Issuu

Thursday, April 4, 2019 | Your community newspaper since 1916

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

Soloist Nathan Seifert got outside under the Kiwanas Bowl in Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Nisga’a leader named UNBC’s seventh chancellor Citizen staff Noted Indigenous leader Dr. Joseph Gosnell Sr. will be UNBC’s next chancellor. He will be sworn in at the convocation ceremony in Prince George on May 31. “It’s a blessing to have this honour conferred on me,” said Gosnell. “The best thing I can do is encourage young men, women, no matter who they are, to take advantage of education. Go as far as you can and come out of University with degrees behind your name. Once you’ve done that, the world is open to you.” Gosnell Sr. is a well-respected and distinguished hereditary chief in the Laxts’imilx Laxsgiik (Beaver/Eagle) tribe of the Nisga’a Nation. He grew up in the communities of Gitwinksihlkw and Gitlaxt’aamiks (also known as New Aiyansh), in the Nass River Valley, about 100 kilometres north of Terrace. As a young man he worked as a commercial fisherman, carpenter and traditional carver, and would eventually become a band councillor and chief of the Gitlaxt’aamiks Band. He was the first elected president of the Nisga’a Lisims Government and was instrumental in bringing modern medical care, education and resource management to his Nation. The highlight amongst a long list of notable accomplishments was his role as the lead Nisg a’a representative in negotiations that led to the Nisga’a Treaty signing in 1998. The Nisga’a Treaty was the first modern treaty between a B.C. First Nation, British Columbia and Canada. For the Nisga’a, the treaty followed the landmark 1973 Supreme Court of Canada Calder Case that set many precedents in Canadian legal history, and led to the establishment of the 1976 Comprehensive Claims Policy to negotiate treaties under then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. “Dr. Gosnell has made tremendous contributions to the lives of Northern British Columbians and indeed people across the country,” said UNBC Board of Governors chair Tracey Wolsey. “To have him agree to serve as our chancellor is a tremendous honour for the UNBC community.” Gosnell received the Order of British Columbia in 1999, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001 and promoted to Companion in 2006, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. “Being able to call upon Dr. Gosnell’s lifetime of rich and meaningful experiences is priceless,” said UNBC president and vicechancellor Dr. Daniel Weeks. “His wisdom will support our University community as we strive to foster enthusiastic, respectful

Today’s Weather Hi +5° Low +2° See page 2 for more details and short-term forecasts

LOCAL HOROSCOPE NEWS OPINION SCIENCE MONEY

CITY HALL HANDOUT PHOTO

The carts being used in the pilot project are certified bear-resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, and are fully compatible with the automated lift arms used by all city waste collection trucks. GOSNELL and productive dialogues that enhance relationships between all people.” Gosnell has received honorary doctorate degrees from UNBC, Royal Roads University, the Open Learning Agency in Burnaby, the BC Institute of Technology and Simon Fraser University. He is also a board member with the Wilp Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga’a Institute, with which UNBC has a federation agreement. Other notable designations include a humanitarian award from the Canadian Labour Congress in 1999, Newsmaker of the Year from CTV News and CBC Radio, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in 2000. A fluent speaker of the Nisga’a language, Gosnell’s hereditary chief name is Sim’oogit Hleek, the most senior name in the House. It means “well-used” or “most useful,” and in the manner that the nation uses his wisdom, strength and knowledge of culture to inform everything they do on the land. He has been married to Adele Gosnell for 63 years and they are proud parents of seven children, with 18 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. UNBC’s chancellor is appointed by the UNBC Board of Governors, after a lengthy process that includes a broad call for nominations, consultation with board members and senators and a formal nomination by the alumni council. The chancellor is the ceremonial head of the university. Gosnell follows previous chancellors Iona Campagnolo, George Pedersen, Peter Bentley, Alex Michalos, John MacDonald and James Moore.

1-4 2 5 6 7 8

SPORTS A&E COMICS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS

9-10 11-12 12 12 13-16

Bear-proof garbage can pilot project rolls out this month Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca About 300 bear-resistant residential garbage carts are about to be deployed in the Croft Road neighbourhood in the Hart. The carts will arrive at no cost to households on April 15 and will be at the centre of a pilot project to see how effective they are at deterring the animals from breaking into a container and feeding on its contents. Certified as bear resistant by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, they are designed to be difficult for bears to open but still easy for humans to deal with. They can be unlocked with one hand and will open when tipped upside down by a garbage truck. “Bears spend half of their year eating as much as possible before hibernation, which can include eating garbage, fruit, or other available attractants,” said the city’s strategic parks planner Laurie Kosec. “Prince George has the highest number of bear sightings in B.C., and an average of 35 local bears are destroyed every year as they usually cannot be successfully rehabilitated after they get used to seeking out garbage.”

Fossil find shows dino’s deadly day SCIENCE 7

www.pgcitizen.ca

A bear-resistant bin is about five times the price of a regular, large-sized bin, which is part of the reason the bins are first being tested on a pilot project. The city worked with the Northern Bear Awareness Society and the B.C. Conservation Service to select an appropriate area to launch the project. The carts will be set out on the following streets in the Croft neighbourhood: Cook Crescent, Cottonwood Place, Croft Road, Dunbar Place, Erickson Street, Glade Road, Hepting Road, Ingala Drive, Kim Place, Lehman Street, Monterery Road, Oakridge Crescent, Poplar Place, Winslow Drive and Winslow Place. Bear-resistant bins have been in use at civic facilities, particularly along trails and the river, which are more likely to be frequented by bears. Households elsewhere in the city are encourage to keep their carts stored away from bears on days when there is no garbage collection in their neighbourhood. “Bears are waking up early this year due to warmer temperatures and there is not much food available due to the snow cover,” said Kosec. “Garbage is a prime attractant for bears and carts should be kept in a location that is as inaccessible as possible to bears.”

Newsstand $2.00 incl. tax Home Delivered 95¢/day

58307

00200