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JUNE 2014 www.pgfreepress.com | newsline: 250.564.0005
TEACHERS
DISTRICT:
Provincial recycling plan comes under fire
RALLY
Bill PHILLIPS/Free Press About 250 teachers rallied in Prince George May 29 following a day-long strike, as part of the ongoing labour dispute between teachers and the province.
District keeps recycling alive Bill Phillips editor@pgfreepress.com It took a compromise suggested by Chilako RiverNechako director Lara Beckett to keep the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George in the recycling business for another year. That, according to a regional district report, will keep about 800 tonnes of recyclable material from being landfilled. “Recycling is the right thing to do and we want to see a service remain,” Beckett told the regional board May 15. “People want to do this, they want to do more. It’s about our regional district and how do we provide a service that residents really want.” The issue surfaced as the board debated whether to renew a contract with Cascades Recovery to operate the 17 drop depot locations currently offered throughout the regional district. The catalyst for the debate was the fact that Multi-Material BC will be offering curbside recycling to
most City of Prince George residents in September, leaving city representatives on the regional board reticent to committing city dollars to the drop depots past that time. The board was given three options: Let the current contract with Cascades expire at the end of May, extend it until the end of September, or extend it until May 31, 2015. The board had delayed a decision at its April meeting to allow staff to prepare more information, leaving it “under the gun,” to make a decision at its May meeting. The April decision caused a bit of a rift between rural and urban directors on the board. “Last month, all I could see was the end of rural recycling,” said Crooked River-Parsnip director Terry Burgess, who wrote a letter to the Free Press last month outlining his concerns. He said he has since talked with Mayor Shari Green and Coun. Cameron Stolz, who assured him that they were not going to abandon recycling in rural areas. City representatives were originally supportive of extending the contract until the end of September, however,
Stolz first offered a compromise of until the end of the fiscal year, December 31, which was supported by Green and city directors Murry Krause and Dave Wilbur. Rural representatives, however, favoured the May 31 extension as this would allow more time for the regional district to try to pressure the province to change legislation governing MMBC so it would have to offer services in rural areas as well. With a possible impasse looming, Beckett made the suggestion that the contract be extended until May 31, 2015 with the proviso that after December 31, it will be funded solely by the seven electoral areas and municipalities of Mackenzie, McBride, and Valemount. That will give the regional district time to devise a new funding system excluding Prince George and pressure the provincial government to improve the recycling legislation. “It’s still challenging,” said Green. “It’s a pass to MMBC, for a year they don’t have to worry about us. My concern is that they will feel the heat will be off.” With the contract extension, 10 of the drop depot bins located in the city will be moved to rural locations.
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Bon Voyage Plaza, Prince George - 126-4488 Hwy. 16 W • 250-964-8648 Allan WISHART/Free Press UNBC entomology professor Staffan Lindgren puts his skills to work identifying insects at an open house hosted by the Polar Coachman Fly Fishing Club on May 22. Lindgren noted the insects weren’t his, but that the person who owned them hadn’t been able to make it to the open house, and asked Lindgren to identify them for visitors.
Regional district hammers provincial plan Bill Phillips editor@pgfreepress.com It was supposed to be a discussion about awarding a contract. However, it turned into a diatribe against MultiMaterials BC (MMBC). When the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board May 15 came to the matter of whether to extend a contract with Cascades Recovery to provide recycling drop-depot bins, the attacks began. “We have MMBC playing fast and loose with the rules,” said Coun. Cameron Stolz, who led the criticism of the organization mandated by the province to provide recycling in B.C. Stolz said MMBC was living up to the “letter of the legislation” mandating it to provide recycling to at least 75 per cent of the province, rather than the spirit of it. “They’ve concentrated on (providing service to) the Lower Mainland and major urban centres,” Stolz said. “MMBC has done this deliberately. MMBC surprised us with who they chose. They just sprang it on us. MMBC has done a fantastic job of subterfuge.” And, while Prince George is one of those urban areas, the curbside recycling offered by MMBC September 1 won’t be quite what some had envisioned. Mayor Shari Green told the board MMBC
will offer curbside recycling only to areas in the city currently serviced by city garbage collection. “We don’t provide garbage service to every home in the city,” Green said. “It is matching the city’s garbage service. There will be some residents in Prince George who are surprised now that they won’t be getting service. It’s a bit of a continued erosion in confidence with (MMBC). “ In addition, residents in apartments will not be enjoying the curbside recycling services. Valemount mayor Andru McCracken said when the provincial recycling plan was first being talked about, he thought it would include Valemount. It hasn’t. “I feel kind of duped, naive, for not sniffing this out before,” he said. “What we’ve been left with here is the opportunity to spend more to do the same. Am I surprised, no, just hurt.” The board was unanimous in deciding it needs to mount a concerted lobbying effort with MMBC and the province to change the provincial recycling initiative to be more inclusive of rural and remote areas. “It’s not just the 14 of us (board members) that need to communicate, it’s the 122 other communities that are not being served by MMBC,” Stolz said. “We have to make sure there is a common message going forward.” Board members agreed they would each lobby MLAs and cabinet ministers every chance they get and bring the matter to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in September.
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Wimmers heads up engineering program As the exterior of the Wood Innovation and Design Centre was unveiled last week in downtown Prince George, UNBC has named Dr. Guido Wimmers as the inaugural program lead for the proposed Master of Engineering in Integrated Wood Design which will be housed at the new facility. Wimmers envisions a future where wood will become the dominant building material around the world and he
believes the proposed Master of Engineering program at UNBC can be the catalyst to make that happen. “If you look at the 18th century, everything was brick. In the 19th century it was all about steel,” Wimmers said. “The last century was mainly about concrete and we’ve done some really amazing things with concrete, but the future is all about wood and biomass, our only sustainable building material.”
Wimmers believes the sixstory Wood Innovation and Design Centre is a model for future wood structures which could be up to 30 storeys high. Born in Germany, Wimmers holds a PhD in building science from Leopold-Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria. He moved to Canada in 2007 and was part of the team that designed the innovative Austria House in Whistler prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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Teresa MALLAM/Free Press Leonard Bruvold tends to the weeding chores outside the Crown Marketplace on the Hart Highway. The market is open Thursdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all the vendors help out each other with everything from manning booths to .... improving the grounds.
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For music fans who like to buy their tickets and book their events well ahead of time, the Doobie Brothers play Prince George on Friday, Oct. 24. The group will be “Takin It To The Streets” with favourite songs and new compilations. As durable as steel, Northern California’s fourtime Grammy winning Doobie Brothers sound has become part of North America’s musical firmament. They continue to write and record new material, tour the world, and can boast of having one of the most loyal fan bases in music, all while breaking new creative sound. Singer-songwriter guitarist Pat Simmons says in a news release: We have entered a territory that we never imagined for ourselves, as far as being a part of the cultural landscape. It’s kind of odd when you see your songs in television commercials and hear yourself as background music in a commercial business, but it’s cool. I hear B.B. King in the same places. We’re in good company.”
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Debogorski keeps on truckin’ Ice Road Trucker brings his stories and humour
and the Punjab. We were shooting an episode of Dangerous Roads and, at one point, I was pulled over by about six guys, police in a jeep with machine guns – police and military over there are armed to the teeth.” The daytime “drama” was over quickly. No one was hurt. And the film crews didn’t capture the “action,” he says.
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you want to leave?” He’s not referring to large pot holes on the road but to life’s bigger challenges, like filming overseas. “Now of course I’m trying to make money out of celebrity, so I spend a lot of time travelling in the U.S. and other places. I spent a couple of months driving truck in India. We were in New Delhi
IPEG
The driving is hazardous, the roads can turn deadly, but for people like Alex Debogorski it’s an awesome way to make a living. He loves the challenge and adventure. Debogorski had been hauling professionally for 26 years over treacherous ice roads (some cross frozen lakes and rivers), battling extreme weather conditions and harsh northern terrain when Ice Road Truckers began airing in June 2007. “Reality TV was in its infancy,” he said. “Ours was one of the first in the genre, probably just after Dangerous Catch. The History Channel had been running a documentary made in the ‘80s about the Dempster Highway [a 417 mile long highway connecting the Klondike Highway in the Yukon to Inuvik, Northwest Territories] and my understanding is every time it ran, the ratings went up so producers knew there was interest.” How was the cast chosen? “The first thing they ask you is, ‘Who are your five characters?’ Then it’s ‘OK, what’s the story?’ I learned from shooting the pilot that no matter what the reality show is about, producers want five characters who stand out as individuals.” Debogorski stood out. The Canadian trucker was selected, perhaps because, as agent Diane Gibson says, he’s engaging and down to earth, a charismatic storyteller with a sense of humour and great respect for the land. This season’s cast includes Lisa Kelly, Hugh Rowland and Darrell Ward but while the names have changed over the years, the show’s attentiongrabbing, gripping dramatic true-to-life footage remains. Debogorski’s an original cast member who continues to perform his ice road trucking adventures on a seasonal basis. “In Yellowknife (where he lives), the ice road season is February 1 to March 30 but the History Channel wanted to go to different areas with different weather conditions
television and trucking. I talk about First Nations people (a lot of my relatives are Metis) and the position they’re in right now with land claim rights, industry disputes ... I can talk about politics, my run for mayor of Yellowknife ... or (he laughs) I can talk about hemorrhoids.” As for his political aspirations, Debogorski says he last entered the race for mayor of Yellowknife in 1992 and although people would like him to run again, he’d have to do some soul searching first. “Today I think they’d like me to be mayor or have me run federally as a member of parliament, but I would now have to ask myself, can you make a difference? I don’t want to be in Ottawa just to collect a pay cheque.” These days he’s grateful for his “commercial” success but philosophical about what it all means to him. “I didn’t plan on being a truck driver. I wanted to be a doctor and a lawyer. I make money out of being a celebrity [the day of the interview he’d signed over 600 autographs]. People from all over the world show up at my door in Yellowknife – and I have to drop everything to talk to them... but I like that.” With his hectic schedule, he still tries to make the most of every day. “My (sense of) unfulfillment still drives me. Life is short. It all comes down to this: When you die, how big a hole do
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like Dempster Highway in the Yukon, then to Alaska, so I run the winter road in the winter time – and I make top soil in the summer months.” When he has time, he pursues other interests and hobbies. He has 150 vehicles in his yard. Are they all running? “No, I just collect stuff,” he says, laughing. “When the driving season ends, I make the top soil and then I’ll be doing some prospecting this summer. I have a share in a claim in Likely and another one in Wells, so I’m hoping to do some placer mining.” Recently he put in a personal appearance at the Cariboo Mining Association’s Gold Show in Quesnel. He’s always in demand as a guest speaker. On and off camera, Debogorski is known as a “thinking man” with an inquisitive mind and the ability to engage people from all walks of life to open up on a wide variety of subjects, from placer mining to local politics. He makes an appearance at Artspace, above Books and Company, Friday, May 23. Topics of discussion can go from hauling to hemorrhoids, he says. “I can talk on just about anything, I have a lot of interests and hopefully there is a question and answer period. I like to talk about my experiences in reality
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The man who would be premier available to Canadians at HD.” He says the province should be telling HD Mining that there is a British Columbia workforce able to fill at least some of the positions at the mine. “Any time you ask (such questions of government), it’s ‘what about LNG, let’s turn the page, let’s pivot and talk about something else.’” Horgan, as the party’s former energy critic, understands and supports expansion of the province’s liquefied natural industry. However, it isn’t, nor should it be considered, as a panacea for all the province’s woes. In addition, with China and Russia inking a deal for Russia to pipe LNG to the world’s strongest economy, the global market has changed. “We have a challenge now,” he said. “That’s not to say we should shy away from it, but we have to acknowledge. I’m hopeful that the premier will make the case that the game has changed.” Closer to home, he said the province certainly needs to focus on LNG, but not at the expense of other major industries, such as
NDP leader John Horgan talks LNG, foreign workers Bill Phillips editor@pgfreepress.com
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Bill PHILLIPS/Free Press NDP leader John Horgan during a stop in Prince George recently.
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would be a government response of some kind. There’s been nothing (in Chetwynd), not a peep.” Horgan also points out that while 400 workers are losing their jobs in Chetwynd, HD Mining has permits to bring in 200 temporary foreign workers at Tumbler Ridge. “It’s not as cut and dried as that,” he said. “But there still should be jobs
…
announcement that the Wolverine Mine in Tumbler Ridge is closing, putting 400 workers out of a job. And, he says, the provincial government is doing nothing to help. “Losing 400 workers in a town the size of Tumbler Ridge, it’s an enormous impact on that town,” he said. “If you had the same percentage job loss in Richmond or Burnaby, there
Gra
The numbers might be in John Horgan’s favour. Not the poll numbers, but historical numbers. The new leader of the Official Opposition pointed out that 16 years elapsed between the end of Dave Barrett’s days as the NDP premier of the province in 1975 and the ascension of Mike Harcourt as premier in 1991. The NDP were ousted from office in 2001 and with the next provincial election set for 2017, it will, once again, be 16 years between NDP reigns. Howver, while the numbers may be coincidental, Horgan isn’t banking on numerology to become the next premier. He’s banking on good old-fashioned campaigning from himself and a young, enthusiastic NDP caucus. “We have young members of the legislature who have fire in their belly,” Horgan said during a stop in Prince George last month. “They’re gamers … They’re ready to go and they want to take the government on.” The New Democrat caucus, he said, is more representative of the generation that is coming to push the Baby Boomers aside. “And that’s good news, not bad news,” he said. As for Horgan, he says he will be spending a lot of time in the North over the next three years. His stop in Prince George came after stops in Fort St. John and Tumbler Ridge. “The premier talked about a Jobs Plan during the election campaign,” he said. “We were going to be No. 1 in job creation, we’re No. 8 in private sector job growth.” Not helping the numbers is the recent
mining. “I’d like to see a government that has a diversified view of the economy, not just a fixation on LNG,” he said. “The government’s job is not to cheerlead for one sector, but to be balanced in its approach.” Horgan said it will be raising, yet again, the issue of safety along the Highway of Tears when the legislature resumes sitting next week. He said the Oppal Commission has basically been collecting dust as the government ignores it. “The government has claimed success,” Horgan said. “They have their checklist … Some of those boxes have been checked off and the activity hasn’t happened.” He referred to Justice Minister Suzanne Anton’s comments that government has been meeting with communities along Highway 16 to discuss the issue when people in the area are saying they haven’t been contacted. “If the evidence is to the contrary, it’s incumbent on the government to get to the bottom of that,” he said. “It’s been one of those signature issues, because it’s so important to the North.”
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The combination of short temperate season and long hours of daylight presents a unique challenge for northern gardeners who hope to harvest before the autumn frosts arrive. Local author and master gardener Melanie J. Watts shares her wealth of knowledge in her new book, Growing Food in a Short Season: Sustainable, Organic Cold-Climate Gardening. “Published on the heels of one of the longest and coldest winters that most Canadians can remember, this book is a comprehensive guide for those that prefer an unstructured approach and want to maximize their growing time,” a May 16 media release says. “Long before words Melanie Watts like ‘sustainability’ and selection, recipes for seasonal bounty, ‘organic’ became buzz information on pickling and preserves words, Watts always believed that and detailed instructions for DIY cold good soil, sunlight and water were frames and row covers. the ingredients for good food. In her Watts has been a freelance writer new book she shares her strategy for growing healthy and delicious food by since 1995 and organic gardener since working in cooperation with the natu- 1986. A long-time resident of Prince ral seasons, cycles of day and night, George, she earned her master garweather and plant growth.” dener certification in 2010. The book Watts offers advice on planting, is published by Harbour Publishmaintaining and harvesting and ing. For more information, visit her shares simple ideas for enjoying the bounty of a garden all during the year. website at www.northerngardenersalmanac.com. Her common-sense approach Watts will celebrate the launch of simplifies gardening making it easy for readers to adopt her tricks to hurry her new book Growing Food in a Short Season: Sustainable, Organic their own harvest. The book features photographs and Cold-Climate Gardening with a prea colour insert that illustrates her text. sentation and refreshments at Books It is a garden-to-plate guide for and Company on Third Avenue on gardeners that includes tips on plant June 4 starting at 7 p.m.
in Prince George on June 4
Prince George is one of only six Canadian dates for 3 Doors Down. The Mississippi rock quintet is bringing their Acoustic – Sounds from the Basement Tour to CN Centre on June 4. Singer Brad Arnold said in a press release: “This acoustic tour has been such an amazing experience that we had to extend it into Canada. We cannot wait to see all of our Canadian fans.” The band has already enjoyed lots of success with world tours, hit song and songwriting. In November 2012, 3 Doors Down released The Greatest Hits, returning to the rock charts with the Top 5 hit One Light. Reaching out to fans here and abroad, the five-piece band toured North America and overseas, visiting Russia, Dubai, Mexico and across Europe. Since forming in 1995, the band has sold more than
16 million albums worldwide, had three Grammy nominations, two American Music Awards and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting. The band’s debut album The Better Life (2000) is now certified six times platinum and features the smash hit Kryptonite. Their album Seventeen Days (2005) was platinum certified and 3 Doors Down (2008) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 Chart. In 2012 the band released The Greatest Hits collection of nine number one hits and three new songs. They continue to perform for crowds around the world. 3 Doors Down – Acoustic – Songs From The Basement, with special guest Joey Only, plays CN Centre on Wednesday, June 4. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show start at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations.
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UNBC professors Philip Owens, left, Margot Parkes, Ellen Petticrew and Stephen Dery will be taking part in various parts of research on the Nechako River basin, thanks to funding announced last week.
Nechako basin research by UNBC gets funding Allan Wishart allanw@pgfreepress.com Four years. One million dollars. Fifty-two thousand square kilometres. Those are some of the numbers involved in a series of research projects in the Nechako River basin, to be undertaken by the Integrated Water Research Group at UNBC. “It’s an area about the size of Switzerland,� is how Dr. Ellen Petticrew describes the area the research projects will cover. “It covers all the tributaries of the Nechako draining into the river until it meets the Fraser.� The three projects, involving four UNBC professors, have received $500,000 in a grant from
the Nechako Environmental Enhancement Fund (NEEF), with the other half of the $1 million investment coming as matching funds from other sources. NEEF was put together in 1997 as part of an agreement between the provincial government and Rio Tinto Alcan. “The funding goes for four years,� Petticrew says, “and actually started in January. We’ve been doing work on our projects since January, but now we can get busier.� Petticrew will work with Dr. Philip Owens and their students on sediment sources. “We will try to identify where the fine sediment in the system comes from,� Owens says. “That sediment can affect fish habitat, and the work may lead to advice on how to mitigate these
sources.� Dr. Stephen Dery and his students will be looking at water security and climate change. “We will be looking at our freshwater resources,� he says, “and the influences of both human and climate change. We have data going from the 1920s to about 2010, and we will look at stream flows in non-regulated streams versus regulated streams.� Dr. Margot Parkes and her students will look at ways of making existing and new information more available to people. “We will be looking at ways to integrate existing resources and bring in new research,� she says. “One aspect we’ll be looking at is how to make better use of what we already know.�
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Initiatives Prince George to start surveying local businesses Initiatives Prince George (IPG) will begin surveying approximately 200 local businesses on June 1 as part of the research phase of creating IPG’s new business retention and expansion program. IPG will select a representative mix of small, medium and large businesses, with the number of businesses interviewed from each sector being chosen based on the prevalence of the sector in the Prince George economy. “An important strategic focus of IPG is to facilitate the growth of existing businesses because we know that the majority of economic growth in Prince George comes from businesses that are already invested in our city,� said Heather Oland, Chief Executive Officer at Initiatives Prince George, in a press release. “The input provided by business owners who complete the interviews will give us the information we need to create a strategic and sustainable business retention and expansion program that best meets the needs of local business.� IPG consulted with local businesses to create the questions, and has completed test interviews with local businesses to determine the relevancy
of the questions in preparation for the full interview roll-out. Each interview will take 40 to 60 minutes to complete, depending on the amount of detail provided by participants. It is anticipated that the interviews will be complete by the end of August. Business owners who are interested in being involved are encouraged to contact Business Development Officer Neil O’Farrell at ofarrell@ initiativespg.com or 250-649-3205. Participants will be entered into a draw to win one of two promotional videos created by IPG’s contract videographer. IPG wants to assure business owners that the list of people interviewed, the businesses they represent, and their answers will be kept completely confidential. The independent consultant will draft a report based on the information provided. IPG’s community partners, businesses involved in the survey and the public will have access to the final report, which will be released in the fall of 2014, but the individual answers will be kept confidential.
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Let that pony run Lisa Engstrom loves restoring her Mustang Teresa Mallam arts@pgfreepress.com Lisa Engstrom always knew she wanted a Ford Mustang. Long before she was old enough to drive. “I liked the Fort Mustang even before I knew what it was. I just liked the look of it,” said Engstrom. Now a busy wife and mother, her dreams of owning a pony car have come true. Three years ago – with the helpful advice of her father – she bought a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible with red interior. “It was in driving condition but we restored the dash to its original condition and next we will be restoring the engine,” said Engstrom, who worked on the project with her husband, Doug. “The components could be prettier,
15
the engine was originally blue so we’re going to work on that.” This is the couple’s third season with the Mustang, and more touchups are needed, she said, but she wants to stay true to the car’s real age and so doesn’t mind a few age spots. “There’s a few places where the paint is worn (she points to a small spot on the driver’s side door) a little here and there because it’s part of the car’s history.” For Engstrom it was love at first sight. “My Dad saw the car parked on a front lawn in his neighborhood, with a for sale sign on it. The offer was presented, it was basically seen and sold in one day.” Since then, it’s had lots of admirers and, at last year’s Father’s Day Show ‘n’ Shine, the gleaming Ford Mustang won Sponsor’s Choice Award. The Engstrom’s 11-year-old son is
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already “eyeing up” the sleek beauty for future grad ceremonies, she says, and it’s already taken part in a few weddings. Some people are surprised a woman is behind its restoration work. “I was standing by my Mustang at last year’s Show ‘N’ Shine, and this older gentleman came up to the car and said, ‘Wouldn’t it just be great to own one of these?’ I had my keys on me so I pulled them out of my pocket and said, ‘I do own it.’ We both laughed, it was so funny.” Engstrom is grateful for a little help from her car club friends. It was she, however, who interested her husband in passion for Mustangs. “I converted him,” she says, laughing. “But he talked me into getting a convertible. We’re not really mechanically inclined – that’s where the car club comes in. They have lots of contacts and they’re willing to share them. “We were so green coming into this but all the members have been so welcoming to us and there’s fantastic camaraderie in this club. If a member sees us on the road, they always wave and even sometimes pull over to see how we’re doing.” In April the Engstroms went to Las Vegas to attend the 50th birthday celebrations (April 16 to 21) of the Ford Mustang. “Mustang enthusiasts from New Zealand, Australia, France, Canada and all over the U.S. got together to celebrate, it was a big deal. The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line in New York City on April 17, 1964 and it was unveiled for the first time.” There was a huge pony drive for the 50th celebration, she said. Mustang owners met in the “middle” of the U.S. Some drove east to North Carolina and others drove west to Las Vegas where about 2,000 people took
Teresa MALLAM/Free Press An interior view of the 1965 Ford Mustang convertible owned by Prince George Cruisin’ Classics car club member Lisa Engstrom.
part in the pony drive held on the Motor Speedway. “The Mustang has a long history of racing so that’s why it was held there.” Indeed, the car has always had a huge fan following. “The Ford Mustang is not Ford’s most popular or best selling model, nor is it the fastest car it produces, but it has a real history to it. That’s why people love it so much. “And if you’re restoring an old Mustang, there are parts available just about anywhere, including locally. So you can save time and shipping. That’s a big help and a money saver when you’re looking for parts.” People especially like convertible model Mustangs, she says, because it has lots of history and may remind people of famous owners and classic movies. “When I drive around town with the top down, people can see
right in and they often yell over, ‘What year is that?’ or ask other questions about the car.” She tells a story about how the black Mustang, even when it’s having a bad day, still steals the show on the road. “When we were coming back from Las Vegas, the car suddenly blew a rad hose and we had to stop. There was steam coming out all over the place and people were of course stopping to see if we were OK or needed help, but then they’d ask us if we wanted to sell the car and, if so, for what price – can you imagine? Even with all that steam.” For more stories from classic car enthusiasts or to enjoy an afternoon admiring beautiful vintage vehicles, muscle cars and motorcycles, Prince George’s Cruisin’ Classics present the 40th anniversary of Show ‘n’ Shine on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15. The family event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fort George Park. For more information visit www.cruisinclassics.ca.
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Tristan Pearce takes long way home
Former resident travels to UNBC conference from Australia I’m going to the Arctic. Colleen will come up later in the summer.” He says the important thing he is trying to do in his work, both in the Arctic and Australia, is talk to the indigenous people. “The traditional lore of their people is being missed in the literature on climate change. The Inuit people
Allan Wishart allanw@pgfreepress. com
Allan WISHART/Free Press University of Guelph graduate student Colleen Parker, left, points to Guelph while Tristan Pearce, one of her professors at Guelph, points to the location of the University of the Sunshine Coast, in Australia, where Pearce, a former Prince George resident, is teaching.
ing with – although at a long distance. Colleen Parker is one of Pearce’s graduate students at Guelph, and she was attending ICAss as well. “I’m doing a posting here, making a presentation, but mostly I’m just taking it all in. I’m going to be doing my own field research in the Arctic, on Victoria Island. I was there in the summer, and I’ll be going back in the fall.” Pearce said the fall is a key time to study the effects of climate change
on the indigenous people. “It’s a key harvesting time for fishing and hunting. It’s very important to them to store enough food for over the winter. “It’s also a make-orbreak time for them to get enough money for the equipment they need for hunting and fishing.” Pearce says climate change is having an effect on the Inuit people in the Arctic. “The caribou are changing their patterns
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Northern Development Initiative Trust has approved a $250,000 grant to help fund the construction of the Lheidli T’enneh Pavilion in downtown Prince George in time for the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Construction is expected to begin later this spring. The goal of the Pavilion is to increase the visibility of Lheidli T’enneh and contribute to the 2015 Canada Winter Games experience while showcasing the artistic, business and cultural expressions of the official host First Nation. The project will generate direct economic benefits for Lheidli T’enneh through the use of the building as a
of migration, so they’re not in the same places they were. It makes it harder to track them.” He’s been keeping in touch with Parker on her project, although she says it can a bit difficult. “It’s a 14-hour time difference, so you have to make sure you know when you’re going to be using Skype or some other way to keep in touch.” Pearce was using ICASS as a way-station on a trip to the Arctic. “I usually work three or four months in Australia, then come back to Canada. From here, WE SELL THE BEST OF SERTA MADE RIGHT HERE IN BC!
Tristan Pearce took the long way home last week. Pearce, who was born and raised in Prince George and got a BA from UNBC in 2003, was back in the city for the International Congress of the Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS). He came to the congress from Australia, where he is currently working at the University of the Sunshine Coast. “It’s about 45 minutes north of Brisbane,” he said. “I was working at the University of Guelph, and much of my work is with indigenous peoples and their responses to climate change. “Sunshine Coast was recruiting and I said to myself, ‘What an opportunity to spend time in a new environment’.” ICASS gave Pearce a chance to catch up with some of the other people working in the field, as well as one student he is still work-
have lived in the Arctic for more than 4,000 years. They have a rich tradition of how things used to be done and how they have changed.” Pearce feels the best way to do research such as his is to talk to the people involved. “It’s a question of doing research on people vs. research with people.”
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Past and Present come together Teresa Mallam arts@pgfreepress.com To each his own. Her daughter doesn’t share her love of old things and colourful glassware so Pat Russman opened up shop and started to sell her beloved treasures – along with other interesting finds she’s picked up on her travels or bought from customers to help fill the shelves of her Past and Present shop. From
brightly coloured, hand-blown Italian and hand-painted Romanian glass, to china sets, individual cups and saucers, ornaments, mirrors, stemware and one of a kind items such as an African drum, an old typewriter and a small Singer sewing machine. “Young people today – and I know this is true of my daughter – they don’t want anything (dishes) that they can’t put in the dishwasher. They want to be able to go to [a box store] and get furniture and
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Pat Russman looks through the window Sunday at her Past and Present shop, which carries old glass and china, vintage and retro pieces and a wide assortment of quality accessories. She is one of several vendors who take part in a Thursday to Sunday Farmers’ Market at 3955 Hart Highway. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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accessories that they can replace in six months, then have something new. Some young people do like the older, real wood items but most of them go for the other stuff.” However that doesn’t stop customers of all ages from browsing and buying. Like her neighbours in the Hart Highway co-operative, Russman is open for business during their farmers’ market which runs Thursday through Sunday. “We are like a family here,” she says. “We opened up (the market) in October and we had a snow storm so nobody could see our new signage, so we got off to a slow start. Now people are beginning to know we are here, the word is getting out and business is picking up.” Russman says she loves living in the Hart area because of the
clean air and wide open spaces as well as the business opportunities. And when she is not dabbling in treasures, she is getting out her oil paints and canvas. “I also belong to the Artist’s Coop (also housed in the same building) and so I really enjoy that and I teach classes. It keeps me busy.” Russman is quick to point out that among her “family” of fellow vendors at the market located at 3955 Hart Highway, there is a wide variety of goods and gifts to appeal to all ages. A second-hand bookstore, a jewellery and giftware shop, a pottery studio and showroom, tea and spa store, country-style, “shabby chic” boutique as well as baked goods sale in the front entrance. The Hart Highway market runs Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Rustad was there at opening Allan Wishart allanw@pgfreepress.com On May 24, 1949, Laurie Rustad and his brother were working on their sawmill. “In the afternoon,” Rustad, 87, remembers, “we decided we should go out and get coffee. He suggested we see what the new golf course looked like.” That was his first visit to the current location of the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, but not his last. “When it opened, it was nine holes with sand greens,” Rustad says, sitting in the clubhouse almost exactly 49 years later. “It had been down in Fort George Park before that.” He never played the course when it was in Fort George Park, but remembers a friend of his, Bill Blackburn, who made some money at the course. “If he saw a car heading down the road to the course, he’d jump on his bike and get down there to caddy for them. “Three of the holes ran along the river, so he made some money retrieving and reselling balls too.” Rustad didn’t have a lot of time to golf with his work commitments with the sawmill, but joined the club in about 1951. A few years later, he was ready to help with an expansion. “By 1960, they had grass greens. Harold Priddy was the club pro then, and I asked him when they were going to put the other nine holes in. “He showed me the plans they had drawn up for the rest of the course.” Fate played nicely into the hands of the course. “We had a couple of Cats we’d been using, but we finished the work we needed them for. One of them needed some work on its transmission, but when that was done, we donated it to the club to clear three of the holes. The fellow at the shop had
it hauled out to the course for free, and another company donated the fuel.” Ken and Willy McDermid brought their own Cat in later and did three more holes, and the club had the funds to do the last three itself. “It was a pretty big chunk of land back then,” Rustad says, as he and son Kirk discuss what changes the course has seen since going to 18 holes. “No. 18 is in the same place as the old No. 9,” Laurie says. “What’s now No. 16 was pretty much No. 5.” The biggest changes to the course came as the club sold off parcels of land, including some where Pine Centre Mall now sits. Rustad still gets out about three times a week, and has made a few concessions to the years. “I ride a cart now. I don’t Allan WISHART/Free Press Laurie Rustad stands on the verandah of the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, a think I could last too long venue he first visited when it opened on May 24, 1949. if I had to walk the course. It’s a pretty good group we play with.” Rustad didn’t leave the club when winter set in, as he was also an avid curler. 2010 LTD. “I was on a rink with Kevin Smale that won two Quality and service is a must. Kelly Cups, and he was also my skip when we won a provincial seniors title.” Parkhill Centre 556 NORTH NECHAKO RD. PH 250.563.1002 or FX 250.563.1535 23
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ROCK WITH ELVIS Elvis tribute artist Steve Elliott will perform at the Royal Canadian Legion #43, 1116 Sixth Ave. on June 13 and 14. Two nights, two different shows. Shows start at 8 p.m. both nights. Sock Hop Party, come dressed in 50s style. For more about the artist visit www.elviselite. com. Tickets are $20 available by phoning 250562-1292.
CRUISIN’ CLASSICS Vintage and classic (pre 1989) vehicle buffs are invited by the Cruisin’ Classics Car Club to attend the 40th annual Show ‘n’ Shine on Father’s Day June 15, in Fort George Park. On Saturday there will be a participants cruise leaving the park at 4 p.m. and returning around 5 p.m. A hamburger barbecue will follow. For more details and registration forms go to www.cruisinclassics.ca.
MS WALK Lace up for someone you love. The annual Scotiabank MS Walk takes place on Sunday, June 8 at Fort George Park. Registration is at 11 a.m. Walk starts at 12 noon. Register now to end MS at 778764-0145 or for more information visit mswalks. ca.
COMEDY SHOWCASE On Tuesday, June 10 Nancy O’s hosts an evening of stand-up comedy featuring local comedians. For a few years now, Nancy O’s has been bringing in some of Canada’s best talent for their monthly stand-up comedy nights which have also nurtured a growing community of local comedians who have opened for them. Performers for the June 10 show include Jon White, Virgina O’Dine, Bryce Lokken, Mark Wheeler, Mike McGuire, Harlan Sweet and Brian Majore as emcee. Admission is $5 at the door. Show time is 8 p.m.
GARY FJELLGAARD Juno award winning singer/songwriter Gary Fjellgaard returns to Artspace above Books and Company on Friday, June 6. He is a favourite performer who sings from the heart about things that matter. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, available at Books and Company on Third Avenue.
Photo submitted The Prince George Exhibition Grounds will once again become a huge auto sales facility from June 6 to 14.
Mega Sale returns B.C.’s largest new and used auto sale is coming back to Prince George. The sale is slated for June 6-14 at the Prince George Exhibition Grounds. There will be more than 2,000 new and used vehicles from over 20 manufacturers. With nine Prince George dealers participating, there’s
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Commemorating Dutch liberation An important annual ceremony is being held June 7 at Veteran’s Square, City Hall to commemorate and celebrate Canada’s role in liberating the Dutch people in Holland in 1945. The event gets underway at noon and will be attended by dignitaries and the general public. “Near the end of the Second World War, the Netherlands, the country of my grandparents, was under siege by the Nazis. In that same year, Canadian soldiers liberated the country and restored freedom and democracy to the Dutch people. Every year around this time, the Dutch Canadian Tulip Commemoration is held in at Veterans’ Plaza to commemorate the liberation,” explains Prince George committee member, Corey Walker. “In Holland the Liberation is celebrated on May 8, however in our northern climate, the tulips are not usually in full bloom yet.” The Dutch community is committed to honouring and remembering the Canadian soldiers who gave Holland its freedom,” says Walker. “The tulips are a gift from the Dutch people to the Canadians and [they] have become an important symbol of friendship and giving in Canada. This year the ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 7 at Veterans Plaza in front of City Hall.”
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Trapped inside your own body - the ordeal that is ALS Teresa Mallam arts@pgfreepress.com Her mother, Ruth, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 49 without ever knowing she had the disease. That is not the only time that ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, has struck Sharon Cairns’ family. “My mother was diagnosed with ALS in 1973 – 20 years before researchers found the first gene [SOD1] associated with the disease. Many doctors back then thought it better to tell family members the bad news, but not the patients themselves. “My mother knew that she was dying, she’d made out her will – but she didn’t know what her diagnosis was.” Cairns was 23. She wishes now the whole family had been able to have the discussion about ALS with her mother and have everyone share their views and emotions. Her aunt (her mother’s sister) also was diagnosed with ALS but much later in life, in her 80s. However it is her cousin, James Hunter, in his 50s, who has ALS and who Cairns says is “way braver” than she is because he is allowing the progression of his disease to be monitored and studied in the interests of medicine and hopefully finding a cure. “Jimmy now has only one function remaining. He can move his eyes from side to side and up and down, enough so that he can communicate by staring at individual letters on a computer screen until they form words and sentences – he keeps them short.” While her aunt died 40 years after her mother in 2012 at age 84, Cairns wants to keep the lines of communication open when it comes to talking about the cruel disease that took their lives. She feels certain that ALS researchers, such as at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases in Toronto, are “close” to finding answers about causes and potential cures for ALS. “We know this disease affects the nerves,” says Cairns, who’s researched the topic endlessly looking for information. “They’ve found that military soldiers and top athletes seem to have a higher incidence of ALS and researchers also believe that Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease and ALS are all linked in some way. They all include death of nerves.” At the Tanz Centre, research is being conducted on all three diseases, in different parts of the building, and because they’re being done in close proximity, findings can be compared leading to further discussions and studies. Dialogue among scientists, doctors, researchers, patients, families of those with ALS, and the general public remains an important tool for learning more about the disease, said Cairns. “Jimmy was diagnosed in 2009 at age 56 but he didn’t tell us until 2011. He requires 24-hour round the clock care. As with all ALS patients his senses are still there, his sense of touch, smell, sight, hearing and so on but he is unable to move his body or head (except his eyes).” Hunter has three daughters, a wife, friends and family members who visit him regularly. But some people with ALS have described their emotions as feeling trapped inside their own bodies and still feel alone and helpless. “Jimmy and my aunt have the SOD-1 gene so we assume mom had it and that my family has a 50 per cent chance of having it since this
is a dominant gene. Members of my aunt’s family have all been tested by the research team to see if they also carry the gene (most have chosen not to know the results) and that knowledge will help with their ongoing research.” Sadly, Cairns knows that the next step for Jimmy in all this will be that eventually he will not be able to move at all, not even his eyes. “He has chosen to live so they can learn more about ALS and be a voice for fundraising for ALS research. He is so brave, way braver than I would be, that’s for sure,” she said. Most patients die of respiratory failure, she adds. And even though ALS affects as many Canadians as does multiple sclerosis, Cairns believes we are not as informed about ALS because the people who have it are “not around as long” to talk about it. “They have no voice,” said Cairns, who hopes the local walk for awareness and others across Canada will help to change that. Prince George Walk for ALS is on Sunday, June 22 starting at the Fort George Park Band Stand. Registration is at 10 a.m. followed by a short ceremony at 11 a.m. The walk starts at 11:30 a.m. There will be a lunch available for purchase at 12 noon. At 12:30 p.m. there’s a team kick-baseball game. This is a family event. The symbol for ALS is the blue cornflower, which is known for its hardiness and endurance. For more information visit www.walkforals.ca/bc. There will be an ALS kickoff event June 7 at Pine Centre Mall, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Teresa MALLAM/Free Press Sharon Cairns looks over a Macleans article (March 2014) about her cousin James Hunter, who has ALS and is helping researchers at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases in Toronto.
• ALS is caused by a loss of motor neurons which are responsible for voluntary muscle movements, such as walking, talking, swallowing, breathing. • Five to 10 per cent of cases are inherited, a gene passed on from a family member • 90 to 95 per cent of cases are sporadic, no family history of disease • There is no known cure and no effective treatment – yet • The incidence of the disease is two per 100,000 people which is about the same as multiple sclerosis • The number of Canadians living with multiple sclerosis is 75,000 • The number of Canadians living with ALS is 2,500 to 3,000 • The average age of diagnosis is 55 years although the
demographic appears to be getting younger • 50 per cent of people with ALS die within 18 months • 80 per cent of people with ALS die within two to five years • It has recently been established that ALS is not only a disease of the body – 50 per cent of ALS patients develop behavioural/cognitive impairment – 15 per cent of ALS patients receive a dual diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) which affects neurons of the brain causing changes in behaviour (loss of empathy, impulsiveness) or changes in language (can’t find the right word, improper naming of things) • ALS and FTD are now considered extremes of the same disease spectrum Source: University of Toronto, faculty of medicine, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative diseases
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