individuals who had almost nothing on a material level.
In 1992, I was working at a home for street children in the capital of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). We did our best to give our young people a happy Christmas, but the food and gifts were simple.
Just to be present in this community, however, was joy in its purest form. The dancing, the music, the laughter, the shared meal cooked by the children, all of these were elements of the most rapturous Christmas I had ever experienced. Everyone, like St. Nicholas, gave of what they had, and the result was jubilation.
There is nothing exclusively Christian about the message of St. Nicholas, and there is nothing exclusive about the celebration of Christmas. It is a time when we come together recognizing the gift that each of us is to the world, and celebrating the gift which we all are to one another.
– Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com.
Gerry ChidiaC
Fraser Lake project a collaborate effort
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff
fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
Fraser Lake’s bid to build a cultural and economic cooperative got some key help from Vancouver’s architect industry, which in turn looked to Prince George for some ideas.
For more than two years, a grassroots movement in the small Highway 16 town has been advancing the goal of a multi-use structure that would help stimulate and sustain a local economy buffeted by downturns in the natural resource sectors - forestry and mining, primarily.
“We are building community resiliency. It’s all about healthy communities, self-reliant communities,” said original proponent Shellie Gleave, who has led the formation of a steering committee that has explored the ways and means of getting the cooperative up and running.
Part of that effort was reaching out for Fraser Lake residents’ input on what gaps and capacities there are within their community, seeking best practices from other communities that have done similar things, establishing support from the different levels of government, and getting feasibility input from professionals who have applicable knowledge.
The latter category got a significant boost when Inge Roecker and Chantelle Lupieri came on board.
The project already had the attention of a number of departments at UNBC. One of the professors there, Guido Wimmers,
Operation Red Nose delivers 216 rides
Citizen staff
Operation Red Nose Prince George delivered 216 safe rides home on its second weekend of its designated driving service for this holiday season.
On Friday, 67 volunteers, including 15 road teams, provided 104 rides travelling 2,811 km.
The 104 rides is a new record for rides on night three. The highest totals prior to that were 95 rides in both 2014 and 2015.
On Saturday, 76 volunteers, including 18 road teams provided 112 rides, travelling 2,798 km.
“It was a fantastic weekend all around,” said Andrea Johnson, Operation Red Nose spokesperson. “Teams were busy criss-crossing the city both nights for the majority of the six hours that we were on the road and managed to keep up to the demand for rides. On Saturday, our volunteers who answered clients’ calls were sometimes taking requests for as many as three different rides in one call.”
After four nights of service, a total of 342 safe rides home have been delivered.
As for volunteers, 214 people have signed up, including 47 who are helping us out for the first time.
Red Nose returns to local streets on Friday and Saturday night from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Rides can be arranged by calling 964-7433. Red Nose continues on Dec. 22 and 23 before wrapping up on Dec. 31.
Another 36 volunteers are required for New Year’s Eve. Those interested in helping out can apply online as soon as possible at www.ornpg.ca, which includes a criminal record check.
Operation Red Nose is organized by the Rotary Club of Prince George-Nechako in partnership with ICBC and the Prince George RCMP.
an expert in passive houses and buildings with high energy performance, connected the proposal to these two figures in the Vancouver architecture industry.
Roecker is an associate professor at UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and she is proprietor of AIR Studio, her own architecture firm.
Lupieri is a Master of Architecture candidate at UBC and works at AIR Studio.
The two of them were moved by the Fraser Lake proposal and offered their services pro bono.
To that end, they came to the area for a research trip before beginning their work on a building design. They knew it was essential to get a sense of the physical location where the building is proposed and a multi-sensory impression of the town and it’s particular atmosphere.
“You could never do this kind of work without being on-site. You have to be on the ground. It was a good first impression. It sparked a lot of discussions,” said Roecker, who has done similar initiatives in the past, some of them high-profile, like the Richmond Food Bank diversification project and the Vancouver Women’s Health Collective that also, in addition to the architectural contributions, had a fundraising component that collected $350,000 for that cause.
The two spent multiple days in the region, touring not only Fraser Lake but also some multipurpose facilities in nearby
Prince George, picking up on northern B.C. innovations in social synergies. In addition to meetings at UNBC, they inspected places like the Native Friendship Cen-
they knew it was essential to get a sense of the physical location where the building is proposed and a multi-sensory impression of the town and it’s particular atmosphere.
tre, HUB Space, and the Community Arts Council’s Studio 2880 complex.
All of these facilities have combinations of government, not-for-profit agencies and private enterprise infused into their workings.
The way different social and business forces have been attracted together for mutual support and community development in these locations gave Roecker and Lupieri a specifically north-central picture of what combinations might work for Fraser Lake.
Lupieri, as the student, will do the bulk of the design work, with the close oversight of Roecker the teacher. It is a rare opportunity for an aspiring architect to work on blueprints that go beyond classroom theories.
“It’s (class projects) not typically something that has a chance to ever be a real build, so this is really exciting for me to have a community contact. It’s actual, practical, on the ground stuff, so I’m going to go back and do a lot more research,” said Lupieri, who grew up in a small interior town herself (Trail). “The municipality (of Fraser Lake) gave us some maps and permitting documents we can look through so we can start to plan and organize our process.
“I’ll also be looking at materials and sourcing, so that whatever comes out of this process can really represent the identity of the community and is a positive image they can project into the future.”
Gleave was thrilled that a team with such a crucial skill-set became so interested in the Fraser Lake project.
“This co-op really represents five communities. Its not my baby, not just a Fraser Lake thing, because it will have a lot of importance also to (the adjacent communities of) Fort Fraser, Endako, Stellat’en First Nation and Nadleh Whut’en First Nation,” said Gleave. “And we have other outside communities interested in what we’re doing as well. It’s still in its early growth process, but we are already showing other rural communities what can be possible.”
One of the challenges of a design like this is drawing up a building that will accommodate the known inhabitants of the structure, once those commitments are made, but also be
able to accommodate future unforeseen ideas that could be done at the same space.
“Everything is doable in phases,” said Gleave. “One of the things we’ve had to stress (to Lupieri and Roecker) is the need to be adaptable over time. Once it’s up and running, we have to expect people will see how the co-op would actually work for them, and they’ll want to join in. And, all communities change over time, so we have to have a building that is ready for changes that inevitably happen.”
“I personally think projects like these are amazing and I really think its such a great opportunity for students to experience this, because due to the way the system works, you can only do so much in the classroom,” Roecker said. “We have to figure out how our communities, no matter where we live, can be sustainable, have a heart, have an identity.
“What Shellie’s after is needed. It’s simple but complex, and (the reason it hasn’t gone ahead already) is because in modern times we tend to put things in boxes, but if we manage to do this it will be a place where so much could happen, and a real place for the community.
“In the city, I call it urban acupuncture so for this I’ll call it rural acupuncture where you press on energy points that radiates to things far greater than the one place you injected the energy.”
The first drafts of the design should be ready for the next round of public input sometime in the second quarter of 2019.
Speaking two languages may help aging brains
Even when you’re fluent in two languages, it can be a challenge to switch back and forth smoothly between them. It’s common to mangle a split verb in Spanish, use the wrong preposition in English or lose sight of the connection between the beginning and end of a long German sentence.
So does mastering a second language hone our multitasking skills or merely muddle us up?
This debate has been pitting linguists and psychologists against one another since the 1920s, when many experts thought that bilingual children were fated to suffer cognitive impairments later in life.
But the science has marched on. Psycholinguist Mark Antoniou of Western Sydney University in Australia argues that bilingualism – as he defines it, using at least two languages in your daily life – may benefit our brains, especially as we age.
In a recent article, he addressed how best to teach languages to children and laid out evidence that multiple-language use on a regular basis may help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Q: What are the benefits of bilingualism?
A: The first main advantage involves what’s loosely referred to as executive function. This describes skills that allow you to control, direct and manage your attention, as well as your ability to plan. It also helps you ignore irrelevant information and focus on what’s important.
Because a bilingual person has mastery of two languages, and the languages are activated automatically and subconsciously, the person is constantly managing the interference of the languages so that she or he doesn’t say the wrong word in the wrong language at the wrong time.
The brain areas responsible
for that are also used when you’re trying to complete a task while there are distractions.
The task could have nothing to do with language; it could be trying to listen to something in a noisy environment or doing some visual task. The muscle memory developed from using two languages also can apply to different skills.
Q: Where are these benefits expressed in the brain?
A: Executive functions are the most complex brain functions – the most “human” functions that separate us from apes and other animals.
They’re often observed in parts of the brain that are the newest, in evolutionary terms: the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for advanced processing; the bilateral supramarginal gyri, which play a role in linking words and meanings; and the anterior cingulate. Studies show that the bilingual experience alters the structure of these areas.
First of all, we see increases in gray matter volume. The brain is made up of cells called neurons, which each have a cell body and little branching connections called dendrites. Gray matter refers to how many cell bodies and dendrites there are.
Bilingual experience makes gray matter denser, so you have more cells. This is an indication of a healthier brain.
Bilingualism also affects white
matter, a fatty substance that covers axons, which are the main projections coming out from neurons to connect them to other neurons.
White matter allows messages to travel fast and efficiently across networks of nerves and to the brain. Bilingualism promotes the integrity of white matter as you age. It gives you more neurons to play with, and it strengthens or maintains the connections between them so that communication can happen optimally.
Q: Learning languages as a child is different than doing so later in life, right?
A: It depends. For a long time, it was thought that the only way to really learn a language was to do it early. It was thought that after adolescence, you couldn’t learn a language perfectly. You were always going to be accented.
But we now know that that’s not true, because there are many people who learn languages as adults, and they learn them very well. So this has led us to reexamine what it is about learning a language during childhood that makes it different from adulthood.
Is your brain more ready and more flexible – what we call more “plastic” – when you’re a child, and then it becomes more rigid and fixed as an adult? Or is it that the conditions of language-learning are different
when you’re a child, in terms of the amount and type of input you receive, how much slack you’re afforded and how much encouragement others give you? An adult who is working two jobs and going to language classes at 7 o’clock at night has a different type of acquisition than a child constantly receiving input from the mother, grandmother, father or other primary caregiver.
Ultimately, the difference between language-learning in children and adults is probably some combination of the two: plasticity and conditions. There are also individual differences. If you put different people in the same situation, some people will flourish and others will struggle.
Q: Does a bilingual brain age differently than a monolingual one?
A: We know from studies that starting at the age of about 25, your brain starts to decline, in terms of working memory, efficiency, processing speed, those kinds of things.
As you age, these declines become steeper. The argument is that as we get into older age, bilingualism puts the brakes on and makes that decline less steep. Evidence from older adults is the strongest kind supporting a bilingual advantage. (The second strongest comes from children.)
When you look at bilingual
individuals who have suffered neurodegeneration, their brains look damaged. From their brain scans, you’d think these people should be more forgetful, or that they shouldn’t be coping as well as they are. But that’s not the case. A bilingual brain can compensate for brain deterioration by using alternative brain networks and connections when original pathways have been destroyed. Researchers call this theory “cognitive compensation” and conclude that it occurs because bilingualism promotes the health of both gray and white matter.
Q: Could learning a language later in life keep Alzheimer’s at bay?
A: That is a working hypothesis. We’re doing studies where we teach a foreign language to people aged 65 and up with the goal of promoting healthy brain function, even at such a late point in life. What we’re testing is: Can we help people in old age by using language-learning? Does that give you some benefit in terms of a “use it or lose it” approach to brain health?
The initial signs are encouraging. Preliminary data look good. It seems that learning a language in later life results in positive cognitive outcomes. Because language-learning and use is so complex – arguably the most complex behaviour we human beings engage in – it involves many levels. You have speech sounds, syllables, words, grammar, sentences, syntax. There’s so much going on; it really is a workout for a wide brain network.
And those areas of the brain overlap with the ones in which aging adult brains show decline or neurological pathological disease. As a result, we argue that learning a second language would be an optimal activity to promote healthy aging.
But not enough studies have been done to settle this once and for all.
Citizen file photo
college Heights elementary school is one of three elementary french immersion schools in prince george.
How to keep running at 50-something
Amanda LOUDIN
Special to The Citizen
I’m a veteran of 15 marathons and hundreds of other running races, and have been in the sport for more than 20 years. At 53, I’m faced with a reality: I’m not getting any faster. I’m OK with that and I’d argue I enjoy the sport now more than ever.
Not everyone is in my situation. Some aging runners are injured more often than not. For others, the inevitable slowdown is a bitter pill to swallow.
There are also masters (over 40) runners on the other end of the spectrum who still want to work on quick times or other race-related goals, and are doing so successfully. But with each passing decade, they become the outliers rather than the norm.
For those of us who are no longer speed motivated but who cannot imagine a life without running, there is a path. Here’s what’s worked for me, both physically and mentally:
– Embrace strength training under the guidance of a pro. Physiologically, we all begin to lose muscle mass at a rate of one per cent per year beginning at age 28. Performance coach Chris Johnson says the imminent loss of muscle mass makes strength training all the more critical for runners in their third, fourth and fifth decades.
“You’re dealing with capacity loss in your tissues, along with a loss of function and power output,” he says. “That can manifest in injury if you don’t address it.”
To fight back and stay healthy, Johnson recommends two strength sessions per week with heavy loads. “Aim for five to nine reps of a weight 70 per cent to 80 per cent of your one-rep max,” he says. “You can break this down into several key moves: slow farmer’s carries, dead lifts, squats and step-ups, and you’ll cover the bases.”
Find a certified trainer, preferably one who has a good understanding of running, and ask them for help getting started. Check back now and again for reassessments and adjustments.
– Mix it up. In my quest to find a solid strength-training program, I discovered a local CrossFit gym. Endurance sports and CrossFit are often considered vinegar and water, but for me, the fresh approach has been fun. I may never com-
plete a box jump or an honest pull-up, but the gym’s coaches have the knowhow to give me modifications. I also get in a pool once or twice per week and take frequent walks with my dog. Take a look around and see what other physical activities might pique your interest – cycling, hiking, barre class, yoga – and devote some time to trying something new.
“We all crave novelty in some way,” says Denver-based sports psychologist Justin Ross, “so try a new sport. Try to connect with what it’s providing you.”
– Don’t be afraid to take off a day – or more. Runners are a devoted bunch and are loathe to miss a scheduled run, even if it means pushing through some pain. I’ve learned over the years that if I have a specific ache beyond normal, overall
soreness, skipping a run is the best move. Catching things early and allowing them a couple of days’ rest is often all it takes to nip something in the bud. If you’re itching to move, there’s usually another activity you can do in the meantime that won’t aggravate the irritated area. While time off running sometimes makes us panic, I know that if it’s only for a couple of days, I won’t lose any fitness. Well-trained athletes don’t experience any significant deconditioning until after about two weeks. In addition to all that, I have long been in the habit of taking a full day’s rest from any activity, each and every week. I appreciate the break physically and mentally.
– Drop the schedule, if you’re so inclined. When I was racing and training for marathons, in particular, I was
a stickler for a training plan. These often encompassed months of runs at prescribed paces and distances. I was dedicated to these maps to success and rarely deviated.
Now? I’d make a poor client for a coach. I still have a basic mental framework of how my running week will look, but it’s a malleable framework, one I tweak as life unfolds. I never look at my paces, and I use a GPS watch only if I’m running a new route and want a rough idea of how far I’m going or when I should turn around. The freedom is luxurious.
“Your spirit can get lost when you’re on a schedule,” Ross says. “When you give yourself permission to cut loose, you can find joy again.”
– Establish a prehab routine. That’s not a typo. I have a quick set of exercises I do just about every day aimed to keep rehab at bay, thus, prehab. The routine originated with a physical therapist I saw years ago when working to overcome an injury, and the moves are designed to improve coordination and stability.
“Runners need strength and control in each leg,” Johnson says. “Rhythm, timing and coordination are often underappreciated aspects of the sport.”
My set of exercises takes just a few minutes. To ensure I don’t skip them, I do them as soon as I rise. Because I run in the morning, the moves also serve as a warmup just before I head out. Singleleg dead lifts, variations of hip bridges, and “skaters” are among my repertoire. Johnson’s Instagram account is a rich source of exercises like these, complete with video.
– Change up your running. When I look back over my past year of running, I realize that the few races I’ve completed have all been on trails. While I no longer care about my finish times at road races, I do enjoy the new challenge of trail running. Ross says this is right on the mark.
“This is a values shift and that’s healthy,” he says. “At some point, we all started in this sport because we enjoyed it and changing things up is a good way to return to that place.”
I dedicate at least one day a week to getting out in the woods. When I see a local trail race that fits into my schedule, I sign up. It keeps me in the game and the change in ethos from road to trail makes it fresh and fun.
Photo courtesy of Marathon-Photos.coM
prince george’s Richard Stewart celebrates as he crosses the finish line during a 2012 BMO Okanagan Marathon in Kelowna. Stewart completed the 100th marathon of his running career at age 58 in 2012. He took 21 years to run the first 50 and just three years to run the second 50.
Public skating at Elksentre Friday
There is public skating Friday nights at the Elksentre arena, 4833 Heather Road from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Take family or friends for a skate at the Elksentre Arena.
Things to note before heading for a skate: CSA approved helmets are mandatory for skaters under the age of 18 and highly recommended for all other skaters.
Skate and helmet rentals, as well as recreational skate sharpening, are also available during public skating times.
Waivers must be signed before stepping on the ice. Bring cash or credit card for payment. Up to three years old is free, 4 to 14 year-olds are $3.75, 14 to 18 years are $4.25, 19 to 59 years are $5.25 and seniors older than 60 years are $4, students are $4.25. A family pass for two adults and two children is $13.
Ten-session adult pass is $40, which is valid for one season and a children’s pass is $30.
School takes on radio play version of Christmas Carol
Bending gender stereotypes six teenage girls are the cast of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol during a radio-drama performance today and Friday at 7 p.m. at Lakewood Alliance Church.
Cedars Christian school senior students will present the story, featuring all live sound effects as was typical in a 1940’s radio show. The play is set in a radio studio in front of a live audience.
One performer taking on multiple roles was typical in that era. An example is this script calls for Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim to be played by the same person.
“The students are amazing,” Caroljoy Green, high school drama teacher at Cedars Christian, said in a recent email. “The play requires a great deal of skill as the actors must shift their voices and posture to communicate the character
they’re portraying. The all-female cast has worked hard, despite heavy course loads, part-time employment and comprising more than half of our senior girls volleyball team who the refs voted Most Sportsmanlike Team at provincials.”
The cast did one-on-one coaching during their lunch hours and met two nights a week for rehearsals, Green added.
During the performance the audience will experience vintage commercials for things like extra- fancy fruitcake and offer the audience the traditional story of Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by three Christmas ghosts that offer him a new perspective on his humbug life. Shows are at Lakewood Alliance Church, 4001 Fifth Ave., doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the first two tickets and then additional tickets in a family (up to 4 more) are just $5 each. Order early at www.cedars.bc.ca/events.
Citizen staff
cedars christian drama class is presenting a 1940s style radio show version of
the classic Dicken’s tale a christmas carol thursday and Friday at Lakewood alliance church. From left is abigail worthington, Katriel Hrankowski, Maillee taylor and Lindsay Hempstead.
Gifts for the auto enthusiast
The holiday season is upon us, and many of us may struggle with the prospect of finding a special gift for that someone special. For auto enthusiasts, there are a number of options that may include state of the art technology, special service packages at dealerships or gifts that range from the basic to the very extravagant.
There are several interesting gift ideas that could help you dress up your vehicle, ranging from custom fitted seat covers to custom floor mats.
Other practical options may include a roof rack for those who experience a jam-packed vehicle every time they venture out on a road trip. Or for those who don’t want to leave anything to chance, a portable battery pack that allows you to boost your vehicle on your own or a roadside emergency kit are recommended options.
Many new technologies in the market today can be fitted to work on any car –something that can be really convenient, especially if your gift recipient happens to be a driver of an older vehicle. Many older vehicles do not have navigation
New Car Dealers Association of BC
Blair
systems or back-up cameras installed, but these can be easy and useful additions for any driver.
Another camera-related gift option is a dashboard camera. Designed to record sounds and images while you are driving, dashboard cameras can be a very practical gift for any driver, especially in case of car accidents. For parents with teenagers who are embarking on solo drives for the first time, dash cams can be an important learning tool and also allow parents to see where their teen has been.
For car lovers who like to baby their vehicles, many dealerships offer auto “spa packages” for interior and exterior detailing services – so check dealership websites for any special promotions or gift cards. Or perhaps for the music lover, the most meaningful gift may be
Why Apple products are rising in cost
Citizen news service
You can’t put a price on loyalty.
Apple has never made cheap stuff. But this fall, many of its prices increased 20 per cent or more. It felt like the value proposition that has made Apple products no-brainers might unravel.
For some perspective, we charted out the last few years of prices on a few iconic Apple products. Then we compared them to other brands and some proprietary data about Americans’ phone purchase habits from mobile analytics firm BayStreet Research.
What we learned: being loyal to Apple is getting expensive. Many Apple product prices are rising faster than inflation – faster, even, than the price of prescription drugs or going to college.
Yet when Apple offers cheaper options for its most-important product, the iPhone, people tend to take the more expensive choice. So while Apple isn’t charging all customers more, it’s definitely extracting more money from frequent upgraders.
Apple says prices go up because it introduces new technologies such as FaceID and invests in making products that last a long time. Yet it has clearly been feeling price discomfort from some quarters. The company offers trade-ins for many products now. And not everything Apple has gone up in price: an entrylevel iMac and iPad have gotten cheaper since 2014, though in both cases the company has since added a new higherend (and higher-price) “Pro” version to its lineup.
It’s a good time to take stock of what you’re paying for. Our charts of Apple’s rising prices are like a Rorschach test: some see a tech giant gouging us more for ho-hum upgrades. Others see the increasing usefulness of Apple products in our lives.
What we see is a reflection of a new reality for consumer tech. Most people who want a smartphone, tablet or laptop already have one and aren’t interested in changing to a new system.
Without big subsidies from phone carriers and as product innovation slows, we also don’t mind holding on to these products for three or more years.
Apple, hoping to charge more every time we do buy, is changing how it gets money from us. So we need to change
how we think about its value.
Most technology products are commodities that go actually down in price over time.
Apple has worked very hard not to become a commodity.
Take the MacBook Air, the entry-level laptop. After letting the laptop’s features languish for years while it focused on pricier models, Apple updated the Air in October with a new screen, processor and fingerprint reader. Oh, and a 20 per cent price bump, too.
Laptop competition is fierce, and by many measures the new Air can’t compete with a leading Windows 10 model like Dell’s XPS 13. For the same price as a new Air, the Dell offers a faster processor, more flash storage – and it weighs less, too.
But the specs hardly matter. As any member of the Apple tribe will profess, it’s selling far more than sexy hardware. It’s an Apple-only operating system that works with all its other Apple-only stuff, like iMessage and iCloud – a (mostly) happy trap that’s hard to leave. You’re buying access to the Apple Store and customer service, not to mention Apple’s aggressive stance on privacy.
Sure, there are things Apple isn’t best at anymore, including smartphone cameras and voice assistants. Even if any one of those features or services isn’t as good as a competitor, it doesn’t much move the needle – the sum is far greater than the parts.
Apple isn’t totally ignoring budget shoppers. The iPhone is now available in an incredibly wide band of prices because Apple keeps around older models and drops their prices.
The paradox is that many Apple customers think they must have the latest, trained by Apple marketing to futureproof ourselves. So this year, instead of buying a year-old iPhone 8 at a discount or an iPhone XR (a much less expensive compromise to the top iPhone XS), many customers are just skipping out on an upgrade altogether. “People are looking at the R as the step-down product. Like it’s less of a smartphone,” says BayStreet’s Cliff Maldonado.
That makes sense if you think about Apple as a luxury good.
When you’re spending that much, who buys last season’s stuff? (No surprise, Apple’s head of retail used to be the CEO of Burberry.)
an upgraded audio system inside their vehicle.
We all know the dangers of distracted driving and the consequences that come with it. Cell phone car mounts and USB phone chargers make great stocking stuffers for people of all ages as do car chargers, including wireless charging systems.
Desrosiers Automotive Consultants recently released its annual list of the most sought-after vehicles on the holiday wish list. For the fifth year in a row, SUVs proved to be the most popular choice by almost of third of consumers. Electric vehicles claimed second place with a 15.6 per cent response rate. Pickup-up
trucks were preferred by 13 per cent of the survey pool, followed by sedans at 9.8 per cent, exotic/sports cars at 9.1 per cent, and small economy cars at 7.7 per cent.
Even if a new vehicle may not be at the top of your gift giving list, but you’re looking for the perfect auto gift, plan to visit your nearest new car dealership for help. Their experts would be happy to assist and will help make the holidays a little brighter for the auto enthusiast in your family.
– Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca.
