Research into needs of older adults led to forming charity
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
the
qathet resident Sidney Clare is happy to be the leader of the new local “Pawd” for the Powell River chapter of ElderDog (local groups are called Pawds).
ElderDog Canada is, “dedicated to aging people, aging dogs and the important connection they enjoy,” states a mission statement on the organization’s website.
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they could be young people as well.” ElderDog was started by university professor and researcher Dr. Ardra Cole, and inspired by her research in the area of caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease.
Clare, along with volunteer Joanne Doucet, recently represented ElderDog at City of Powell River’s Health and Wellness Fair, which took place last month at Powell River Recreation Complex.
“There is quite extensive training that goes into becoming a volunteer,” said Clare. “Volunteers are not just seniors,
“It became quite clear during that research that the family dog had an important role to play in people’s older adult illness, and also to their family members,” said Cole. “I also had a therapy dog, and we visited palliative care [facilities] for people at the end of life, and it was pretty important to them. Tattoo [her now deceased therapy dog] provided a lot of comfort in emotionally charged situations.”
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Cole said it was the sudden death of her brother, who left behind a chocolate labrador named Mister Brown, that spurred the idea to create the charity dedicated to the well-being and happiness of elderly folks, and the happiness and well-being of old dogs.
“I took [Mister Brown] in to live with me and my dog,” said Cole. “Those expe-
PAWDS SQUAD: Powell River chapter of ElderDog Canada volunteers Sidney Clare [left] and Joanne Doucet were at a recent health fair at Powell River Recreation Complex doing public outreach for the organization. TANYA HILL PHOTO
Volunteers provide lifeline a rocky mountain high Christmas
to adopt an old dog.”
Cole said most people looking for a new dog want a puppy but with older people it’s the opposite.
riences, personal and professional, prompted me to think about what I could do to make a difference to help older adults with their dogs and old dogs who need new homes.”
Cole said that although Mister Brown had a terminal disease, he found a new lease on life when he came to live in the countryside with her family.
“When I was doing the research, the dogs were quite happy at home with their loved ones, but the plans for them afterwards, [when the person could no longer care for their dog] were not in place,” said Cole. “In further research I found that old dogs don’t do well in a shelter, and people don’t line up
“So, it was coming to understand the needs in the community, both for older people in order to keep their dogs and older people who would like to have a dog,” she added.
Cole said, unfortunately, old age is when people can become more isolated and families may not be around, and so the dog is often the seniors’ only companion. This is where ElderDog volunteers come in.
“Our dog care support program is the most labour intensive because people who are living at home with a dog usually have mobility issues or transportation issues and may need extra help,” said Cole. “Our volunteers walk the dogs, take dogs to appointments such as grooming appointments or a vet appointment.”
Cole also said volunteers also provide basic brushing, feeding and administering medication, if needed.
Unfortunately, many dogs that end up in shelters are older and families may not want to adopt an older dog.
However, Cole said many seniors do want an older canine companion, but are usually refused adoption of a dog because of their elderly age.
“It’s one more ageism, right?” said Cole. “If they’re not able to have a dog, then that’s what contributes to their isolation and loneliness.”
Another function of ElderDog Canada is to help with providing foster homes for dogs, for people who have emergencies. They also have a rehoming program for dogs if their human companion can no longer care for them.
“Sometimes we provide foster homes until we are able to find a permanent
new home for [the dog],” said Cole. “Our rehoming process is very involved; we have people who do home-visits and background checks.”
As for volunteers like Clare and Doucet, Cole said they are more involved on the coordination level and would have gone through a mentoring process.
“The volunteers are a real mix,” said Cole. “We actually have a lot of people who have young children, and they want to volunteer.”
Cole said most of the people ElderDog supports don’t have family support around.
“Not always but it’s predominantly the case that people are living alone and they don’t have a strong support system, if any, sadly,” said Cole. “So really, ElderDog becomes a lifeline for them.”
To find out more information about ElderDog Canada and the local Pawds Powell River chapter, go to elderdog.ca/pawds/#contacts.
Caretaker pay increases
increase in budget, we can attract an appropriate caretaker for the facility.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott moved a recommendation that council direct staff to amend the City of Powell River five-year financial plan bylaw to include $11,000 in 2024, and $67,596 in years 2025 to 2028, for caretaker services at the campsite.
City of Powell River Council has voted to increase the pay for Willingdon Beach campsite caretaker services in the hope of attracting suitable candidates.
At the November 7 city council meeting, city chief administrative officer Lisa Bhopalsingh said the recommendation before council was to increase the budget for operations of the campground.
“As council is aware, we have had our caretaker give notice and our one attempt to get a new caretaker resulted in only one proponent, so staff are looking at something that would give a modest increase,” said Bhopalsingh. “We are hoping that with the
Elliott said this cost is not expected to transfer to taxation, but rather, lower the amount that is going into the Willingdon Beach reserves.
“This is to make sure we have the budget covered to run the campground,” said Elliott. “The campground does receive revenue as well, and so the revenue that we currently put into reserves will go down in order to increase the amount we are putting towards the caretaker.
“I’m in favour of keeping our campground open and having ideas of how we address that come forward through our budget discussions.”
Council unanimously endorsed the increase in Willingdon Beach caretaker pay.
Council advances housing proposal
Councillors give first three readings to bylaws that could provide mechanism for establishment of supportive facility
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
City of Powell River councillors have taken the first step in paving the way to turning a city-owned highway dedication near qathet General Hospital into a supportive housing and shelter complex.
At the November 7 council meeting, councillors had two bylaws on the agenda, to result in the permanent closure and removal of the highway dedication, and to amend the city’s zoning bylaw. Both bylaws were recommended for first three readings.
Mayor Ron Woznow, who is on medical leave but attended by video connection, led the discussion by proposing a motion to defer consideration of the proposed bylaws until several measures had been taken. These included BC Housing providing funding to the city to cover the cost of a consultant’s study on the impact on the community of the BC Housing existing supportive housing facility on Joyce Avenue. The second was for him to meet with newly named minster of housing Ravi Kahlon and new Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill to request a commitment that the neg-
ative impact of the Joyce facility be corrected.
The third was for BC Housing staff to meet with city council to outline how they will change the management model and operation of the existing facility and indicate what management model would be used for any new facility. The motion was seconded by councillor Jim Palm.
“We have 90-plus per cent of the residents of Powell River that have expressed their views on this, to say, time out,” said Woznow. “They have indicated that we should not do anything further until the current situation is corrected, and then consider how to move forward with the new model.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she had intended to make a motion to invite BC Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health and other relevant agencies to discuss the new supportive housing complex. She said her preference would be to have a motion on the floor to invite these organizations to have a conversation.
“I agree that we need that conversation, and my preference would be to have a motion that doesn’t presuppose that somebody has done something wrong,” said Elliott. “We can bring all our issues to that meeting and explain what it is we are having a hard time with. While I agree with the need to have that conversation, and I want to invite those folks here, I don’t agree with the wording in this [Woznow’s] particular motion.”
Councillor George Doubt said he did not agree with Woznow’s motion, either.
“What this motion would serve to do is to delay the opportunity to address the land use bylaw that is on the books tonight,” said Doubt. “It is my view, after listening to everybody, that there is a need for supportive housing in our community. We have homeless people that need a way to get off the street and a way to transition from being on the street to being able to get market housing or subsidized housing, and along the way hopefully get rid of any addictions or other situations that are stopping them from moving ahead.
“Homelessness won’t go away. People that are living on the street will still be there, but there will be less hope of getting off the street. If we delay this some more, what will the provincial government do? Will they decide there is no serious desire to have supportive housing in Powell River, and take the money and go somewhere else?”
Doubt said council could pass first three readings of the bylaws and still set up opportunities to talk to BC Housing, talk to the operators of the proposed new facility, whoever they might be, and answer everybody’s questions.
At this point in the meeting, after distractions from the gallery in council chambers, councillor and acting mayor Earl Almeida said if there were further interruptions, the meeting would be moved upstairs into the committee room and the gallery could watch the meeting remotely. The meeting, however, continued in council chambers.
Councillor Rob Southcott said
GETS VOTE: City of Powell River Council considered first three readings to two bylaws related to making city property available for a proposed supportive housing and shelter complex adjacent to qathet General Hospital. PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO
there are problems, but he did not support the motion to defer the consideration, even though he supports the spirit behind the mayor’s arguments to defer.
Palm said with council considering three readings of the bylaws, it was not final, and they would come back for final adoption at some point. However, he did not see a problem with deferment.
“One of the difficulties I’m having in this process is not having enough information regarding what is going on in our first facility,” said Palm. “I strongly believe a study needs to be done so we have all the information to move forward. Right now, we do not, and that is giving me a lot of consternation.”
Palm said he’s heard from the public and said from the outset that when the new proposed facility was brought up, the proposed location is a real obstacle for a whole range of issues.
Woznow’s motion to defer was defeated, with Woznow and Palm in favour, but the rest of council opposed the motion.
Elliott then made a motion to
Committee recommends property policy
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
City of Powell River Council will consider updating its city property policy to charge fair market value for city-owned real estate.
At the November 5 committee of the whole meeting, councillors considered a three-part recommendation to develop a new policy to include processes for all types of acquisitions and disposals of city-owned property.
City chief administrative officer Lisa Bhopalsingh said councillors had a staff report following council’s direction, where council directed staff to propose a new policy
to replace the city’s lease rate bylaw.
“What we have put forward to you aligns with council’s strategic priority under the heading of economic vibrancy, where you have a priority to increase revenue generation from the city’s assets,” said Bhopoalsingh. “What we have before you aligns with the Community Charter requirements for municipalities to charge fair market value for city-owned real estate. Staff are proposing a draft policy for your consideration.”
Bhopalsingh said the policy gives a combination of different methods that staff can use to evaluate the market rate for the lease
of different city properties.
The first recommendation was that the committee recommend that council repeal the existing lease rate bylaw, which passed unanimously.
The committee then considered the second recommendation, that council adopt the new city property policy, which it carried unanimously.
The third recommendation was the committee directs staff to continue developing the city property policy to include processes for all types of acquisitions and disposals of city-owned property. The recommendation
direct staff to extend an invitation to BC Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health and any other relevant agencies for the proposed new housing project to meet with council and discuss the project. Councillor Trina Isakson moved to defer a decision on the motion until the bylaw readings were addressed. The motion to defer failed.
Back to Elliott’s motion, Palm made an amendment motion to include representatives of Westview Ratepayers Society in the meeting. The ratepayers have been active in offering what they consider to be solutions for the housing debate. Palm’s motion failed.
Elliott’s motion carried, with Woznow opposed.
Council then gave three readings to the bylaw to provide for permanent closure and highway dedication removal of an undeveloped portion of the Complex Way highway dedication. The three readings carried, with Woznow and Palm opposed. The amendment to the city’s zoning bylaw also passed first three readings, with Woznow and Palm opposed.
passed unanimously.
According to the staff report, under the policy, staff would determine the fair market value for lease rates for city-owned property using a combination of factors and methodologies, including: comparable market analysis; local economic conditions; regulatory framework; valuation methods; and periodic reviews.
The policy would also set out circumstances when an external appraiser may be required or preferred by the city. All external appraisals would be reviewed by the city as a prerequisite to negotiations, according to the staff report.
Neill sworn-in as MLA
Powell RiverSunshine Coast representative ready to bring constituent concerns to the legislature
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill has been sworn in as this constituency’s legislative representative and she is looking forward to bringing forward important issues and carrying the voices of her constituents.
In an interview following the swearing-in ceremony in the BC Legislature on November 13, Neill said the swearing in was “a little bit surreal” but “very exciting.”
“I was also proud of everybody else who was sworn in today and all these incredible people who are serving in the NDP caucus,” said Neill. “It’s an amazing group of people.”
In an NDP media release issued after the swearing-
in, premier David Eby said: “Our new government caucus represents one of the most diverse and qualified groups of MLAs that this legislature has ever seen.”
Neill told the Peak her caucus has great female representation, and after she was elected, she received a call or text or email from every single returning female MLA, congratulating her.
“They said: ‘let me know what you need, let me know how I can help you.’
Everyone wrapped their arms around us and it was the best feeling. It feels really good to be part of the majority female caucus.”
When Neill returns to the legislature to conduct government business, she has many issues to bring forward. She said that when she was campaigning and asking people about what was the most important issue to them, affordability is a big one, as is housing, health care, road safety, public transportation and ferries.
“These are issues that I want to work on because they are important to the people who live in our riding,” said Neill. “I want to tackle each of those things
and make sure that we can work on making all these issues better for everyone who lives in our riding.”
Neill indicated that she will reach out to cabinet ministers, indicating what her constituents need, what the solutions are, and how, by working together, work can get done and issues can be solved.
The first-time MLA was among NDP caucus members named to cabinet positions on November 18. She will serve as BC’s minister of water, land and resource stewardship.
In terms of two important issues to people living in Powell River, supportive housing and a possible name change, Neill said she has heard from many people about these issues.
“I have spoken with a lot of people about the second supporting housing complex that has been proposed for Powell River,” said Neill. “We understand that we need more homes for people, and that everybody who wants a home deserves a home. However, there are still some questions and there’s still some concerns, and there are still some
fears that people have about bringing in a second complex housing unit. We need to talk to people as much as possible and work through the issues.”
Neill said the same goes for a possible name change for the City of Powell River.
“I decided to run in this election because I just realized that we’re becoming more polarized and more divisive, and I don’t think that’s our future,” said Neill. “Our future is finding common ground, finding our common goals, and working towards that together. That
means we all have to sit down and have those really difficult conversations, and whatever choices we make, we have to do it as a community. We also have to actually learn how to listen to each other, how to build relationships with each other, and help us all move forward together in a really supportive way.
“That is what makes Powell River such a wonderful place.”
Neill, who spent many years as a broadcaster, said she is hoping to bring her communications skills to the equation.
School district names superintendent
Paul McKenzie will assume role in spring 2025
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
qathet School District (qSD) has hired a new superintendent of schools.
The school district announced the hiring of Paul McKenzie, who has served most recently as the assistant superintendent in the Saanich School District.
“Paul brings a dynamic vision and a wealth of experience to our district, and we are eager to see his leadership in action,” stated qathet School District board chair Jaclyn
Miller, in a media release. “His focus on student well-being and his collaborative approach will be vital as we continue to create meaningful, positive outcomes for every learner in our district.”
According to the release, following a rigorous national selection process, the school board identified McKenzie as the ideal leader to guide qSD in advancing its mission and strategic priorities to support the success and well-being of all learners.
“Paul brings more than 30 years of experience in public education, with an extensive background in leadership across multiple districts,” the release stated. ”His efforts have strengthened relationships between schools and communities through parent en-
gagement and support for student success initiatives. Paul has also overseen key district operations such as staffing allocations, curriculum renewal and technological advancements aimed at enhancing student engagement.”
The release stated that previously, McKenzie held a variety of senior leadership roles with the Thames Valley District School Board in Ontario, a district made up of 84,000 students and 151 schools.
“In these roles, he was instrumental in fostering innovation, advancing Indigenous education initiatives and promoting a culture of continuous improvement,” the release stated. “His leadership in implementing programs that support First Nations, Métis and Inuit students has contributed to mean-
“I look forward to using my voice in Victoria,” said Neill. “I love talking to people. I love listening to what their issues are, and I love trying to solve those issues together. That’s what I really want to work on.”
In terms of her local representation, Neill plans to continue to operate her Powell River office from the same facility on Marine Avenue that former MLA Nicholas Simons used as his base in this community. Neill said the plans are to have the office open from 10 am to 3 pm Monday to Friday.
EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE: qathet School District has announced the hiring of Saanich School District assistant superintendent Paul McKenzie as the new superintendent of schools in qathet School District.
PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO
ingful improvements in student achievement and well-being.”
McKenzie will officially join qathet School District in spring
2025, shortly after spring break. In the interim, Vianne Kintzinger will continue as the interim superintendent of schools.
RIDING REP: Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill has been sworn-in, and now represents the people of this community and the lower Sunshine Coast. Neill is ready to take on important local issues, such as supportive housing, a possible name change, and transportation with cabinet ministers. SANDRA THOMAS/COAST REPORTER PHOTO
Brander re-elected as qRD chair
Regional district holds election for its leader at board meeting
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
qathet Regional District Electoral Area C director Clay Brander has been reelected as chair of the regional board.
At the November 6 regional board meeting, Brander was nominated as chair, along with City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott. Secret ballots were handed out, and after they were counted, corporate officer Michelle Jones declared Brander the winner.
After taking the chair, Brander thanked the directors and said he appreciated the confidence the directors had put in him, and that he looked forward to another successful year.
Shortly after Brander’s election, former city director George Doubt appeared before the board to say his parting comments. Doubt has resigned his seat on the regional board.
Doubt said he had been a city director for six years.
“I went home from the last meeting and I thought that it was a long day, and a long week, and it has been a long six years,” said Doubt. “I looked at the agenda for the city council meeting that was coming up the next day and I thought it was time for some new blood. It’s time to pass the torch to someone else.
“The city has chosen a new person to be a delegate representing the municipality.”
Doubt said he didn’t want
to go without saying goodbye. He said he brought his respects to chair Brander and all the directors and all the staff.
“I actually enjoyed it all the time,” said Doubt. “Some of the days have been really long, and some of the debates have been tough to go through, but we have always come to decisions. I’ve always respected the other people at the table and appreciated the work that staff does.
“I wanted to come today to say a proper goodbye, to say I’ve enjoyed it. I’m sure I might come here again someday to complain about what you are doing,” which elicited a laugh from those around the board table.
Brander said he thought he could speak on behalf of the regional board and the staff that they had appreciated the time that Doubt had put in.
“You’ve been a calming and organizing voice on the board,” said Brander. “I have found you to be extremely
valuable and I’m very glad I had the chance to work with you for six years.”
Doubt said he understands why the regional district blocks all its meetings into Wednesdays, but he found, as a municipal director, it was an incredibly difficult amount of work.
“Thank you for the experience,” said Doubt. “I’ve appreciated it.”
The board then reviewed correspondence from City of Powell River deputy corporate officer Jessica Walls, which outlined the composition of the city’s regional directors going forward. The correspondence indicated that city councillor Rob Southcott would be serving as Doubt’s replacement on the regional board, carrying with him four weighted votes. Elliott will remain as a regional director, with three weighted votes.
Councillor Trina Isakson is Elliott’s alternate, and an alternate for Southcott has yet to be named.
BALLOTS COUNTED: qathet Regional District Electoral Area
C director Clay Brander will continue to serve as the regional board’s chair. Brander was first elected to the position after the October 2022 municipal election. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Type of therapy depends on individual
Innovative ideas needed for longterm addiction recovery
TANYA HILL
thill@prpeak.com
National Addictions
Awareness Week is November 24 to 30.
Social isolation, trauma, boredom, chronic pain and stress are just a few examples as to why people struggle with or use substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs or illicit drugs.
Henrik Elzinga is a registered social worker (RSW) and now works as a clinical social worker with VK Wellness Initiative, a medical health centre located in the qathet region. The Peak spoke to Elzinga about his experiences out in the field and what approaches he uses in his practice.
"I've worked in treatment centres and second-stage housing that comes after treatment," said Elzinga. "Detox is the medical part to make sure people are safe coming off drugs and alcohol; you can actually die and have seizures."
After this stage, Elzinga said people usually move into either a treatment
centre and/or second-stage housing.
"I did that work for a long time as a social worker, and now the work I do is clinical social work, so it's more therapy, sitting and talking with people, often addressing trauma."
Elzinga said his approach depends on an individual's needs and where they are at in their life at the moment.
"We can talk about the drinking and/or using, sure, but then, we can also talk about what drives the drinking and the using," said Elzinga. "I don't [necessarily] ask why the addiction, but why [is the person] in pain; sometimes the addiction is only a symptom of something else."
Elzinga spent years as a social worker helping people get into treatment and setting up their lives, but now his focus is more personal clinical therapy. He works with a variety of folks from many different backgrounds, including elderly people in the qathet community.
"I work with many senior [over 65] clients and so do all our clinicians," said Elzinga. "Of course we support seniors [and others] in all areas of life, including: mental health, stress/ anxiety, addictions, family issues, relationship, health
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and chronic illness, trauma, communication."
Elzinga emphasized that the VK Wellness Initiative offers free wellness consults to everybody and everyone, no matter their circumstances.
"We store trauma in the body, and so we [those in addiction] are trying to navigate life, and we get quite used to using alcohol or cannabis or other drugs to try to cope," said Elzinga. Some of the therapies he uses are to help cool and soothe the nervous system and to become more comfortable in the physical body.
"I don't have one type of therapy that I just apply to people," said Elzinga. "If a person is homeless my focus would be on helping them to get housed. But, if a person is housed and they have family, social connections, eat well and they're doing okay, and they're willing to explore, then I think therapies [or a variety of modalities] such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be really helpful."
Elzinga said there are some tangible and practical steps people can take if they struggle with addiction and/ or their mental health.
"If they can get themselves in to see someone like me, a clinician, that's great, because I can help
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plan therapy, and I can also help to access resources," said Elzinga. "Not everyone has extended health benefits or can afford to see a private therapist; that whole system [public health care services], I think, is kind of broken right now."
The average referral wait time to access mental health services in the qathet region is around three months, which for many people is too long, but Elzinga recommends getting the referral going.
"I would urge people to check out support groups like AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] and NA [Narcotics Anonymous]," said Elzinga. “It's not for everyone, but it can be really helpful, because that's a point of connection, that's a place where you can go and meet other people who are struggling."
Elzinga said a lot of addiction happens in the shadows and what's needed is a safe place to start talking to people who can be trusted.
"I like to connect people with services, even if they're not my own client," said Elzinga. "Even if someone doesn't have money, they can approach us, and we will give them a free 20-minute call, and we'll set them up with services that are accessible to the
best of our ability."
As for those in the cycle of addiction perpetuated by the toxic drug supply, Elzinga believes innovative solutions are necessary.
"We've [communities in BC] focused a lot on harm reduction in recent years, which is good, but it's not the solution, because it's just keeping people alive, but it doesn't really get to the root of the problem," said Elzinga.
In September 2024, the province announced in a media release that it was taking action to make sure people with long-term concurrent mental-health and addiction challenges receive secure and dignified care by opening highly secure facilities for people under the Mental Health Act throughout the province, as well as secure treatment within BC Corrections.
“People with addiction
challenges, brain injuries and mental-health issues need compassionate care and direct and assertive intervention to help them stabilize and rebuild a meaningful life,” stated premier David Eby.
Elzinga believes that society, health professionals, social services and government need to look at programs, for example, such as New Roads, a recovery program run by Our Place in Victoria. The integrated addictions centre provides ongoing therapeutic and medical support as well as employment, educational, work experience and transitional support.
"It is modelled after a program in Italy called San Patrignano," said Elzinga. "Basically, it takes people from jail or off the streets and it puts them together to work together in a community."
KELLY KEIL publisher SHANE CARLSON editor
GALINSKI
SANDY ADAMS
DIFFERENT MODALITIES: Henrik Elzinga is a clinical social worker who now works with clients out of VK Wellness Initiative. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Oil and gas are
‘a
It is no wonder that the world has made little if any progress in reducing emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, nor in supporting the people who are most vulnerable to the effects.
gift of God’ CLIMATE
CROSSROADS
By William Lytle-McGhee
The above article title is straight out of the mouth of the president of Azerbaijan, the host country, during opening remarks at COP 29, the current UN conference on climate change. He goes on to portray all of the planet's resources in the same vein (no pun intended), and really he has a point, although whether or not it is God’s special endowment or just our lucky universal sweet spot remains a mystery.
All of the wonderful technology that we, through science, have learned to develop and apply, and the wealth we have created to support billions of people are the result of human ingenuity in the discovery, exploitation and utilization of these natural resources. Realistically though there is a limit. But, and this is a big but, it is not about these natural resources as much as it is about how we humans are using, overusing or abusing them. It is about the damage we are doing to ourselves and many other forms of life on this planet by not disciplining ourselves to live within the natural laws science has unveiled to us.
We are drastically upsetting the very fine balance established over millennia to make Earth such an abundant habitat for living things, including us. As far as we know, this is not something common, not something readily available. Nothing out there is a cabin in the woods.
Every aspect of this planet is miraculous and precious. Yes, it is beautiful to our eyes and many of us rave about it, the spirituality of it, but it is in the biology, the physics, the geology, the structure of the planet itself where equal beauty lies, which we cannot see every day without our science. There is no planet B.
Today, there is a fairly small group of individuals, wealthy, powerful and influential, who are calling the economic shots, primarily around the continuing development of fossil fuel resources, which, ironically enough, are the decomposing remains of living things, plant and animal, from millions of years ago.
Their fear is that they stand to lose their power and wealth, to the point where they are now invoking God. That is why they are spending so much to
slow down the necessary and inevitable transition to clean, sustainable, renewable energy, and that is what they are doing at COP 29.
At this moment there are huge questions being asked about why fossil fuel states and corporations are involved at all in developing policy trying to get climate change under control. Just ask the citizens of Valencia, Spain, or California, or Pakistan, or Greece, or Lytton, or Jasper, or Abbotsford for that matter.
We need a new process to get emissions under control. And it isn’t happening with the major economic stakeholders at the table.
Around the world there are currently many examples of extreme weather made worse and more frequent by the influence of fossil-fuel-emissions-generated climate change. These are the floods, the crop destroying droughts, the hurricanes, the wild fires, the sea level rise, the melting glaciers, the deforestation, the rapid loss of species, et cetera, all directly impacting the lives of our fellow human beings and other living things for the worse.
Our uniqueness, our intelligence, our consciousness and our love may also be seen as gifts from God, so where do those fit in?
William Lytle-McGhee is a member of qathet Climate Alliance.
DRIVE RESPONSIBLY
During the holidays, you often hear tragic stories of people losing their lives in road accidents involving alcohol and drug use. However, these tragedies can be prevented. Here are a few simple tips to ensure you and those around you stay safe this festive season.
Are you a driver?
Even if you feel okay to drive, it’s a proven fact that consuming alcohol and drugs — no matter how much — will still impair your judgment. It’s best to have a plan of action before you go out. Consider arranging to stay overnight at the party location or assign a designated driver for your group. Other options for getting home safely include hiring a rideshare service or taxi or taking public transit.
Are you a passenger or witness?
If you notice that someone is unfit to drive and still intends to get behind the wheel, speak up! Let them know it’s not okay and suggest alternative options. The same applies if you’re a passenger in a group that must share a vehicle. If you’re asked to ride with a driver who has been consuming drugs or alcohol, refuse and do everything you can to encourage others to do the same.
Picket line
Strike began on November 14
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
Powell River Local 808 of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) president Noah Bourcier and more than 40 CUPW members were on picket line on November 18, outside the Canada Post building at 4812 Joyce Avenue. Bourcier said they had been on strike since 9 pm on November 14.
"We've been without a contract since December 30, 2023," added Bourcier. "With the cost of living going up we haven't seen an annual raise in over a year."
Bourcier said the cost of living in Powell River has gone up and with two small children and a wife, his family's grocery bill is on average $1,200 a month. The starting wage at Canada Post is $2,750 and an average one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver costs $2,500, which is not sustainable, he added.
ing this terrible new system across the country. Our members are falling apart with the insane physical demands that walking 30-plus kilometres a day puts on their bodies. Not to mention, job satisfaction is at an all-time low with this system and they don't want to pay for this extra work.”
Canada Post is a Crown corporation owned by the federal government, but Bourcier emphasized that workers salaries are not taxpayer funded.
"Another really important sticking point for us is [Canada Post] trying to take away the indexing part of our pensions for new hires, so it puts all the risk on the employee, as opposed to the employer, for our pensions, so you're at the mercy of the markets," said Bourcier. "Right now we're protected against market fluctuations with our index."
The Peak reached out to Canada Post and received an emailed response:
When it comes to alcohol and drugs, everyone shares the responsibility to stay safe. As a driver, avoid getting behind the wheel, and as a witness, act. Everyone can do something to prevent the devastating consequences of impaired driving — including
penalties, severe
and
“In Powell River, letter carriers are currently walking 15 to 20 kilometres per day under the old foot route system,” said Bourcier. “Canada Post has implemented a new system, called separate sort and delivery, where they've taken away letter carriers’ morning sortation time and added those two hours to our walking time. Under this horrible new system letter carriers are walking over 30 kilometres a day.
“My union is demanding that they cease implement-
“Canada Post supports the appointment of a special mediator by the minister of labour as efforts continue to achieve negotiated agreements with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). We remain committed to reaching new agreements at the bargaining table, and not through arbitration. While the parties remain far apart at the table, our plan has always been to continue operating and maintain this vital service, even in the event of rotating strikes by the union.”
WORKERS STRIKE: Canadian Union of Postal Workers are on a national strike as of last week. TANYA HILL PHOTO
mature living
Signs and risks of seniors abuse
Ageism, extreme clutter, finances and food security are some challenges facing elder community members
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
Not everyone is lucky enough to live past the age of 65, but for those who do, the wisdom they have gained and ways they most likely have contributed to society should pay off, and hopefully be respected. However, for many older folks in North America and in the qathet region, a senior's reality is full of complexity.
Seniors advocate Elisa Renick is the director of the board at Senior Citizens Association Branch 49 (Cranberry Seniors Centre) and coordinator for Powell River Community Response Network (CRN).
"I have been in the coordinator position since March 2020 and in that time, we early on identified seniors in our community struggling with food security," said Renick. "Luckily, with some acquired funding over the years, we have been
able to purchase and distribute grocery gift cards and frozen meal coupons."
The Powell River CRN is one of 80 CRNs that have been set up across BC in order to educate communities on signs and risks of senior abuse, resources on housing assistance, advance care planning, mental health and ageism.
"We distribute educational resources, and we do presentations in the community called: It's Not Right; we also do presentations on ageism and introduction to extreme clutter," said Renick.
According to the BC CRN website, elder abuse can be financial, physical, sexual and psychological: "Elder abuse commonly refers to adult abuse where the target is a senior or older adult. An abuser is someone who is likely to be someone known to the abused older person like a friend, family."
It was reported previously in the Peak that, according to the 2021 census, 31.6 per cent of qathet Regional District residents are age 65 and older, with an additional 10.4 per cent between the ages of 60 and 64 years of age, totalling approximately 8,945 senior residents.
The Peak wanted to find out about what other issues seniors in the qathet community are facing and asked Renick the following. What are some key issues facing seniors in the qathet community?
Food security
"We have all seen the amount of rising costs," said Renick. "By seeking funding and community partnerships we [Senior Citizens Association] have invested over $10,000 since 2020 into food security initiatives for seniors, such as a frozen meal program that's run out of the Cranberry Seniors Centre."
Money
"Many seniors are surviving on the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP), the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Old Age Security (OAS), which comes to just under $1,500 a month," said Renick. "I would think that's a good portion of our senior population [in qathet]."
Renick believes there needs to be more stable financial support for seniors in BC.
Ageism
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "ageism refers to the stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination toward others or oneself based on age."
Although ageism is harmful at any age, in many cases, the senior population in North America experiences the brunt of it, which can,"erode solidarity between gen-
erations, impact health, longevity and well-being while also having economic consequences," according to the WHO.
"As a senior, I've experienced ageism in the workplace," said Renick.
"I know other seniors have felt it when being served by young people at the grocery stores; they've told me stories."
This is where education can come in. Renick said she has given many CRN presentations, but believes they could do more to reach more demographics in the community.
As for transportation and activities for seniors in qathet, Renick believes the region is doing fairly well.
"Cranberry Seniors Centre and Gerry Gray Place have many arts and community activities in place
that are very good," said Renick. "I take the bus and the drivers are great, my experience is excellent."
For an online list of seniors services, including the frozen meal program available in the qathet region, go to powellriverseniors.ca/ outreach.htm.
To access information about Powell River, Community Response Network, go to bccrns. ca/bccrnsnetwork/powell-rivercommunity-response-network.
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has put out a survey for BC residents about their perceptions and experiences with ageism, particularly related to seniors. The survey is open until December 13, 2024, and can be found at seniorsadvocatebc.ca/current-issues/ ageism-survey.
SENIOR SITUATIONS: There are many issues faced by older adults in the qathet community. One major issue is a financial one. KASTO80, ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
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Strength training benefits seniors
Working with weights can mitigate many ailments that may develop later in life
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
According to the Mayo Clinic, strength training can help preserve and enhance muscle mass at any age, and help to increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
qathet resident Marlene Hall is in her seventh decade of life and is going strong as a regular at Powell River Curling Club. But, Hall said when she heard about a free
strength-training class offered by personal trainer and Olympian Gina Grain, she was eager to sign up.
"I don't think of myself as a senior, but I knew that I needed this [weight training] because my balance is getting poorer and I find myself weaker," said Hall. "She [Grain] really worked us hard, but it's been pretty good, and I've noticed a difference."
Hall is now participating in an eight-week course at Suncoast Integrated Health on Marine Avenue. She said she likes the class because it's specifically for people who are actively aging, and with only eight students, Grain is able to be attentive to everyone's needs and prevent injury.
"I like having the older age group; there's two men
and six women, and we're all pretty equal," said Hall. "When I went to our openleague curl, people noticed a difference in the power of my legs."
Grain is a track-cycling Olympian and represented Canada at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She also holds a master's degree in exercise science, specializing in strength and conditioning. She moved to the qathet region last year but only started offering classes recently.
"I wanted to have a number of different groups, like a women's group and a seniors group and kids groups," said Grain. "There has been a lot of interest from the community." Although group classes »11
such as perimenopausal/ menopausal workouts and functional strength are currently full, Grain plans to offer them again in the new year.
"After the age of 30 we're on this path to lose muscle and strength," said Grain. "We're not working on the farm and lifting a lot of heavy stuff [for the most part] as we age, and especially over the age of 60, it accelerates more with sarcopenia, [age-related loss of muscle mass] and age-related muscle strength loss."
Grain said losing that strength and balance can increase the chances of falling and that's why her class, like the one Hall is in, is focused on strength training and deep-balancing exercises.
"Studies have shown that strength-training is one of the number one methods to help create bone density, so you create bone by strength training," said Grain. "You can slow down osteoporosis and sometimes reverse
osteoporosis; it's pretty incredible."
Grain said that although hiking, walking and running are still good and healthy activities to do, they are not enough.
"It's not enough stress to strengthen bones," said Grain. "We also need to remember that mobility, if
you want to be mobile, is not just stretching. Mobility is a combination of strength, flexibility and what's called motor control."
To find out about activeaging strength training, go to the Suncoast Integrated Health website at suncoastintegratedhealth.com/ classes.
NEVER TOO LATE: Canadian track cycling Olympian Gina Grain [left], who holds a master’s degree in exercise science, specializing in strength and conditioning, works out with strength-training client Marlene Hall at Suncoast Integrative Health. TANYA HILL PHOTO
Winning ways continue for Otago
Rugby club undefeated at 10-a-side tournament on Vancouver Island
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
Otago Rugby Club has competed in another 10-a-side tournament, being the only team to go undefeated.
According to Otago spokesperson Jack Beardmore, Otago travelled to Victoria on November 9 to participate in the tournament, featuring four teams, sponsored by the Rising Tide team, at Windsor Park.
“We had to rush down to Victoria on the first ferry because we were scheduled for a 1 pm game,” said Beardmore. “We travelled like mad dogs and got there right at 1 pm. They pushed kickoff back to 1:30 pm for our first game against Cowichan.”
Beardmore said Otago had previously faced Cowichan earlier this fall in Duncan, having defeated the island opposition.
“We were up against the same guys in the first game and for the first five or six minutes, it was pretty much back and forth,” said Beardmore. “There was good ball movement, but no progress by either side. Then, Shane Morrisey made a beautiful breakthrough and ran a try in under the posts. We hit the kick so we were up seven-zip.
“The second half started and Cowichan was a little more determined. They ran the ball harder with a few more young guys and ran in a try, but it was in the corner, so the kick was missed by a lot. We were up 7-5.”
Beardmore said Peter Tucker, the team’s youngest player, who is just 18, made a phenomenal break around the outside and ran a 60-metre try.
“To say we were ecstatic for him would be an understatement,” said Beardmore. “It was really great to see it happen for him.
“For the rest of the game, it was just Cowichan trying to defend. They were running out of gas so our boys just kept going at them. We were right at their try line when the game ended.”
Otago won the game 12-5.
“It was a good effort,” said Beardmore. “Our defence was just unbelievable. The tackling has improved dramatically over these past few months. We have really stressed that, plus keeping a flat line, taking away space instead of leaving space for our opponents to run.”
The second game was against the host Rising Tide team, another side Otago had faced and beaten in the Cowichan tournament. Beardmore said he was listening to Rising Tide players before the game, who wanted to avenge the loss.
“They put out their best team,” said Beardmore. “They had 21 players to our 12. We only had two spares. However, we went out and took everything.
“The Rising Tide are a big side
and they wanted to keep the ball tight. [Coach] Geoff Matheson and I both stressed getting the ball wide on them and making them run. Our guys did exactly that. The first part of the game was hard up against those big players, but we played solid defence.”
On one of Otago’s possessions, they were able to take the ball and run a try, with Brian James crossing the try line. The kick was missed, so Otago was up 5-0. In the same half, Sawyer Gowans made a phenomenal run and put the ball across the try line close to the posts, so the kick was made, upping the score to 12-0, according to Beardmore.
“Rising Tide brought on more players, thinking they could get some fresh legs and take it to us,” said Beardmore. “If anything, it had the reverse effect. Our guys were warmed up and they played above themselves in this whole tournament.”
Otago ran a third try in the second half and the final outcome of the game was 17-0 for Otago.
“We got a shutout, and to say that Rising Tide were mad was an understatement,” said Beardmore.
Otago was supposed to get a third 10-a-side game in the tournament, but Beardmore said the hosts decided to have a full 15s game, so the two south island teams, Rising Tide and Castaway Wanderers formed one side, and Otago and Cowichan formed the other side. The hosts decided on a 30-minute game rather than the standard 80 minutes for 15s. Beardmore said the game was loosey-goosey and it ended two trys
to one for the south island.
“It was a phenomenal weekend for us,” said Beardmore. “We were the only team that won both of its games. The other teams had a win and a loss.”
Otago has one more contest this year, playing Port Alberni Black Sheep here on December 7.
Beardmore said the game will feature full 15s, playing a standard rugby game. Beardmore acknowledges that Otago will be in tough because Port Alberni has the best division one team on Vancouver Island.
“We’re going to be up against it, there’s no two ways around it, but we are going to go full-out in our training and we intend on turning some heads,” said Beardmore.
Otago has won eight of its last 10 rugby matches.
Beardmore said efforts are being made by him and some other Vancouver Island team representatives to revive the third division. In
the interim, there are plans to hold 10-a-side tournaments regularly.
He attributes the team’s latest success to the coaching of Matheson, plus having attracted some experienced rugby players who have added to the team’s depth.
“It’s made a monstrous difference because we have gone from having not a lot of game experience to having some guys who are phenomenal rugby players,” said Beardmore. “We are also playing more games, which is making us better. We’re getting in the game time.”
Beardmore now wants to build up the women’s side. He said there are six committed players, but Otago is looking for more.
“If we could get a women’s team here, it would be the greatest thing going,” said Beardmore. “We’re trying to build on that.”
Otago practices at Cranberry Field on Thursdays at 5 pm. All are welcome.
Regals split weekend series with Appollos
SHANE CARLSON editor@prpeak.com
Lake Cowichan Appollos thwarted a late rally by Powell River Regals with a power play goal in overtime to win the second game of the season between the two senior AA hockey clubs on November 15.
The visitors never trailed at Hap Parker Arena, but gave up two goals in the final five minutes of the game, one with the Powell River net empty, which tied the game 6-6 and forced the extra period.
Goal scorers for Powell River were Travis Granbois, Ethan Schmunk, Nic Porchetta,
Bekkam Willis, Bryson Cecconi and Mitch Williams.
Regals outshot their opponents by a wide margin (49-24) but had difficulty with the Appollos power play, which accounted for four of the seven goals scored by the visitors. Overtime was also needed in September, when Lake Cowichan won at home.
Regals bounced back from the loss with a 7-4 win over the same team at Hap Parker Arena the next night.
Gabe Shipley, Granbois, Jack Long, Williams, Brett Kinley, Willis and Porchetta scored for the Regals, who led 3-2 after 20 minutes and 5-3 at the second intermission.
“Our offence is really starting to come together as our power play and lines have now had multiple games together,” said Regals’ coach Tod English.
Dieter McIntosh turned aside 22 of the 26 shots he faced to earn the win for the home team. Powell River sent 47 shots at his counterpart Brendan Wilson, who made 40 saves.
Regals are tied with the Appollos atop West Coast Senior Hockey League standings. Each team has eight points, but the Regals have played one more game. They face each other once more in the regular season in late December on Vancouver Island.
Nanaimo Steelmen, who visit Powell River next month, are third with four points from five games. Lake Cowichan returned to the senior AA circuit for the 2024/2025 season after an absence of more than 20 years. All three teams are pursuing a berth in the 2025 Coy Cup provincial championship tournament, which will be held in Prince Rupert in late March. The format is a four team round-robin followed by semi-final and championship games. Regals hosted Coy Cup 2024 at Hap Parker Arena and advanced to the final but ultimately fell just short of hoisting the trophy. Terrace River Kings won the cup with a 5-4 victory in triple overtime.
MORE VICTORIES: Otago Rugby Club attended another 10-a-side tournament on Vancouver Island recently, going undefeated in its competition against two island teams. PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO
Double gold for minor hockey
Powell River U15 Kings captain Lucas Gruntman was involved in all six goals in his team’s gold medal performance at the Kings Cup at Powell River Recreation Complex earlier this month.
Gruntman scored five goals and assisted on one by Gabriel Caldarone. After Powell River took the lead seconds into the November 10 game, the visitors from Juan de Fuca scored a minute later.
Kings went ahead 3-1 in the second period, then fell behind 4-3 early in the third period. Gruntman scored the game-tying fourth and eventual game-winning fifth goals unassisted, and nine seconds apart. He added the insurance marker with just over nine minutes remaining in the game.
Powell River had an easy time in round robin play, winning each game by six to eight goals before downing Semiahmoo 8-3 in the semi-final. In that game, Kooper Kozmeniuk scored four times, Blake Peters added a pair of goals
CUP CHAMPS: Powell River U13 Kings were one of three local hockey teams to earn gold medals at tournaments over the long weekend in November.
and singles were scored by Calderone and Kesler Brown.
Round robin: Powell River 10 - Cloverdale 2 (November 8); Powell River 9 - Semiahmoo 2 (November 9); Powell River 10 - Juan de Fuca 4 (November 9).
U13s celebrate gold
Powell River U13 Kings also reached the top of the podium, earning the gold medal in the Kings Cup tournament they hosted from November 8 to 10.
Teams look up
Two local sports teams are struggling and occupying last place in their respective standings. Powell River Kings sit 10th in the BC Hockey League Coastal Conference while Powell River Villa are in the same spot among Vancouver Island Soccer League (VISL) Division 1 clubs.
Kings came close to being shut out on November 15. Calvin Beard scored with one second remaining in the game at Frank Crane Arena, ruining a shutout bid by Nanaimo Clippers goaltender Nixon Chazz.
Clippers cruised to the win, scoring a trio of goals in each of the first two periods and eventually going up 7-0 in the third period before Beard closed out the scoring with an unassisted marker, his third goal of the season.
Two days later, this time at Hap Parker Arena, three power play goals in the second period powered Nanaimo to a 7-2 win over Powell River.
Brendan Giles and Alex Loftgren scored
Powell River split its first two games, falling 5-2 to Comox and cruising past Vancouver by a score of 9-2. The hosts finished the round-robin with a 7-3 win over Sooke.
The gold medal game featured a rematch between Powell River and Comox, which the home team won 5-2. Two players recorded three points each in the game. Jasper Street had a hat-trick and Cecil Hackett scored once as well as helping set up a pair of goals.
Zach Labree scored the fifth and final goal for Powell
for the Kings, who trailed 5-1 by the start of the third period.
Both teams had three power play opportunities during the game. While the Clippers were perfect with the extra attacker, the Kings were unable to convert on their trio of chances.
Kings, who host Alberni Valley on November 22 and 23, are five points behind the eighth place Clippers and four in back of Prince George Spruce Kings.
Lakehill 4 - Villa 2
Powell River failed to gain ground on Sooke Celtic and Nanaimo United, who are tied for eighth in VISL standings, three points ahead of Villa, but each has played one more game.
Thompson Nelson and James Timothy scored for Powell River in a 4-2 loss at Lakehill (Victoria) on November 16.
Villa hosts Nanaimo on Saturday, November 23.
River in the third period. Griffin Fraser, Tye Doxsee and Tobin Leblanc assisted on one goal each.
cclspr@gmail.com. Powell River Hospital Foundation is working to improve your health care. Donations are thankfully accepted. prhospitalfoundation.com 604.485.3211 ext 4349
Alcoholics Anonymous
•604-485-6994
• 604-223-1270
• 604-414-5232 (Texada)
Meetings
FRIDAYS, 7:30 to 8:30 pm Alano Club
SUNDAYS, 8 to 9 pm Alano Club
The family of Elio Cossarin would like to thank the following for helping to make his prayers, funeral service and reception so special - Father Tepoorten, Father Camillus, Fausto Devita and the Italian Choir, Chris and Galileo Castagnoli, Antoinette Knight and the choir, Janet from Bloom Wildly, Robert from Works Printing and Design and Filomena Porchetta and the kitchen helpers.
We would also like to thank Pat and Joanne at Stubberfield Funeral Home and Caroline at the Regional District for their kind and professional service.
Many thanks to our family, friends and community for the many expressions of sympathy, food, Mass cards, donations to Special Olympics BC - Powell River and for the wonderful support that we have received since Elio’s passing. His legacy of kindness and selfless giving will live on in his memory.
“Coraggio sempre”
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN MONITORING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Call for Applications
The qathet Regional District (qRD) is seeking new members to sit on the Solid Waste Management Plan Monitoring Advisory Committee (SWMPMAC). The Committee was formed to advise the qRD Board and staff on the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Plan. Copies of the Committee’s Terms of Reference are available on the qathet Regional District website about (www.qathet.ca/about/) under “Committees & Commissions”
Committee members must be 18 years of age or older and be generally available to attend regular Committee meetings and meet the Terms of Reference criteria. Broad representation of the Regional District as a whole will be considered when selecting Committee Membership. The qRD is looking for members with the following attributes:
• One person with experience in the recovery of resources from solid waste
• One person with experience in public education relating to solid waste management
• One private sector representative with experience in the recycling business
• One private sector representative with experience in the collection and management of solid waste
• One member of a local environmental group with interests in solid waste
Interested, eligible individuals should send a written application explaining why they want to sit on the Committee and what qualities and/or expertise they will bring to the Committee.
Applications may be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail:
Address: Attn: Heather Gillespie, Technical Services Clerk qathet Regional District
202 - 4675 Marine Avenue
Powell River, BC V8A 2L2
Phone: 604 485-2260
Fax: 604 485-2216
E-mail: hgillespie@qathet.ca
The deadline for applications is 4 pm, Monday, November 25, 2024.
RobertJamesAstrope
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Budget Meetings
The qathet Regional District will meet to consider the proposed 2025 budgets and 2025-2029 Financial Plan at the Finance Committee meetings from December, 2024 through February, 2025.
The Regional Hospital District will meet to consider the proposed 2025 budget at the Regional Hospital District meetings between December, 2024 and March, 2025.
Meeting dates and times can be viewed on the Regional District website at qathet.ca
For more information, please contact Linda Greenan, Manager of Financial Services at finance@qathet.ca or call 604-485-2260 .
