‘We watched
our boy fight for his life’
Local boy needs kidney transplant
Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca
He’s an energetic three-year-old local boy and he needs a kidney.
Lucas Everitt’s mom Natasha McGreish stood in front of the microphone during the opening ceremony of the 11th annual Kidney Walk held Sunday afternoon at AiMHi’s gymnasium and before she could even start telling their story she was in tears.
To give her a moment to collect herself, Mayor Lyn Hall, who had greeted the walk participants moments earlier, started applause to show that she was among friends and that she could take all the time she needed before she continued her most difficult speech.
Surrounded by her family, including Ryan Everitt, Lucas’s father, and son Carson, along with Lucas who sat comfortably in his dad’s arms, McGreish stood before the microphone looking out at about 80 people who were gathered to support the cause before they all set out to do the 2.5 km walk around the Lac des Bois school track.
McGreish talked about discovering Lucas had issues with his kidneys at 14 weeks in utero and how after only five days old, Lucas had a major health crisis due to his under-developed kidneys.
“We watched our boy fight for his life and there was nothing we could do,” McGreish said. “I wish I could say that Lucas’s struggles ended there but I cannot. His first year of life was full of ups and downs, constant blood work, surgeries, bladder infections, appointments and hospital admissions that took a toll on all of us.”
McGreish said there were many sleepless nights as Lucas’s parents wondered how long it could all go on. At a year old, Lucas had his right kidney removed.
“Surgery was tough and recovery was even tougher,” McGreish said. “Once again Lucas showed us his strength and powered through and I’m happy to say the last two years have been amazing for Lucas and our family.”
It turns out the kidney that had been removed was a source of infection and since
having it removed, Lucas has been infection free. “But Lucas’s story does not end here,” McGreish said. “We are now going through the preparation testing for Lucas’s kidney transplant.”
McGreish and dad Ryan are being tested right now and it looks like McGreish might be the right candidate to be the donor and will know more after extensive testing if that’s the case. In the meantime, her immediate family is reaching out to other members of their family, friends and strangers to find a match. Because transplanted kidneys don’t have
a lifelong expectancy it’s likely Lucas will need another kidney transplant in the future and McGreish reminded those in the gymnasium that organ donation is very important to consider.
“We are here today to spread awareness of kidney disease and advocate for all who are awaiting transplants,” said McGreish, who went on to thank family and friends for their support and everyone who helped them through their health journey with Lucas.
Paul Duperron, a longtime volunteer with the local Kidney Foundation branch who received a kidney transplant in 2011,
is once again on the active donor list as the transplanted kidney has significantly reduced function. Duperron is back to being on dialysis three times a week. Duperron and his wife Diane have been involved with the Kidney Foundation for many years and know the importance of organ donation and ask everyone to consider registering as organ donors today. Visit transplant.bc.ca It’s not too late to make a donation to the Kidney Foundation, were funds will be directed to local services and programs as well as research. To donate visit kidney.ca.
Father, son jailed for machete attack
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff
mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
A father and son were sentenced Monday to lengthy terms in prison for an attempt to murder a woman suspected of blowing the cover on a drug-dealing operation posing as a smartphone repair shop.
James Stanley Filiatrault, 55, was sentenced to nine years and William Thomas Filiatrault, 23, was sentenced to seven years for the Nov. 5, 2016 incident in which the two coaxed the woman into their pickup truck, drove out to a forest service road and attacked her with a machete. It occurred a day after RCMP executed a search warrant on the store, which was located on Third Avenue and just two doors away from the needle exchange. Four people were arrested and quantities of various “street drugs” were seized.
The woman, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban, was suspected of being a “rat” and the Filiatraults, who trafficked out of the store but were not the leaders
of the operation, were ordered to kill the woman, the court was told.
A local street person was convinced to buy a machete from a nearby store and the woman was tracked down to a home of a friend. She refused to follow them outside but the two found her again later the same day near Third and George and told her she needed to come with them to do a job and clear her name.
They drove about 75 kilometres east of the city on Highway 16 and then about seven kilometres along the Bowron Forest Service Road before coming to a stop. The three got out and when the woman heard William Filiatrault had the machete in his hand, she begged him not to kill her. They told her to shut up and said that was not their intent. They walked a short distance from the truck and William Filiatrault hesitantly poked the machete at her chest, giving her a small cut. He handed the machete to his father who, in turn, repeatedly hit the woman before she was able escape and hide in the ditch alongside the road.
The Filiatraults drove up and down the road looking for her but soon gave up and drove
back to Prince George. Even though she was bleeding from head to toe, had sustained a series of life-threatening skull fractures and had lost her shoes, the woman was able to walk out to the highway in the dark where passing drivers saw her and called the RCMP.
The driver of an eastbound semi truck pulled over to help her out, as did a couple with children in a pickup truck heading west. With its flashers on, they headed towards Prince George until meeting up with an RCMP officer and ambulance personnel.
The women identified the Filiatraults as her attackers and the RCMP, who knew where they were living, arrested them the next day, while a subsequent search of their motel room uncovered packaging for the machete and clothing with the woman’s blood on it.
The two had initially denied committing the act but in April 2016, while an officer was in the process of obtaining a DNA sample from him, the father made an unrecorded comment he had no choice but to do what he had done to the woman.
— see ‘CERTAINLY, HE HAD, page 3
Area lottery winners haven’t come forward
Citizen staff
Ah, to be so lucky. It’s true. You can only win if you play but the other side of that is you can only enjoy the money if you collect the prize.
The $500,000 winner from Prince George in the Extra for the Lotto Max draw for Sept. 14 still hasn’t come forward. And there’s more good news for someone out west.
The winning ticket, worth $1 million, for one of the Maxmillions in Friday’s Lotto Max was bought in Smithers. As of Monday afternoon, that winner hasn’t come forward, either.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE
Natasha McGreish speaks as Ryan Everitt, and their son Lucas, 3, stand alongside her during a cermony prior to the Prince George Kidney Walk on Sunday afternoon at AimHi gymnasium.
Tree Days
Martina Humphrey, manager of the downtown branch of TD Bank in Prince George, loosens roots of a tree before planting it in Cottonwood Island Park on Sunday morning during TD Tree Days. During the event 255 dogwood, cottonwood, aspen and alder trees were planted.
Hikers can book reservations starting Monday
Citizen staff
Hikers ready to explore trails in Mount Robson Provincial Park or paddlers wanting to canoe at Bowron Lake Provincial Park can reserve their spots for the 2019 season as early as Monday at 7 a.m.
Those eager to go on their outdoor adventure on the Berg Lake Trail will gain 800 metres of elevation over 23 kilometres.
The trail boasts the finest scenery in B.C. offering views of waterfalls, turquoise-coloured lakes and giant glaciers. The trail is open year round and can be reserved from June 12 to Sept. 30.
Those interested in a floating adventure can navigate the Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit, which includes 116 kilometres of paddling across 10 lakes with several flat portages. The whole trip takes six to 10 days, with shorter options. The canoe circuit can be reserved from May 15 to Sept. 23.
Reservations for long weekends fill up fast.
To book a trip along the Berg Lake Trail or the Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit visit discovercamping.ca.
Prince George provincial court docket
From Prince Geoge provincial court, Sept. 17-21, 2018:
• Ashley Chantelle Paul (born 1991) was sentenced to a three-month conditional sentence for two counts of impersonating with intent to gain advantage, to a twomonth conditional sentence for breaking and entering and committing an indictable offence, and to a one-month conditional sentence for identity theft, possession of a stolen credit card, theft $5,000 or under and two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000.
Paul was also sentenced to one year probation and assessed $1,000 in victim surcharges on the counts plus one count each of breaking and entering and committing an indictable offence and breaching an undertaking. Paul was in custody for 25 days following her arrest.
• Donald Scott Allen (born 1964) was fined $500 plus a $75 victim surcharge for driving without a licence.
• Janet Lee Briggs (born 1983) was sentenced to one year probation for theft $5,000 or under and to one day in jail for breaching probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges on the counts.
• William Edward Keenan (born 1991) was sentenced to 18 months probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges for making harassing communication and breaching an undertaking. Keenan was in custody for 50 days prior to sentencing.
• Elton Lee Massettoe (born 1985) was fined $250 plus a $75 victim surcharge for breaching probation. Massettoe was in custody for breaching probation. Massettoe was in custody for one day following his arrest.
• Shane Paul Parsons (born 1989) was sentenced to 27 days in jail for possession of stolen property and to 14 days in jail for breaching an undertaking or recognizance. Parsons was also sentenced to one year probation and assessed $300 in victim surcharges on the counts. Parsons was in custody for 41 days prior to sentencing.
• Shana Diane Perry (born 1979) was sentenced to one day in jail and one year probation and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation.
• William John Pilon (born 1952) was fined $175 plus a $26 victim surcharge for driving without a licence under the Motor Vehicle Act, committed in Quesnel.
• James Robert Purcell (born 1973) was sentenced to 25 days in jail and one year probation and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation. Purcell was in custody for 12 days prior to sentencing.
• Stephen Anthony Snow (born 1995) was sentenced to one year probation for possession or using a stolen credit card, committed in Prince George and Vanderhoof. Snow was in custody for 100 days prior to sentencing.
• Dale Al West (born 1980) was sentenced
to two days in jail for breaching probation. West was in custody for 12 days prior to sentencing.
• Damian Baden Hamblin (born 1989) was fined $500 plus a $75 victim surcharge for driving without a licence under the Motor Vehicle Act.
• Jordan Allan Lalonde (born 1994) was sentenced to 42 days in jail and one year probation and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaking and entering with intent to commit an offence. Lalonde was in custody for 71 days prior to sentencing.
• Jordan Neil Shaw (born 1994) was sentenced to 30 days in jail for breaching probation and 28 days in jail for theft $5,000 or under and also sentenced to one year probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges on the counts. Shaw was in custody for one day prior to sentencing.
• Kevin Kelvin John Beauchamp (born 1987) was sentenced to 27 days in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation. Beauchamp was in custody for 22 days prior to sentencing.
• Ramona Renata Morin (born 1979) was sentenced to 42 days in jail and 18 months probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges for theft $5,000 or under and breaching probation. Morin was in custody for 10 days prior to sentencing.
• Warren Chad Johnny (born 1993) was sentenced to 24 days in jail for breaching an undertaking or recognizance and to 14 days
in jail for a separate count of breaching an undertaking or recognizance and assessed $200 in victim surcharges on the counts. Johnny was in custody for three days prior to sentencing.
• Megan Faith Glenora Rider (born 1985) was sentenced to 14 days in jail and assessed $100 for for breaching probation.
• Alexander William Alexie (born 1993) was sentenced to five days in jail for breaching a recognizance or undertaking and to time served for a separate count of breaching a recognizance or undertaking, both committed in Prince George, and issued a one year $500 recognizance after allegation for causing fear of injury or damage, committed in Burns Lake.
Alexie was in custody for 21 days prior to sentencing.
• Donovan Kayle Graham (born 1998) was sentenced to time served and assessed $200 in victim surcharges for two counts of theft $5,000 or under. Graham was in custody for 14 days prior to sentencing.
• Tania Nada Jordanov (born 1980) was fined $305 plus a $105 victim surcharge for breaching probation.
• Nathan Aaron David Peters (born 1985) was sentenced to 24 days in jail and one year probation and assessed $200 in victim surcharges for two counts of theft $5,000 or under.
Peters was in custody for two days prior to sentencing.
Ground broken on condo project
Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca
A community of bungalow condos geared for those 40 years and older saw its groundbreaking event take place Saturday in University Heights.
The location of The Estates at Ridgewood Landing is at 2425 Rowe St., which sits at a peak high enough to enjoy the view of the mountains in the distance and surrounding trees.
This isn’t Newrock Developments first rodeo, said Kaleb Motz, marketing director for the building company that specializes in multifamily, custom homes and renovations. They’ve built these kinds of turnkey, maintenance-free communities successfully all over western Canada.
“It’s ideal for anyone looking to downsize, without the downgrade or to simplify their lives by stepping into maintenance-free living,” Motz explained. “It’s good for people looking to travel a lot and perfect for those who fall
into the Snowbird category. It’s a really great way to kick off your early retirement and it’s the right way to throttle back a little bit.”
Construction is underway right now and a show home will be open next summer.
“Phase One is already sold out, and Phase Two will be bigger and will be going up for sale in the next week or two,” Motz said.
Throughout Ridgewood Landing there are eight floor plans to choose from featuring two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car garage and a full basement.
“The reception we’ve received in Prince George has been awesome so far,” Motz said.
Cam Ens, an owner of Newrock Developments, said the company has been working closely with the owner of the land to get this project rolling.
“It’s taken a while but we’re really excited and happy with how things are turning out,” Ens said. “It’s been great to be in the city of Prince George. The housing market has been really strong and as
an Alberta company, we’re really happy to be in Prince George.”
Ens knows the bungalow-style home is hard to find and said that’s one of the many reasons for the success of Phase One and the anticipated success of the whole complex is because there’s a minimum of stairs, which is ideal for the aging population in the city.
As the golden spades were picked up, members of the Newrock Developments company were on hand as well as city councillor Terri McConnachie as acting mayor for the official groundbreaking ceremony.
“This type of development offers a diverse housing option, which is key to the success of our growing city,” McConnachie said.
“People have been asking for this type of development – turnkey, adult because folks are retiring earlier now and they have the opportunity to travel and they want less maintenance and this company has brought the solutions to the city and we are grateful to them for investing in Prince George.”
Rockers James, Bentall coming to P.G.
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
At the 1989 Juno Awards, two Vancouver-based rockers – Colin James and Barney Bentall – were both nominated for Canadian Entertainer of the Year.
That trophy went to Glass Tiger, instead, but Bentall and his Legendary Hearts took home the award for Most Promising Group while James won the Most Promising Male Vocalist category.
It was their first two nominations and first trophies each for Canada’s crowning music award. Looking back, it was a spark of prophecy for both of them (the Most Promising Female Artist that year was Sass Jordan, so you could call it a hat-trick) since James earned his most recent Juno nomination in 2017 in the old-school Blues Album of the Year category while Bentall’s most recent band The High Bar Gang was nominated in the old-school Traditional Roots Album of the Year category. They are a pair of roof-raising, foundation-shaking rock ‘n’ rollers when they want to be, and they are also lauded for wiping off the modern bells and whistles and still standing head and shoulders above the rest when it’s just them and their acoustic instrument.
Colin James and Barney Bentall are coming together to Prince George where they will bear-hug the spirit of 1989 and all the stage-power they’ve generated since then in Canada and around the world.
The Colin-Barney show will happen at CN Centre on March 23 for a Saturday
night warmup event for Cariboo Rocks the North 2019. They are bringing along a third performer as well, to make it a mini-festival. James and Bentall will be joined by Americana blues-rocker Marty O’Reilly, who is on the latest vanguard of modernist musicians who know where their roots grow back in the bluesy dirt. James is headlining the showcase on the strength of his latest album Miles To Go, his 19th disc since that 1988 selftitled debut. He’ll show it off on a 23-city tour of Canada that includes Prince George. It’s a CD that shines a strong light on where modern rock comes from. According
Manslaughter charge issued in 2016 death
A Prince George man has been charged with manslaughter from a 2016 death.
Jeremy John Lowley, 46, who remained in custody as of Monday, faces the charge in the death of Patrick Mathewsie, RCMP said.
Mathewsie was reported missing on July 1, 2016 and his body was later found near the Highway 97 and Massey Drive off ramp. In 2012, Mathewsie was found not guilty of manslaughter in the 2010 death Sylvain Victor Roy, whose body found in bushes in the 1700 block of Yew Street.
Lowley has a criminal record that includes a conviction for assault causing bodily harm from a July 2015 incident.
Take Back the Night event happening on Thursday
The annual Take Back the Night rally and march is set for Thursday evening.
Aimed at raising awareness about violence against women, it starts at the College of New Caledonia atrium, starting at 6 p.m.
Speakers include Brenda Wilson, who lost her sister Ramona on the Highway of Tears and is currently a support worker for families of murdered and missing Indigenous women through the ministry of public safety, and UNBC social work professors Dawn Hemingway and Si Transken.
Following the rally, particpants will march along Highway 97 in the name of declaring the right of women and children to walk freely and safely at night through the streets of Prince George.
Canada Post strike averted
OTTAWA (CP) — The union representing thousands of Canada Post workers says it will stay at the bargaining table, averting a potential strike by mid-week.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Monday it would not issue a 72-hour notice of job action, giving the Crown agency’s negotiators an opportunity to address the union’s demands, which include higher wages and better working conditions.
Both sides have been bargaining for separate collective agreements over the past nine months. Negotiators were facing a Wednesday deadline of 12:01 a.m. eastern time for a possible strike or lockout after conciliated talks failed to reach a deal earlier this month.
While the two sides continue talking, the union warns its members may still face a work stoppage if there is no progress in bargaining.
A spokeswoman for Canada Post said Monday that both sides were working hard to reach negotiated agreements.
Pharmacist suspended after giving out human placenta
VANCOUVER (CP) — The College of Pharmacists of British Columbia has suspended the licence of a pharmacist it says showed a “blatant disregard for public safety” through multiple infractions including preparing drugs containing human placenta in unsterile conditions.
Isidoro Andres “Rudy” Sanchez, the sole registered pharmacist and manager of the Marigold Compounding and Natural Pharmacy in Courtenay, has been ordered to pay $115,000 in costs and will not be eligible to apply for reinstatement of registration for six years.
The decision, posted on the college’s website Sept. 10, says Sanchez misled the public by making unsupported claims on the Marigold website regarding the effectiveness of human placenta as a drug.
to concert organizers, Miles To Go is a “collection of carefully curated songs handpicked from some of the greatest blues artists” and lovingly redone by one of the world’s great blues guitarists alive today.
All ticket buyers for this event will be entered in a draw to win a pair of weekend passes to Cariboo Rocks the North 2019 – scheduled for Aug. 9, 10, and 11, 2019, at Exhibition Park.
Tickets to see the Cariboo spring fling with James, Bentall and O’Reilly go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at the CN Centre box office or via the ticketsnorth.ca website.
‘Certainly, he had other options’
— from page 1
A week later, he admitted the act on record, telling the RCMP that it was an “ordered hit” and he had to do it because his family had been threatened. He also took responsibility for planning the attack, added William Filiatrault was substantially impaired by drugs at the time, and expressed regret and remorse for what he had done.
Crown prosecutor Tyler Bowman did not get into details but told the court that James Filiatrault’s claims of duress were “not unfounded.”
“Certainly, he had other options available to other than taking the steps that he did but this isn’t a situation comparable to say, a young drug dealer trying to make a name for himself or something like that,” he said. “There is
CP FILE PHOTO
Colin James poses for photographs on the red carpet during the 2013 Juno Awards in Regina. James and Barney Bentall will play CN Centre on March 23.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE
Kaleb Motz, Cam Ens, Sandra Menge, Terri McConnachie and Gordon Langer hold shovels full of dirt during a groundbreaking event at The Estates at Ridgewood Landing on Saturday afternoon.
What to look for at all-candidates forums
CBC Radio is hosting the first of four all-candidates forums for Prince George mayor and city council tonight at the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library.
This will be the first opportunity for many local residents to see and hear the candidates. The reality, however, is that some of the people who go to these events, especially the early ones like tonight, nearly a month before the Oct. 20 voting day, are there to cheer on friends and family members running for office. While there, maybe they’ll consider other candidates to help decide who else they will vote for in their eight choices for city council.
Whether you’re a totally undecided voter or someone who already knows many of the candidates you’re supporting but needs to decide who else is getting your vote, hearing directly from the candidates is always the best option. But not just hearing. This is an active listening moment. Prepare to be both impressed by candidates you thought didn’t have the right stuff but also discouraged by candidates you were well-prepared to put an X beside their name until they opened their mouth.
Give the rookie candidates a bit of a break but not too much. Yes, the newcomers
might not be great public speakers and they might not be able to speak to every issue with the same awareness as the incumbents but they should still impress with their knowledge, sophistication and maturity. In other words, they should hold their own. Give them a chance but don’t tilt the ground too far in their favour.
Give the incumbents candidates a hard time but don’t be too tough. No one would have a perfect record at work if a review of their last four years on the job was conducted so be reasonable. It’s fair to call them on their mistakes but what they’ve learned and how they’ll be better if they’re reelected is more important. They’ve had at least four years on the job so they should have a full command of the issues and if they don’t, you should question your support.
How they answer the questions is also important. The candidate who delivers the right answer in a dismissive or condescending tone is giving the wrong answer. They are showing that they know enough about the issue to give a good response but actually don’t care about the matter, meaning they will invest no time and effort on it once elected. Tone and attitude is important because it shows thoughtfulness, humility and an ability to work well with others, which is essential in local government.
Watch for candidates who don’t answer
the question at all. It’s a common trick and the skilled and experienced politicians are especially adept at taking virtually any question and either dodging it or deflecting it to what they really want to talk about.
Here’s an example (with apologies to Lyn Hall but the incumbent mayor is running against only one, longshot challenger so he can take the hit). When asked about the overtime policy for exempt senior city employees at his campaign announcement, Hall said that would be up to the next council to decide. That’s a non-answer. Of course it’s up to the next council. A proper answer would be that he either supports the current policy and would not change it, would like to review it but won’t commit to a change at this time or he supports outright eliminating the policy.
Also, watch and listen to the candidates before and after the forums. Are they working the room, introducing themselves to people they don’t know and thanking them for coming out or did they show up two minutes before the event started, only chatted with their friends and supporters and then ran out the door as soon as it wrapped up?
Finally, attendance matters. There will be some candidates who will not be there tonight and that should cost those candidates because now you have to make the further
YOUR LETTERS
Needle hazard needs to be addressed
Last week, two letters regarding the disposal of hypodermic needles in the downtown were published by the Prince George Citizen, I would like to contribute a word regarding the subject.
First, Jordan Harris comments concerning Brian Skakun’s “intolerance” were unfounded.
I do not in any way criticize Harris’s knowledge on the subject matter, but I think that the language and tone of his letter shows a misunderstanding when it comes to Mr. Skakun’s original sentiments.
I do not believe for a second that Skakun is blind to the issue, nor is he intolerant or not understanding of the current needle and addiction problem within the city. In fact, I think that he is poised to be very knowledgeable and informed. Coun. Skakun simply pointed out that the measures taken by Northern Health, the city and individuals using IV drugs to combat the proliferation of discarded and potentially dangerous needles, are falling short. To this, I agree.
In both letters to The Citizen, and in the comments made on social media, enough has been said to bring the issue forward and
in that, the published comments have found a voice and hopefully an ear. I think that while Mr. Harris’s comments are very helpful in illustrating an important issue, I think he genuinely missed the true intent and subscribed view of Skakun’s point, and that is that more needs to be done. I’m sure that if Harris knew Skakun the way I do, he would see that Skakun truly does care for the community, all of the community, and that his comment was not an attack against addicts, but an attack against addiction and needles, the refuse that is left behind.
I thank both parties for eloquently voicing their perspectives, and only suggest that a direct dialogue between the two of you would illuminate the fact that you are both on the same side.
The sobering and simple fact is, that no matter how good of a job we think certain individuals or organizations are doing to combat discarded needles, sickness or death due to contaminated needles in any small amount, is unacceptable.
Any way in which we can halt rather than mitigate this hazard needs to be examined and it is the duty of those in a position of civic responsibility to challenge those in a position that can make a dif-
ference to do better.
Mike Maslen Prince George
Exchange means exchange, not handing out needles
Not having a closet full of degree stuff, I am easily confused but it seems to me that “exchange” means I will exchange with you something of equal value. I will exchange one dollar with you for four quarters.
So my confusion lays in the Northern Health Needle Exchange Program.
Do I give them my used needle and they exchange it for a new one? Or do they just hand out needles? I think Brian Skakun’s “one for one “ suggestion goes hand in hand with the idea of the “needle exchange program.”
One needle handed in, one needle exchanged.
My thoughts are outdated I know (I’m 84) but I still have the tendency to think if you get yourself into it, get yourself out of it.
I like the old author’s quote “prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.”
‘Nuff said.
Robert Madson 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. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour.
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effort to attend one of the other forums to catch up to them. The other forums are: • Oct. 9 – The Northern Regional Construction Association, in partnership with the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, is hosting a forum from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Prince George. Registration is free and seats are limited. Registration is required to attend at nrca.ca • Oct. 10 – Candidating at the Prince George Public Library from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free and no registration. Attendees can spend up to two minutes of one-on-one time with the candidate of their choice to ask questions and discuss issues before moving on in a “speed dating” format.
• Oct. 16 – The Citizen, in partnership with the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and UNBC, presents an all-candidates forum at UNBC from 7 to 9 p.m. Free and no registration required. Exact location and format still to be determined. So if you can’t make it tonight, you’ve got three other opportunities to meet the candidates and no excuses to not make your own educated vote on election day.
See you out there.
— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
Electoral reform doesn’t fix what’s broken
This past weekend marked the passing of summer and the beginning of fall. We are now supposed to put away our barbecues and give up our fizzy summer drinks so we can get down to serious matters such as voting. Our local municipal election is in full swing judging by the number of signs popping up in strange places. Here is a thought for electoral reform: instead of each candidate putting up signs, why not simply have a common brochure with all of the candidates for all of the positions listed and sent to each home in the electoral district?
Each candidate would be allowed some number of words (say, 100) to explain the key points of their platform. This would effectively lead to 100 per cent saturation and need only one “sign.”
On the heels of the municipal election, we will be asked to vote in a referendum on proportional representation (PR). It will be a mail-in ballot which is problematic to say the least. How will Elections BC ensure each ballot is filled in by the registered voter to whom it is addressed?
Logistics of doing a referendum this way aside, I still maintain the results will not fix the issues people have with our electoral system. It is not how we vote which is the problem, but what happens after we vote where people truly have the issue.
I gave a talk recently on electoral reform and asked the audience what issues switching to electoral reform will fix? There were a number of thoughtful responses but none convinced me PR will be the Holy Grail.
The notion it leads to fewer wasted votes is perhaps the most pervasive rationalization I have heard for a PR system.
This is predicated on a bit of straw man argument because it assumes anyone who voted for a candidate who doesn’t win wasted their votes. Not true. Or, at least, not true in my understanding. The whole point of any race – be it a horse race, a game of Jeopardy, or a chess match – is to finish first and beat your competitors.
However, the competition must still show up for it to be a race. And just because you might not win is not a reason to not show up. Indeed, competing is a reward unto itself.
Imagine if Tiger Woods – who hadn’t won a golf tournament in five years – had said to himself “Well, I probably won’t win the Tour Championship so there is no point in even trying. I would be
just wasting my time.” If he had, we wouldn’t have had the glorious scene of Tiger leading the throngs in a march down the 18th fairway as he went on to win this past weekend.
And the other 29 golfers who competed in the tournament likely didn’t say “Oh well, I wasted my time trying because I didn’t win.” Nor did their fans feel robbed of their moment because their favorite golfer didn’t hoist the trophy. Voting is a right. It is something we get to do. We have a say in who will represent us in the legislature. And we need to exercise our franchise. But in doing so, we are competing with others who will be doing the same thing. This means sometimes we will not win. That, however, is not a wasted vote. Nor is it the reason voter turnout is low in Canada. People are indifferent to politics, period. It is not because they don’t think a particular candidate is able to win but because they don’t see the point in any of the candidates winning. I have yet to meet someone who didn’t vote because they thought their candidate wouldn’t win.
Simply put, there are no wasted votes so the argument to switch to PR on the basis of fewer wasted votes is fallacious.
At the talk, other reasons people gave for PR was it would lead to coalition governments and more ideas being discussed. Possibly, although any politician who has served will tell you the discussion and rancor in caucus meetings can be quite contentious as MLAs and MPs hammer out their party’s position. It is only smooth sailing in public forums.
Former prime minister Jean Chretien, in a recent interview, pointed out under our present system he had a much more diverse caucus with everything from conservatives to extreme leftists sitting as MPs. This wouldn’t happen under a list PR system where the candidates are appointed by the party brass based on their service to the party. A List-PR system pretty much ensures each candidate toes the party line.
But to paraphrase Winston Churchill, I would contend a single member plurality is the worst form of democracy except for all the others.
The real issue isn’t how we elect our representatives. It is in ensuring our representatives are accountable.
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TODD WHITCOMBE
As I See It
Ottawa area picking up the pieces following tornado
GATINEAU, Que. — Residents from across Canada’s national capital region who were hit hardest by Friday’s devastating tornados have started the difficult task of rebuilding their homes – and their lives.
Festus John worried about his future Monday in a Gatineau, Que., community centre that had been transformed into an emergency shelter for hundreds of people unable to return to their storm-ravaged homes.
The 35-year-old Christian man fled to the United States from Nigeria five years ago after marrying a Muslim woman and receiving threats against his life.
John was one of hundreds who crossed by land into Quebec in January in the hopes of seeking asylum in Canada. He only recently moved to Gatineau, a city just north of Ottawa.
While he escaped without injury when a tornado struck Gatineau, John’s home – and the documents that he needed for his upcoming refugee hearing – were not so lucky. High-speed winds tore off the roof and rain flooded the basement where he had been staying.
“I lost everything,” he said, adding that he will be expected to present documents supporting his story during his refugee hearing.
But “the evidence is gone. So I don’t know how the situation can work out for me.”
John was only one of many still struggling in the aftermath of Friday’s tornados, which devastated several communities on both sides of the Ottawa River.
Life through much of the region appeared to be on the verge of returning to normalcy after a weekend in which hundreds of thousands of residents were without electricity. On Monday, hydro crews working around the clock in both provinces were able to reconnect power in most areas.
Schools in Ottawa were shuttered Monday and most federal civil servants stayed home as city staff contended with power outages at hundreds of traffic signals across the city.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he expected schools to re-open in most areas and the request to keep the roads clear would be lifted.
Hundreds of residents, however, in Gatineau as well as the suburban community of Nepean in west Ottawa and the Ontario village of Dunrobin, where whole homes were levelled by Friday’s twisters, will feel the after-effects of the
This is a project that’s going to take months and months, if not a couple of years, to get all the houses up and built again.
— Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson
intense storms for the foreseeable future.
“This is a project that’s going to take months and months, if not a couple of years, to get all the houses up and built again,” Watson said Monday over the sound of chainsaws as he toured one of the most heavily damaged parts of Nepean. “In some instances, I suspect, they’re going to have to tear them down because they are structurally unsound.”
The tornado that struck in Gatineau was largely centred on a part of the city featuring apartment buildings, many of which were populated by newcomers to Canada and low-income families.
Among them was 21-year-old Assag Mohamad, who had spent days in a shelter with his mother and siblings. The whole family had recently fled to Canada from Djibouti to escape ethnic fighting in the East African country. He didn’t know when his family could return to their apartment.
“They say there is no electricity for the alarms and that the balconies could be weakened,” said Mohamad, who has been waiting for his permanent residency in the hopes of studying biology.
“Some power lines might be lying around too. So we cannot go back now.”
Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, who was touring the emergency shelter with Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, said about 600 people have been evacuated from the apartment buildings, and that the city had a special team specifically looking at the structures to ensure they are safe for return.
In the meantime, PedneaudJobin said, housing will remain the most-critical challenge for the city in the short and long term, though he expressed confidence that the Canadian Red Cross and Gatineau’s experience with mass floods last year would help ensure a proper response.
While she praised the response
Third acid spill reported in Trail
Citizen news service
TRAIL — The movement of sulphuric acid by truck through a southeastern British Columbia city has been halted while officials try to determine why there has been a third leak of the corrosive liquid in less than six months.
International Raw Materials says in a news release that it purchased the load of sulphuric acid from the Teck Resources Ltd. lead and zinc smelter in Trail and was moving the acid to a nearby reload facility on Sept. 22. A spill that the company describes as “less than one cup,” was found at the reload site and three “dime-sized drips” were spotted on a road, but the company statement says no acid was found on highways through Trail.
International Raw Materials says trucking contractor Trimac will launch a full investigation and take corrective action but all acid shipments by road have been suspended while the probe is underway.
in Gatineau, Payette acknowledged that there are residents who are facing severe strain because of their financial situations or a lack of family support.
“It breaks your heart,” she said. “We met some people who are completely new to the area. They don’t have any family. For them, the stress is very high. Then there are mothers of young children. There are many of them.”
Across the river in Dunrobin and Nepean, shaken residents were trying to clean up and repair homes and businesses as well as they could before the arrival of rain that was forecasted to start on Monday evening.
One of those was Paul Butler, whose home was among hundreds damaged when a tornado touched down in the picturesque Nepean neighbourhood of Arlington Woods, bringing towering pine trees down on roofs, flinging them through walls and leaving few still standing.
“We’re living in the basement right now until they tell us to get out,” Butler said as friends and family cleared piles of branches around the house, adding that the entire neighbourhood was worried about the coming rainfall.
Residents in Dunrobin were similarly working overtime, trying to salvage what they could even as the small rural community struggled to come to grips with what had just happened.
The Ottawa Paramedic Service did not have an update on six people reportedly injured in Friday’s tornados, including two who were listed in critical condition. But an official did say there had been reports of additional chainsaw-related injuries and cases of carbon-monoxide poisoning over the weekend.
Amid the devastation were touching moments and signs of neighbours coming together in a time of extreme need.
In Nepean, a group of volunteers walked from house to house offering soup, coffee and bottles of water. Businesses were offering to feed tired hydro workers. And in Gatineau, donations were flowing in even as many people at the shelter tried to remain upbeat despite the uncertainty ahead.
“We didn’t lose any lives, as far as I understand. But all the people from that area, they have gotten to know each other,” Corsini Alexander said with a smile as he stood outside the shelter.
“Some people did not speak to their neighbours. Now they’re speaking. So that’s a blessing.”
aged by sulphuric acid leaks on routes through Trail on April 10 and May 23. Claims related to the spills had topped 3,000 by early September and some of the vehicles damaged or written off include a new fire truck worth an estimated $800,000 and several school buses.
Teck said in a release posted earlier this month that just under 300 litres of sulphuric acid leaked onto the busy route through Trail in the first two spills.
Vehicles were damaged when they drove through puddles of the acid before the spills were identified.
Sulphuric acid has the potential to corrode vehicle undercarriages, aluminum parts and especially brake lines and brake systems, an ICBC adviser said.
The Insurance Corporation of B.C. is still trying to determine how many vehicles were dam-
Teck produces the acid at its Trail smelter but the product had been purchased by International Raw Materials and was being moved by that company’s contrators when the spills occurred. No one was hurt, the acid was neutralized and is not believed to have seeped into area waterways.
Rent hikes should be linked to inflation, B.C. task force says
Citizen news service
VANCOUVER — A task force examining the heated issue of annual rent increases that are permitted in British Columbia has recommended the hikes be reduced and tied only to inflation.
Task force chairman and NDP member of the legislature Spencer Chandra Herbert says the province should scrap the current model of calculating rent increases which allows landlords an annual hike of two per cent plus the inflation rate. The recommendations also call on the government to require landlords to apply for additional rent increases if they can prove maintenance and other costs can’t be covered by the inflationbased increase alone.
Chandra Herbert says the recommendations are based on a model that is successfully used in Ontario and Manitoba.
He says rent increases are an issue across the province, with tenants concerned about affordability and landlords saying they need extra money to improve their rental homes.
The recommendations follow months of public consultations in various communities and are the first from a full report to be
Teen charged in Surrey stabbing
Citizen news service
forwarded to the government this fall.
“We believe this strikes the balance between the need for affordability for renters and the need to maintain properties,” says Chandra Herbert. “People were clear to us: they understand costs do go up but they also need to be able to afford them.”
Chandra Herbert says further recommendations in the full report are expected to include manufactured home parks and problem tenants and landlords.
He says consultations revealed some people were struggling with rental increases while living in homes without hydro and one landlord’s unit had incurred $700,000 in damage.
The Housing Ministry says the task force recommends more work be done with landlord and tenant groups to determine the criteria for reviewing landlord applications for increases above the inflation rate.
It says a decision will be made on the early recommendations before Oct. 1.
Premier John Horgan and Housing Minister Selina Robinson appointed the task force in April, and it consists of two New Democrat members of the legislature and one from the Green party.
SURREY — A 17-yearold girl has been charged following a weekend stabbing in Surrey. Police say a 16-year-
old girl was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries on Saturday. The identity of the accused is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Lee BERTHIAUME
Citizen news service
CP PHOTO
Damage from a tornado is seen in Dunrobin, Ont., west of Ottawa on Monday.
CP
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde pauses while speaking during the AFN annual general assembly in Vancouver on July 26. Bellegarde says moving the marine terminal of the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline could reduce Aboriginal opposition.
Moving Trans Mountain terminal would reduce opposition, Bellegarde says
OTTAWA — The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the federal government would find it easier to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built if it moves the route and the marine shipping terminal to avoid Indigenous communities that are oppose the project.
Perry Bellegarde said many Indigenous communities believe in the need to diversify export markets for Canadian resources through work to transition to a clean energy economy.
However, he acknowledged there are some communities along the coast, notably the Squamish First Nation and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, that will never support the pipeline, which in its current format affects a marine terminal in the traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh, and would bring additional oil tankers through traditional waters of the Squamish.
“So why not move (the terminal)? Why don’t you move it to Tsawwassen?” Bellegarde said in a wide-ranging interview Monday with The Canadian Press.
“They’re not going to change their mind, so why not find a different outlet? It might take a little longer, but it’s a win-win-win.”
Bellegarde said he spoke to chiefs who support of the idea of a terminal near Tsawwassen – but Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Bryce Williams said Monday he is not one of them. His community neither supports the pipeline nor the idea of moving the terminal to land that abuts his community, Williams said.
In 2015, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley pushed the idea of the Tsawwassen terminal in
Delta arguing it might get more local support than the plan to expand the existing Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby.
The latter would see another six or seven oil tankers each week try to navigate the tricky Burrard Inlet and Vancouver Harbour, while the Tsawwassen location poses environmental risks from those additional tankers to the Fraser River Estuary.
Kinder Morgan Canada dismissed the Tsawwassen location because of those environmental concerns, as well as an estimated $1.2 billion cost needed to make the pipeline 14 kilometres longer and build a trestle in the Straight of Georgia to support it.
The federal government has yet to announce how it plans to re-engage with Indigenous communities after the Federal Court of Appeal overturned approval for the pipeline expansion, citing insufficient Indigenous consultations. The court also criticized the National Energy Board for failing to do a proper review of what impact additional oil tanker traffic would have on sensitive marine ecosystems and, specifically, the endangered Southern resident killer whales.
Last week Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi ordered the board to go back and do such a review of oil tanker traffic and provide a new recommendation on the pipeline before the end of February.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said that plan only adds delays and argued Ottawa should instead appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada and legislate the project into existence.
That includes supporting a private members’ bill from Alberta Sen. Doug Black that reaf-
firms federal jurisdiction for the project. Scheer also wants emergency legislation to use an existing Trans Canada review of oil tanker traffic in lieu of the NEB repeating that work, which he said would satisfy the court’s conditions. He added more Indigenous consultation does need to happen, and suggested the appointment of a ministerial special representative to oversee the process.
He also said many communities have signed benefit agreements as partners in the pipeline and no one community should be able to halt it entirely.
“We certainly don’t believe that the 30-plus Indigenous communities who had signed agreements, who are going to see real benefits in their communities, should have to go without those advantages because a smaller group of people are simply opposed to it,” he said.
Sohi’s press secretary, Vanessa Adams, said the Conservatives have no reason to complain given their shoddy environmental review was the one the court rejected in this case, and in previous ones the courts also rejected. However, Sohi’s office has yet to respond to the idea of moving the marine terminal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said two weeks ago he was open to the idea of moving the suggested route, but hasn’t been clear on what changes he is considering.
Canada now is in full charge of the pipeline, having purchased it from Kinder Morgan last month for $4.5 billion.
Ottawa stepped in hoping that federal ownership would provide the political certainty to get it built, and the government intends to sell it to a private-sector buyer after the project expansion is completed.
MONEY IN BRIEF
Currencies
OTTAWA (CP) — These are indicative
rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Monday. Quotations in Canadian funds.
Construction set to start next year on Keystone XL
Grant SCHULTE Citizen news service
LINCOLN, Neb. — The de-
veloper of the Keystone XL oil pipeline plans to start construction next year, after a U.S. State Department review ordered by a federal judge concluded that major environmental damage from a leak is unlikely and could quickly be mitigated, a company spokesman said Monday.
TransCanada spokesman Matthew John said the company remains committed to moving ahead with the project following years of reviews from federal and state regulators. The company has already started preparing pipe yards, transporting pipe and mowing parts of the project’s right-ofway in Montana and South Dakota, but TransCanada said in court documents it doesn’t plan start construction in Nebraska in the first half of 2019.
The report issued Friday from the Trump administration’s State Department drew criticism from environmental groups, who say they’ll continue to fight the project they view as an environmental threat.
“The Trump administration sees no problem with building the Keystone XL – in other news, the grass is still green and the sky is still blue,” said Kelly Martin, a campaign director for the Sierra Club.
The updated, 338-page report was released a little more than a month after a federal judge in Montana ordered the U.S. State Department to conduct a more thorough review of the pipeline’s proposed pathway after Nebraska state regulators changed the route.
The original environmental impact study was issued in 2014, before Nebraska regulators approved a longer “mainline alternative” route that veered away from the company’s preferred pathway.
U.S. President Donald Trump approved a federal permit for the project in March 2017, reversing former president Barack Obama’s decision to reject it amid concerns over greenhouse gas emissions.
US$1.30
The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 16.81 points at 16,207.32, after hitting a low of 16,198.69 on 234.9 million shares traded.
The energy sector led, gaining 2.5 per cent on the day, led by Baytex Energy Corp., which was up nearly 11 per cent. Big name oil companies such as ARC Resources, Imperial Oil and Husky Energy were also up.
RNC Minerals had the biggest day with its shares rising 105 per cent to $1.15 on 71.5 million shares traded.
The health-care and gold sectors also closed in positive territory while base metals and telecom led on the downside.
It’s ironic that the stock market wasn’t helped by the big move in crude, says Michael Currie, vice-president and investment adviser at TD Wealth.
“You’d figure with a big move like that it still hasn’t gotten the TSX in the black unfortunately,” he said in an interview. Currie said the Canadian dollar also wasn’t helped, likely reflecting that investors clearly anticipate that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this week, which usually hurts the loonie.
The loonie was trading at 77.31 cents US, down from an average of 77.42 cents US on Friday. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 181.45 points to 26,562.05. The S&P 500 index was down 10.30 points at 2,919.37, while the
The markets
Mia RABSON Citizen news service
Climbing the standings
UNBC men’s soccer team wins third consecutive game
Citizen staff
Athree-game winning streak has the UNBC Timberwolves in second place in the Pacific Division of Canada West men’s soccer. In the seven-team group, the Timberwolves (3-1-2) trail only the UBC Thunderbirds (7-0-1).
The top four teams at the end of the season will make the playoffs. The latest UNBC victory came on Sunday at Masich Place Stadium against the University of Calgary Dinos. The game ended 1-0 in favour of the T-wolves, who got the only goal they needed in the 37th minute off the foot of Michael Henman. The first-year striker took a through-ball from Owen Stewart, moved in on the Calgary net, and beat goalkeeper Jake Ruschkowski with his shot. The goal was Henman’s first in Canada West play.
“I thought I had the advantage on the fullback,” Henman told UNBC sports information officer Rich Abney after the game. “I got a nice ball from Owen, the goalie got a touch on it, but it still went in. First goal, felt good.” Henman and UNBC midfielder Abou Cisse were pressed into action because the T-wolves were missing two regular starters – Matt Jubinville and Josh McAvoy – due to injuries. Henman is from Victoria and Cisse hails from Bamako, Mali.
Cisse had his own great opportunity in the 69th minute but was turned back by Ruschkowski. Later, in the 82nd minute, Ruschkowski manufactured more brilliance when he dove to his right to stop a drive by Anthony Preston. In total, Ruschkowski made seven saves on eight shots.
In the UNBC net, Rob Goodey blocked all six shots he faced. In the 87th minute, he got help from his crossbar, which kept out a blast from Calgary’s Mark Bohdan. The shutout was the third consecutive for Goodey, a third-year player from Langley.
“It’s hard when you’re struggling to score goals,” Ruschkowski
said. “You can’t win a game if you don’t score. We were sending a lot of guys late in the game but (the Timberwolves) were playing well out of the back.
“The finishing side of the game is haunting us a little bit.”
The Dinos dropped to 3-5 on the season. They have scored four goals in their past six games.
Meanwhile, on Saturday in Langley, the UNBC women’s soccer team dropped a 4-3 decision to the Trinity Western University Spartans, the first-place team in
the Pacific Division. The Timberwolves trailed 2-1 at halftime and went down 3-1 in the 67th minute on a goal by Trinity’s Elizabeth Hicks. UNBC, however, battled back three minutes later with a marker by Sofia Jones. The Twolves were looking to keep the momentum going but, instead, Trinity’s Amy Gartke quickly restored the two-goal lead. A few minutes before the final whistle, UNBC’s Julia Babicz completed the scoring. Gabi Short and Seina Kashima
of Trinity Western scored the opening two goals of the first half and Madison Emmond countered for UNBC. Mara McCleary of the Timberwolves finished the game with two assists. In the nets, Rachel Sydor of the Spartans stopped three of the six shots sent her way while Madi Doyle stopped six of 10. Trinity improved its record to 5-1. The T-wolves – now in seventh place out of eight teams in the Pacific – dropped to 1-3-2. They started the weekend with a
2-1 loss to Abbotsford’s Fraser Valley Cascades. The Canada West season continues this week for both UNBC teams. The men will take to the field in Victoria on Thursday (5 p.m. start) to play a rescheduled game against the Vikes and will face the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday (5 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) in Vancouver. The UNBC women host the Thunderbirds on Friday (6 p.m., Masich Place Stadium) and welcome the Vikes on Sunday (noon at Masich).
Cariboo Cougars forward Grady Thomas throws a backhander on net against the Valley West Giants on Sunday morning at Kin 1. The Cougars won 3-1 after the teams tied 3-3 on Saturday night.
Cariboo club takes down Giants in rematch
Citizen staff
Season after season, the Cariboo Cougars are among the top teams in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League. Based on their play on opening weekend, the Cats appear to be strong once again.
The 15- to 17-year-old Cougars defeated the Valley West Giants 3-1 on Sunday at Kin 1. The previous night on the same ice surface, the teams skated to a 3-3 overtime tie.
“Obviously when you take three out of four points on a weekend it’s a solid weekend,” said Cougars head coach Tyler Brough. “I think we had to shore up a few areas of our game from Saturday to this morning and I thought we did that. I thought we controlled a lot of the play today. Our feet were moving, we were more engaged and we were harder on pucks and I think that turned into the ‘W’ for us.”
In Sunday’s win, Cariboo skaters had
the puck on their sticks for the majority of the third period and that allowed the Cougars to protect a 2-1 lead and score an insurance goal.
“We want to be tenacious on pucks and we want to create turnovers,” Brough said. “I think that starts with us moving our feet and being heavy on the forecheck and being in their face and giving them no time to move and breathe and no space at all. It worked in our favour and that’s going to be our game plan. We have to play that way to be successful.”
Brendan Pigeon is the man who gave his team the insurance marker. The goal was his second of the contest. The other Cariboo counter came from team captain Grady Thomas. In net, 15-year-old Colton Phillips-Watts made his first-ever BCHMML start and was one shot away from posting a shutout. The only puck that got by him was off a rebound late in the second period.
“He has impressed us ever since train-
ing camp,” Brough said. “For a young man he composes himself pretty well back there. He’s going to be a gamer. He’s a smaller goalie who competes really hard. He’s got a bright future, not only with us but in the game.”
Over the course of 60 minutes, the Cougars outshot the Giants 37-21. In Saturday night’s tie, Brett Fudger scored twice for the Cougars and Pigeon – on a power play – had the other goal. Seventeen-year-old Xavier Cannon was in net for the Cougars, who were outshot 33-28. Next up for the Cougars is a Saturday game in Burnaby against the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs. The teams will also meet on Sunday. • The Cariboo major midget and minor midget teams have a handful of players who still need billet families. Anyone interested in billeting a player is asked to contact general manager Trevor Sprague at 250-640-6509.
Special teams play kills
The special teams of the Victoria Royals had a special night at the expense of the Prince George Cougars.
The Royals beat the Cougars 5-1 on Saturday night at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena. The first two Victoria goals were shorthanded markers and the last three came on power plays. The result meant the Cougars finished their first weekend of the 201819 Western Hockey League season with one point out of a possible four.
On Friday, the Royals downed the Cats 2-1 in a shootout.
On Saturday, Victoria’s Kaid Oliver opened the scoring at 11:55 of the first period while teammate Brandon Cutler was in the box for interfering with Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier. Ethan Browne of the Cats tied the score a couple minutes later when he redirected a feed from Reid Perepeluk, past goalie Griffen Outhouse. On the play, import forward Matej Toman picked up his first career WHL point. Before the first period was done, the Royals moved back into the lead on a shorthanded effort by Tyler Lees. The Royals added two goals in the second period and one in the third, all with the man advantage. Marksmen were D-Jay Jerome, Dino Kambeitz and Ralph Jarratt.
The Royals outshot the Cougars 33-29 and finished the game 3-for-8 on the power play. The Cougars were 0-for-6 and, for the weekend, 0-for-11.
The Cats will be back on the ice Wednesday in Kelowna against the Rockets. The teams will then square off Friday and Saturday in Prince George (7 p.m. both nights at CN Centre).
Kelowna is 0-2 to start the season after a pair of weekend losses to the Kamloops Blazers, 4-1 on Friday in Kamloops and 3-1 on Saturday in Kelowna.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE
UNBC Timberwolves midfielder Abou Cisse steps past University of Calgary Dinos defender Adam Huskic on Sunday afternoon at Masich Place Stadium. The Timberwolves won the Canada West match 1-0 thanks to a goal by striker Michael Henman late in the first half.
Citizen staff
Sports Tiger is back, and golf is grateful
ATLANTA — They had waited more than five years for this moment.
No way were those frail little ropes, strung up on flimsy poles, going to hold them back.
No way were they listening to those red-shirted marshals, a bit of terror in their eyes as they pleaded futilely for everyone to come to their senses.
They had to feel it, touch it, see if with their own eyes.
Maybe that was the only way to persuade themselves that this most remarkable of comebacks had actually happened.
Tiger Woods.
A winner again.
The staid ol’ Tour Championship became a boisterous street party late Sunday afternoon, the fans storming down the middle of the 18th fairway like a bunch of crazed college kids laying siege to a football field after a last-second victory.
“Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!” they chanted over and over, looking very much like they may storm the Tudor-style clubhouse, the roar carrying all the way to Peachtree.
It was thrilling, exhilarating, even a bit frightening for those caught in the middle of the mob.
Then again, it was not an unexpected reaction given what Woods has meant to the game of golf – to the entire sporting world, really.
“From one goat (greatest of all time) to another I can only imagine what @TigerWoods is feeling today,” tweeted Michael Phelps,
the winningest athlete in Olympic history. “Pumped to be watching this today!! Have fun out there today my man!!!”
Despite an influx of talented young players in recent years, golf just hasn’t been the same since Woods went away, his brilliant career derailed by debilitating injuries and personal demons.
As NBC analyst Roger Maltbie put it, “He doesn’t just move the needle, he is the needle.”
But that needle looked broken beyond repair as days without a win grew to months, the months without a win grew to years. It had been 1,876 days since his last victory, and even Woods had moved on from the idea of ever winning
another golf tournament.
He was more concerned about his quality of life.
“The low point was not knowing if I’d ever be able to live pain-free again,” Woods said. “Am I going to be able to sit, stand, walk, lay down without feeling the pain that I was in. I just didn’t want to live that way. Is this how the rest of my life is going to be? (If so), it’s going to be a tough rest of my life. So, I was beyond playing. I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t lay down without feeling the pain in my back and my leg.”
On April 19, 2017, he underwent surgery for the fourth time, this time to fuse his lower back. About six weeks later, he was
arrested on suspicion of DUI after being found asleep behind the wheel of his car with the motor running. Woods blamed it on a bad combination of pain medications. Everyone figured he’s gotten hooked on drugs as a way of coping with a body that never stopped hurting. The idea of ever playing competitive golf again – much less winning – seemed downright ludicrous. Then, miraculously, the dark cloud lifted.
Woods got himself cleaned up.
The pain went away. Just four months after reporting he couldn’t hit the ball more than 60 yards, Woods rejoined the PGA Tour and made the cut in his first event at
Torrey Pines. By the time the summer rolled around, he was in the mix at the major championships.
He earned a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
He played his way into the finale of the FedEx Cup playoff. Finally, on a blistering fall day in Atlanta, he made it official.
The comeback was complete. “I just didn’t know whether or when this would ever happen again,” he said. “I just didn’t know if I could ever piece together a golf swing.”
Woods wasn’t fully aware of all the commotion going on behind him as he strolled down the 18th fairway, chatting and smiling with playing partner Rory McIlroy in the final group.
When he got up to the green, Woods could finally survey the remarkable scene. It reminded him a bit of Jack Nicklaus winning the U.S. Open at Baltusrol in 1980, the crowds invading the course as the Golden Bear wrapped up a victory that defied those skeptics who thought he was all washed up at age 40.
“Jack Is Back,” the scoreboard famously proclaimed.
“I just didn’t have the tight pants and the hair,” Woods quipped.
“But it was all good.”
There was no message on the East Lake leaderboard.
This time, the most telling moment came after Woods teed off at the 14th hole, which dissects the walk to the tee for No. 17. His closest challenger, Billy Horschel, was heading that way. He saw Woods coming. He stopped to let him pass. It only seemed right.
Tiger Woods is back. And golf is better for it.
Steelers hold off Buccaneers CFL has its version of the wild West
Citizen news service
TAMPA, Fla. — Ben Roethlisberger threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 30-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
Capping a tumultuous week in which star receiver Antonio Brown made headlines by shouting at an assistant coach on the sidelines and getting into a spat on social media, the Steelers (1-1-1) built a 20-point lead before holding on for their first win.
Vance McDonald scored on a 75yard pass play and finished with four catches for 112 yards. Brown and Ryan Switzer also had first-half TD receptions for Pittsburgh, which led 30-10 at halftime.
The Steelers’ defence forced four turnovers, including three first-half interceptions of Ryan Fitzpatrick, the 35-year-old journeyman who threw for 819 yards and eight touchdowns in two victories to begin Tampa Bay’s season. Fitzpatrick led his team to 17 fourthquarter points to make it close.
Citizen news service
It’s shaping up to be quite a finish in the West Division.
Just four points separate second from fifth in the conference standings heading into the final third of the regular season. The Calgary Stampeders (10-2) are first, four points ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-5).
The Edmonton Eskimos (7-6) are third, just two points ahead of both the B.C. Lions (6-6) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-7).
Edmonton and Winnipeg face each other twice down the stretch, including Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. They’ll square off again Nov. 3 in Alberta.
The Bombers will also meet Calgary and Saskatchewan as well as Ottawa. The Lions, with a game in hand on Winnipeg, will play West Division rivals four times – Calgary twice, Edmonton and Saskatchewan – in addition to the Redblacks and Toronto Argonauts.
Edmonton’s other contests are versus Saskatchewan, B.C. and Ottawa.
The Riders visit the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday before finishing their regular season with four division games.
There’s also a race for first in the East Division. Ottawa (8-5) holds down top spot
with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-7) four points behind. Toronto (3-9) and Montreal (3-10) are tied for third and both need a miracle to make the playoffs as they’re three wins behind both B.C. and Winnipeg in the crossover scenario.
Hamilton hosts B.C. on Saturday after losing 35-32 in Vancouver last weekend. Then the Ticats finish their regular season against Eastern rivals - including a crucial homeand-home with Ottawa Oct. 19 and Oct. 27.
Ottawa also plays Toronto with contests against Winnipeg and Edmonton as well.
NO SLOWING DOWN: Veteran running back Marcus Thigpen had an 82-yard touchdown run in Saskatchewan’s 30-29 road win over Toronto on Saturday night, his third TD this season covering 80 or more yards.
The 32-year-old Thigpen also had a 97yard kickoff return touchdown in a 30-25 loss to Ottawa on Sept. 15 and an 80-yard TD run July 20 in a 31-20 victory over Hamilton.
“That’s what I’ve been known for over the years, my speed,” Thigpen said. “The offensive line is blocking well for us, the holes are big and once I get to the second level I feel like there’s nobody that can catch me.”
The five-foot-nine, 195-pound dynamo has spent time with eight NFL clubs (twice with both Buffalo and Miami) and three
CFL teams (Hamilton, second tenure with Saskatchewan) since 2009. He’s excelled as a receiver, running back and kick returner. Thigpen has scored 23 career TDs – NFL and CFL – five different ways. Six have come as a receiver, eight on the ground, three via kickoffs, three on punts and another three on missed field goals.
Thigpen has rushed for 383 yards on 43 carries this season (8.9-yard average).
SECOND-GUESSING: Hamilton has become a playoff contender under head coach June Jones, but he’s receiving plenty of criticism for a late decision in the Ticats’ 35-32 overtime loss Saturday night to B.C. Hamilton led 28-21 with just under a minute remaining in regulation when Jones had Lirim Hajrullahu punt for the single rather than try a 44-yard field goal. A successful boot would’ve made it a two-possession game. Hajrullahu had missed from 42 yards in the first half but made kicks of 50 and 47 yards in the second half. His single put Hamilton ahead 29-21, but Jonathon Jennings drove B.C. 59 yards, hitting Bryan Burnham on a 20-yard TD and two-point conversion to force overtime.
B.C.’s Ty Long hit the game-winning field goal in the second extra session to cement the victory.
PAUL NEWBERRY
The Associated Press
Column
AP PHOTO
Tiger Woods celebrates his win in the Tour Championship after retrieving his ball on the 18th green on Sunday in Atlanta.
Yanks lose Hicks to injury; BoSox clinch home field
Citizen news service
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Aaron Hicks
injured his left hamstring running up the first-base line in the Yankees’ 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, another concern for New York heading into next week’s AL wildcard game.
Hicks’ 11th-inning double on Saturday drove Didi Gregorius with the run that clinched a post-season berth, and on Sunday the Yankees learned Sunday that Gregorius had torn cartilage in his right wrist during his headfirst slide across the plate.
Hicks, who had fouled a pitch off his left ankle just before the double, left Monday’s game with left hamstring tightness.
New York’s win eliminated the Rays and ensured a post-season berth for Oakland, which is likely to be the wild-card opponent but also is still alive in the AL West race. At 96-60, New York is assured of its best record since going 97-65 in 2011.
Gardner had a go-ahead single off Ryan Yarbrough (15-6) in a two-run fifth inning. Red Sox 6 Orioles 2
BOSTON (AP) — Boston broke a 106-year-old franchise record with its 106th victory, clinching home-field advantage through the post-season thanks to a pair
of hits from major league batting leader Mookie Betts.
Nathan Eovaldi struck out 10 hapless Baltimore batters to assure the Red Sox of the best record in baseball this season and home-field advantage through the World Series, if they make it that far. For now, they know they will open the Division Series at Fenway Park on Oct. 5 against the winner of the AL wildcard game between the New York Yankees and mostly likely Oakland.
The 1912 Red Sox won 105 games in their first season at Fenway Park.
The Orioles (45-111) became the sixth AL team and the first since the 2003 Tigers to lose 111 games, falling 60 1/2 games behind Boston (106-51) in the division. It’s the first time since 1939 that teams separated by 60 wins in the standings have played each other.
Six days after throwing six scoreless innings against the Yankees, Eovaldi (6-7) allowed one run on four hits in five innings, walking none but uncorking a pair of wild pitches.
Pirates 5 Cubs 1
CHICAGO (AP) — Jameson Taillon outpitched Cole Hamels, Francisco Cervelli hit a two-run homer and Pittsburgh made Chicago wait at least another day to clinch a
playoff spot. The Cubs needed a win plus a loss by Colorado to Philadelphia to assure a franchiserecord fourth straight trip to the playoffs, a run that includes a drought-busting World Series championship in 2016.
Taillon (14-9) gave up one run and five hits in seven innings, improving to 5-0 in his past seven starts. Hamels (4-2) hit his second career homer but he lost his second straight start after going 4-0 in his first nine following a trade from Texas.
Astros 5 Blue Jays 3
TORONTO (AP) — Brian McCann and Josh Reddick hit back-to-back home runs, and Houston beat Toronto to move one step closer to its second straight AL West title.
The defending World Series champions began the day with a magic number of three over Oakland to clinch the division – which would set up a best-of-five post-season matchup against AL Central champion Cleveland. The Athletics, who played later in Seattle, clinched at least a wildcard playoff spot when Tampa Bay lost to the New York Yankees.
Dallas Keuchel (12-11) allowed three runs in five innings for his first win since Sept. 3.
Five relievers followed before former Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna came on to a chorus of boos in the ninth, his first appearance in Toronto since being arrested for assault in May. Osuna, who earned his 19th save in 20 opportunities, was traded to the Astros on July 30. Many in the crowd of 23,463 jeered each of Osuna’s pitches. Marco Estrada (7-14) lost his fifth straight decision.
Cleveland 4 White Sox 0
CHICAGO (AP) — Corey Kluber struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings and won his 20th game, and Brandon Guyer hit a goahead solo homer in the seventh as Cleveland beat Chicago. Kluber (20-7) reached 20 victories for the first time after recording 19 wins last season and 18 victories the two previous seasons and in 2004. The reigning AL CY Young winner is the first 20-game winner for the Central Division champions since Cliff Lee went 22-3 in 2008. Cleveland is also the first team to have four pitchers with 200 strikeouts in a season. Kluber ran his total to 216, while Carlos Carrasco has 217, Trevor Bauer 215 and Mike Clevinger 202. Cleveland tied the Chicago Cubs for the major league lead with 17 shutouts.
Prosecution seeks 5-10 year jail sentence for Cosby
Maryclaire DALE, Michael R. SISAK Citizen news service
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Declaring
Bill Cosby doesn’t deserve a free pass because of his advanced age, prosecutors on Monday asked a judge to sentence the comedian to five to 10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman, while the defence argued that he is too old and helpless to do time behind bars.
“What does an 81-year-old man do in prison?” defence attorney Joseph Green asked on Day 1 of the sentencing hearing for Cosby, who is legally blind and dependent on others. “How does he fight off the people who are trying to extort him, or walk to the mess hall?”
Green suggested that Cosby instead receive something akin to house arrest.
Montgomery County District
Attorney Kevin Steele said that he has no doubt Cosby would commit another such offence if given the opportunity, warning that the TV star seemingly gets a sexual thrill out of slipping women drugs and assaulting them.
“So to say that he’s too old to do that – to say that he should get a pass, because it’s taken this long
to catch up to what he’s done?”
Steele said, his voice rising. “What they’re asking for is a ‘get out of jail free’ card.”
And he said the sentence should send a message to others.
“Despite bullying tactics, despite PR teams and other folks trying to change the optics, as one lawyer for the defence put it, the bottom line is that nobody’s above the
law. Nobody,” the district attorney said.
Judge Steven O’Neill is expected to sentence Cosby today. The TV star once known as America’s Dad for his starring role in The Cosby Show could become the first celebrity of the #MeToo era to be sent to prison. Cosby was convicted in April of violating former Temple University women’s basketball administrator Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. After testifying for several hours at two trials, the first of which ended in a hung jury, Constand spoke in court Monday for just two minutes.
“The jury heard me. Mr. Cosby heard me. Now all I am asking for is justice as the court sees fit,” said Constand, who submitted a much longer victim-impact statement that wasn’t read in court. Steele quoted Constand in her statement as saying that Cosby took “my beautiful, healthy, young spirit and crushed it.”
The three charges on which Cosby was convicted carry up to 10 years in prison each, but both sides agreed to merge them together for sentencing because they stemmed from the same encounter. State sentencing guidelines call for about one to four years behind bars on the combined charge.
The judge is also expected to decide whether to declare Cosby a “sexually violent predator” – a scarlet letter that would make him subject to mandatory lifetime counselling and community notification of his whereabouts.
On Monday, Kristen Dudley, a psychologist for the state of Pennsylvania, testified that Cosby fits the criteria for a sexually violent predator, showing signs of a mental disorder that involves an uncontrollable urge to violate helpless women. A psychologist for Cosby’s side is set to testify today.
Cosby’s lawyers argued that the state law on classifying sexual predators is unconstitutional. They contended also that Cosby is unlikely to commit another crime because of his age and health and because there have been no complaints that he molested anyone in the 14 years since his encounter with Constand.
“The suggestion that Mr. Cosby is dangerous is not supported by anything other than the frenzy,” Green said, alluding to protesters outside the courthouse and public debate about the case.
Cosby’s side didn’t call any character witnesses and touched only on his life and fame, noting how he had been poor, dropped out of high school and served in the Navy before soaring to stardom. He will be given the opportunity to speak in court before he is sentenced.
Claudia Lauer in Norristown contributed to this story.
Scrabble
Leanne ITALIE Citizen news service
NEW YORK — Scrabble players, time to rethink your game because 300 new words are coming your way, including some long-awaited gems: OK and ew, to name a few.
Merriam-Webster released the sixth edition of The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary on Monday, four years after the last freshening up. The company, at the behest of Scrabble owner Hasbro Inc., left out one possibility under consideration for a hot minute – RBI – after consulting competitive players who thought it potentially too contentious. There was a remote case to be made since RBI has morphed into an actual word, pronounced rib-ee.
But that’s OK because, “OK.”
“OK is something Scrabble players have been waiting for, for a long time,” said lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at MerriamWebster. “Basically two- and three-letter words are the lifeblood of the game.”
There’s more good news in qapik, adding to an arsenal of 20 playable words beginning with q that don’t need a u. Not that Scrabblers care all that much about definitions, qapik is a monetary unit in Azerbaijan.
“Every time there’s a word with q and no u, it’s a big deal,” Sokolowski said. “Most of these are obscure.” There are some sweet scorers now eligible for play, including bizjet, and some magical vowel dumps, such as arancini, those Italian balls of cooked rice.
Now, the official dictionary holds more than 100,000 words.
Other newcomers Sokolowski shared are aquafaba, beatdown, zomboid, twerk, sheeple, wayback, bokeh, botnet, emoji, facepalm, frowny, hivemind, puggle and nubber.
AP PHOTO
Bill Cosby departs after a sentencing hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse on Monday in Norristown, Pa. The prosecution are seeking five to 10 years in prison for the former star.
Israel Prabhudass was born in Trinidad, West Indies on September 21st, 1928. As a young adult Israel married Eleanor and they had two children, Ingrid and Wayne. Israel immigrated to Canada in 1956 where he
finished high school and worked for the city of Edmonton Parks Department. He went on to attend SAIT in Calgary, taking automotive technology. He then apprenticed and worked as a motor mechanic for 12 years. Israel went to Naramata to attend a Christian Leadership Training School. There he received an honours diploma and was asked by the United Church of Canada to take over a church in Genelle BC as a student minister. Later Israel would build and dedicate a new church in Genelle. In this same timeframe Israel felt he was being called to Christian Ministry, so he returned to Edmonton and began at St Stephens College where he subsequently received a theology degree. After Divination he worked at East Kooteney Presbyterian in Castlegar for two years. There he was instrumental in building and dedicating a new church in Salmo BC, while teaching Automotive Technology at the Nelson vocational school. Israel then moved to lead the Cariboo Presbyterian work in 100 Mile House. While in 100 Mile he built a 35 unit Seniors Housing Complex for which he was awarded Citizen of the Year. This remained one of his proudest achievements. Finding a passion for seniors he also spearheaded an initiative in Valemount to build a Seniors Complex there as well. At this time Israel took a leave of absence from Ministry and became a counsellor for the John Howard Society in Nanaimo. While in Nanaimo he gained a diploma in Social Work at the University of Victoria while also working to introduce a volunteer program for youth in trouble with the law. Ministry was always close to Israel’s heart. So when the United Church in Fort St James called, he went to work as a worker pastor, in that community where he again worked on establishing another Seniors complex. While in Fort St James he worked as a substitute teacher, as a guard for the local RCMP Detachment, as well as working in a local sawmill. He also served two terms as a trustee for School District 56. As a School District Trustee Israel said “ Education is a powerful weapon, combined with love, to change the world.” After retirement Israel moved to Prince George. and enrolled at UNBC, where he became the oldest graduate in the history program. He was nominated for the Order of BC by his friends, and was the first recipient of the UNBC Alumnus Award. He was an avid fisherman, hiker, golfer, runner and he cycled in two BC Seniors games. Israel attended a Bible Study with his good friends; Keven, Steve, Dan, Jamie and Rolf for the past fifteen years. In his last months on Earth, Israel’s mind became particularly sharp. His life was very intentional, focusing on his hope in Christ. Israel was absolutely confident in his salvation and passed away peacefully. Well done good and faithful servant.
Israel’s funeral will be September 29th at 11:00 am at First Baptist Church. Reception to follow.
Louise Backman (nee Blair)
It is with great sadness that the family of Louise Backman announces her passing after a brief illness on Wednesday September 19, 2018 at the age of 81 years. She is survived by her husband Ronald, sisters Olive King, Lena (Jack) Dewar, Mary Ann (Bob) Latty, and Florence. Also brothers Adelard (Judi), Albert, Frank (Sharon), David (Doris), 38 nieces and nephews and sister-inlaw Marge Blair. Predeceased by parents Joseph and Florence Blair, sister Shirley, brothers Arthur, Earl and Lewis, two nephews, Lewis Jr. and Leonard, brother-inlaw Peter King, sister-in-laws Florence, Evelyn, Doreen and Marilyn. Louise was born in Nipawin Saskatchewan on April 30, 1937 and was raised in nearby Garrick where her father owned a general store before moving the family to the farm when Louise was five years old. She went to Kelsey school, º mile from the farm then eventually was schooled in Choiceland and Nipawin. When she was 16 years old, Louise moved to Prince George to care for her cousin and his wife’s 6 children. She worked in a 5&10 cent store and later became a Dental Assistant and receptionist for Dr. John McInnis and then for Dr. Neuby. She married Ron on August 31, 1956 and after 2 years they moved to Vancouver where she worked with Dr. Basil Plumb for 5 years as his Dental Assistant. Louise took full advantage of the continuing education courses offered to employees and she later became certified in this field. During this time she also worked a second job cleaning offices at night. Upon returning to Prince George, Louise continued her education which eventually lead to her developing and teaching the Dental Assisting Program at the BC Vocational School which is now the College of New Caledonia. After 28 years she retired from her amazing career as a college instructor. After retiring, Louise had access to the college greenhouse which allowed her to start her seedlings that were then transferred by the flat to their summer cottage on Summit Lake where she grew an amazing array of plants. As years passed and access to the island refuge became a little more difficult, she began the task of downsizing her gardening to the backyard of their home. Another of her passions was entertaining, and her many Prince George friends can attest to her flair for cooking and baking. And during the winter months she took refuge in her craft room making her beautiful Christmas bows and pre-wrapped gift boxes. And finally, Louise loved and was loved by her many Cavalier King Charles spaniels which she owned over the years. No flowers by request. Donations to the Dementia Society or the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A Memorial Tea will be held on Wednesday September 26 at 5pm at the Elder Citizens Recreation Center, 1692 - 10th Avenue.
The Chingee family will be missing it’s Patriarch, Chief Harry Chingee,(born December 29/1922)has gone to the other side. He left us on Sept,21, 2018 in the same graceful and gentle loving way that we’ve all come to know of him. Harry has gone to be with his beautiful wife Patricia, daughters Florence, Molly, Caroline, Bernadette and Jackie. He is survived and remembered by his daughters Sheila and Anna, Sons, Victor, Gilbert, Ralph, Lester, Bernard, Harley and Charles and numerous Grandchildren. There will be a memorial held at the Lheidli Tenneh House of Ancestors in Prince George on Thursday beginning at 6pm, a funeral service at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Friday at 2pm followed by a reception. Harry will be sorely missed for his kindness, smile and warmth, but his teachings will not soon be forgotten.
