ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023 | VOL. 79 NO. 5
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NEWS h A14
Judge denies bail for suspect in murder case Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
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DOIG MEETS POILIEVRE
Meeting of the minds to discuss resource revenue proposal NEWS h A3
MATT PREPROST PHOTO
His knife see Rustic-labour dight, An’ cut ye up wi’ ready slight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like onie ditch; And then, O, what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich! Rob MacKay gives the Address to the Haggis at the 2023 Robbie Burns Dinner Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Fort St. John Masonic Hall. The Masons and Shriners celebrated the beloved poet Burns with an evening of fellowship and fundraising, toasts, and a feast of traditional food and drink, including Scotland’s national dish, the haggis.
A Fort St. John man accused of killing his girlfriend two years ago has been denied bail. Shane Sutherland appeared before Justice Ronald Tindale in Fort St. John Supreme Court last week, seeking his release ahead of a second-degree murder trial scheduled to begin later this year. He was arrested Feb. 8, 2021, after RCMP were called to a home in the Village St. John townhouse complex where Amanda Black, 22, was found dead. He has been held in custody ever since. Details from his bail hearing held Jan. 24 and 26 are under a court-ordered publication ban, preventing reporters from writing about the evidence and arguments given during the hearing, as well as the reasons for Justice Tindale’s decision. Sutherland made his appearance via video from the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre wearing an orange jumpsuit. The Crown and his defence lawyer spent all day Tuesday describing the circumstances of Black’s death and Sutherland’s arrest, and making arguments for and against his release. On Thursday, Justice Tindale dismissed Sutherland’s application for release. He remains in custody. A judge-only trial is scheduled for three weeks in June following a voir dire hearing in May to determine the admissibility of certain evidence. Sutherland has not been found guilty of the charge. If convicted, he will be sentenced to life in prison.
‘We warned government’: Canfor closing Chetwynd mills HERITAGE SERIES Castrillo-Hill again selected as a Telus emerging filmmaker NEWS h A6 $1.50 INCL. GST
Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca Canfor is closing another set of mills in northern B.C., this time in Chetwynd and Houston. The company said Wednesday, Jan. 25, it was permanently closing its sawmill and pellet operations in Chetwynd, where about 200 jobs are expected to be lost. The company also announced a temporary closure of its Houston sawmill for “a major
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redevelopment” on the site, affecting close to 300 workers. “We recognize that today’s announcement will have both temporary and permanent impacts on employees, families, contractors and communities. That’s why we are putting in place a comprehensive set of support mechanisms to help minimize the impacts of this transition,” said company president and CEO Don Kayne in a statement. “In addition, we will be working with our indus-
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try partners and Indigenous Nations to ensure that fibre currently processed at the Chetwynd facility is utilized to support other local and regional manufacturing facilities, helping them to be more sustainable and to keep people working in the Peace Region,” said Kayne. The Chetwynd closure comes after an extension of holiday production curtailments to Jan. 23. And it follows on the heels of a Jan. 11 announcement that Canfor was
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permanently closing the pulp line at its Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill, where 300 jobs will be lost. Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier called the news “devastating.” “Anytime you have an announcement like this it’s heartbreaking for the families that are affected,” said Bernier, also the Opposition critic for forestry. “For a community like Chetwynd, this is a huge loss to the community.”
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Ty Lee
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