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Thursday, August 13, 2020
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PRINCEGEORGECITIZEN
PROBLEM GROPER GIVEN PROBATION MARK NIELSEN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
What to do with a local man described as low functioning but found guilty of groping two women at a movie theatre was a topic in Prince George provincial court last week.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
The Northern Medical Program at UNBC is producing physicians who want to live in Prince George and the surrounding communities, including three obstetrician/gynecologists now working at UHNBC. Keeping their distance in pandemic times are, from left, are Dr. Lindsay Benoit, Dr. Natasha Pascas and Dr. Megan Thwaites, holding her seven-month-old Blythe and 2 1/2-year-old son Emmitt.
NMP grads focus on women’s health
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Megan Thwaites knew she’d picked the right branch of medicine to study the day she delivered her first baby.
It happened in her third year as a student in UNBC’s Northern Medical Program and the new arrival – a baby girl - came with an added bonus. “There was definitely one I did all by myself and she was named Megan - that was so nice,” said the Prince George born-and-
raised Thwaites, one of the growing list of homegrown doctors who have returned to their roots in the city. It took the Kelly Road graduate 14 years of postsecondary studies to earn her specialty as an obstetrician/gynecologist. After finishing medical school in 2008, she went to UBC in Vancouver to complete her six-year residency, starting out in general surgery, then switched to obstetrics. “NMP was my preference because it was small and home and it was wonder-
ful,” said Thwaites, 36. “With the smaller class sizes we got so much more hands-on experience than down in Vancouver and it was really amazing. All the teachers are really enthusiastic. Having the NMP here, we see a lot of family practice residents stay here and now being able to work with them as family doctors, it just builds a really nice community and everyone is collegial. It makes it a really nice working environment.” See P.G. ATTRACTIVE page A4
Daniel Jimmy Junior Jack, 30, has a history of “problematic sexual behaviour” and has previously served jail time for a similar but more serious incident. However, he was also described as low functioning and with special needs and it was agreed that jail would only worsen his behaviour because he would be separated from his support network. He had groped a female guard while previously in custody, it was also noted. In that light, Judge Peter McDermick agreed to a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels that will see Jack serve three years probation with conditions that include staying away from the Famous Players 6 cinema and a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, unless with a person approved by his probation officer. The outcome stems from a Jan. 13, 2019 incident in which Jack positioned himself behind the two women while they were sitting in one of the cinema’s theatres and touched one on her rear end and the other on her lower back. Jack must also take counselling as directed. The author of a pre-sentence report said Jack is not a candidate for group counselling but structured, oneon-one counselling could work.