caledonia courier, december 12, 2012

WEDNESDAY, December 12, 2012 PHONE: 996-8482 www.caledoniacourier.com VOL. 35 NO. 41 $1.34 inc. GST

Getting moving P. 12History for the dogs P. 5

u

uInside Court report P. 9Wanted P. 3

u

u

NEWS BRIEFS

Publications Mail Contract #: 40007759

Reindeer wave from one of the festive floats during the Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 30. The parade drew a good crowd, despite a cool wind and blowing snow earlier in the day. More photos on Page 6.

Ruth Lloyd/Caledonia Courier

Given noticeIn an effort to make use of grant

funding, community centre may use an existing buildingRuth LloydCaledonia Courier

A community centre may be a little bit clos-er to becoming a reality for Fort St. James.

Mayor Rob MacDougall said negotiations are currently underway on a purchase price for a building which could be repurposed as a community centre.

“For us, a stand-alone new construction isn’t feasible for the size of the tax base and the other commitments we have to infrastruc-ture,” said MacDougall.

In the interest of finding a way to move for-ward, and with the potential loss of $900,000 in grant funding looming on the horizon, mayor and council and the community hall committee looked at a couple of options, in-cluding the old gymnasium at Fort St. James Secondary School and the building which houses the Victory Christian Centre and what was the Birch Theatre.

The latter building is owned by the Good-win family’s property company Columbine Investments Ltd.

While a dollar figure for the Christian centre and theatre building has not yet been agreed upon, negotiations are underway and if one is found which can accommodate the budget of the community hall committee, then mayor and council, in consultation with the committee, will vote on moving the process forward.

MacDougall said he is hoping to see some movement within the next month once a build-ing cost is determined.

“This is the best choice that we have and

we’re in dire need of a community centre,” said MacDougall and he wants to be able to move forward on the hard work the committee has done in securing the funding they have.

After a couple of extensions for some of it, the province has given notice the $900,000 in provincial grant funding which had been al-lotted to a new community hall will need to be used or at least allocated to a solid project plan before March 31, 2013.

The notice came in a letter from Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Develop-ment Bill Bennett in response to a meeting at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention with Mayor Rob MacDougall and Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad.

Bennett said the Towns for Tomorrow pro-gram is ending in 2013, and there is still a large shortfall if Fort St. James stayed with the proposed construction of a $3.8 million build-ing next to the arena which the committee had come up with. Bennett advised MacDougall to speak to the mayor of Elkford, a community which overcame a similar dilemma.

MacDougall said he looked at the building in Elkford, but he did not consult their mayor as the cost of new construction would still have been too high and the timelines involved for new construction before the funding ex-pires are too short.

The push to build a new community cen-tre, something Fort St. James has been with-out since 1982, started with a donation of $500,000 from the Hoy family in 2007.

The District of Fort St. James has now tak-en out a loan request for $280,000 to contrib-ute to the project.

Funding finalized for North

RoadThe province has announced $2.5 million in

funding for improvements to the Germansen Landing Road.

While Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad had announced funding to the Germansen Landing/North Road in September, the prov-ince has finalized a figure for the improve-ments.

Improvements will take place on the first 57 km of the road from the Fort St. James mu-nicipal boundary, and will repair the road base, gravel the road, improve ditches and brush out sight lines on the route.

Areas have been identified where road base repair and ditching are most needed and the brushing will take place between kilometres 22 and 30.

Work on the road base started in June of 2012 and the entire project is expected to be done by Sept. 30, 2013.

Rustad credits the community of Fort St. James with the realization of the project.

“This upgrade to Germansen Landing Road is a demonstration of the tenacity of the people of Fort St. James and surrounding communi-ties in coming together to accomplish some-thing,” he said.

Take your pick

Two contenders are vying for the NDP nomination to become the Nechako Lakes candidate for the BC New Demo-cratic Party (NDP).

Sussanne Skid-more Hewlett and Debora Munoz are both running for the spot, which Skid-more said she sees as a good sign in a rid-ing where candidates normally receive little opposition.

Party members will be voting by Dec. 15, and so a candidate will be an-nounced after polls close at 3 p.m. the same day.

Current Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad will then defend his seat as the incumbent for the Liberals against the successful NDP member.

New age update

The Fort St. James National Historic Site has had an online update.

The website for the park now has in-formation on the new visitor centre dis-plays, Chief Kweh, James Douglas, and Father A.G. Morice - all three of whom are persons of national historic significance - and information on special events and programs for 2013.

To see for your-self, go to: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/fortstjames

A sign of the season

Tom FletcherBlack Press

The partners in the Burns Lake sawmill destroyed in a fatal fire in January have accepted the condi-tions for rebuilding the mill.

To the commu-nity’s relief, the an-nouncement comes despite last week’s decision by Work-SafeBC to refer their fire investigations at Babine Forest Prod-ucts in Burns Lake and a later fire at Lakeland Mills in Prince George, to Crown counsel for possible charges. Two workers died and 42 others injured in the two fires, which WorkSafeBC con-cluded were caused

by dust explosions.“I’m very pleased

with the decision,” said Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, who joined officials in Burns Lake Tues-day for the announce-ment. He said it deliv-ers on a promise made by Premier Christy Clark when she vis-ited the community in the hours after disas-ter struck.

Steve Zika, CEO of Oregon-based Hampton Affiliates, and Albert Gerow, CEO of Burns Lake Native Development Corp., announced in September that they would rebuild if an agreement could be reached with the B.C. government to sup-ply enough timber in the wake of the pine

beetle epidemic.Rustad chaired

the committee that reviewed the timber supply and deter-mined it could sup-port existing mills in the region and a reconstructed Babine sawmill. It requires all six aboriginal communities in the region to commit tim-ber rights to the new mill, including new area-based Crown forest tenures that the B.C. government has promised to award under legislation that still must be passed.

“I can imagine the other mills in the area would much rather have seen Hampton not rebuilt, because it means easier log access for them, and not as much competi-

tion,” Rustad said.The deal also de-

pended on re-invento-ry of areas affected by pine beetle, after the epidemic has run its course. He said inven-tory work in the Ques-nel forest district, which was infested earlier, has shown a better survival rate of trees and stronger re-growth than expected.

Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson disputed that conclu-sion, saying Rustad is overstating the results from Quesnel. Simp-son said the Quesnel forest is more produc-tive than the north-west, and the optimis-tic projection depends on beetle-killed wood being harvested while live trees are left for later, which is not

happening.“It’s all a hyper-

optimistic what-if exercise by some sil-viculture people,” Simpson said.

The government plans to table legisla-tion in the new year to allow area-based forest licences to be directly awarded to aboriginal communi-ties, and supplemen-tal licences that al-low greater access to waste wood for pel-lets and other biofuel.

The WorkSafeBC investigation found that the most likely fuel source for the two explosions was fine, dry dust, which increases when mills cut dry trees killed by beetles. The likely ig-nition source in both cases was motor and

gear assemblies run-ning waste conveyors in low, confined areas

of the mills subject to heavy dust accumula-tion.

A2 www.caledoniacourier.com Wednesday, December 12, 2012 Caledonia Courier

NEWSCourierTimber deal reached to rebuild mill

“A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIESWITHIN OUR REGION”37, 3RD Avenue,

PO Box 820,Burns Lake, BC V0J 1E0

www.rdbn.bc.ca

PH: 250-692-3195TF: 800-320-3339FX: 250-692-3305

E-MAIL:[email protected]

Season’s Greetings!We’re hoping your holiday is full of laughter and friends,

health and happiness.

The Regional District ofBulkley-Nechako will be closed

December 24th to January 1st

and will reopen withregular hours on

January 2nd, 2013.

December, 2012District of Fort St. James Calendar

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

April Fool’s Day

Earth DayTaurus

26 27 28 29 30Workers Mourning Day(Canada)

1

8

15

22

29

2

9

16

23

30

3

10

17

24

31

4

11

18

25

5

12

19

26

6

13

20

27

7

14

21

28

S M T W T F S

March 2009

3

10

17

24

31

4

11

18

25

5

12

19

26

6

13

20

27

7

14

21

28

1

8

15

22

29

2

9

16

23

30

S M T W T F SMay 2009 1

Palm Sunday First Day of Passover Good Friday

Easter Monday(Australia & Canada)Easter Tax Day

Administrative Professionals Day

Arbor Day Anzac Day (Australia)

AdBuilder.comIgniting Your Ad Sales

• AdBuilder® Retail• AdBuilder® Classified• Co-op Sales Ideas

Hot Retail Co-op CategoriesBicycles, Accessories and SuppliesLawn and GardenMotorcycles and SnowmobilesOutdoor FurnishingsRecreational Vehicles

Hot Manufacturer Co-opBenjamin Moore PaintsCamp HealthcareGrasshopper MowersRolex WatchWhirlpool Corporation

AdBuilder® Special Section Builder Themes• Financial• Planning a Garden• Earth Day• Easter

Special EventsNCAA Men’s Final Four Championship 4 & 6NCAA Women’s Final Four Championship 5 & 7National Stress Awareness Day 16National Volunteer Week 19–25Week of the Young Child 19–25Boston Marathon 20National Jelly Bean Day 22Take Our Daughters/Sons to Work Day 23

Month-long EventsAlcohol Awareness MonthNational Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.212-269-7797www.ncadd.org

Child Abuse Prevention MonthPrevent Child Abuse America312-663-3520www.preventchildabuse.org

Jazz Appreciation MonthSmithsonian National Museum of American History202-633-3129www.smithsonianjazz.org

National Car Care MonthCar Care Council240-333-1088www.carcare.org

National Donate Life MonthU.S. Department of Health and Human Services202-619-0257www.organdonor.gov

National Lawn Care MonthPLANET, Professional Landcare Network800-395-2522www.landcarenetwork.org

National Parkinson Awareness MonthNational Parkinson Foundation, Inc.800-327-4545www.parkinson.org

Prevention of Animal Cruelty MonthASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals212-876-7700www.aspca.org

BeaverOnGolfCourseC0804.EPS

Man

Ridi

ngLa

wnM

ower

C08

04.E

PS

Man

Play

ingG

olfC

0804

.EPS

Mom

Girl

Hug

ging

Tree

C08

04.E

PS

DaffodilsHC0804.EPS

Of� ce:

477 Stuart Drive West

Email:

of� [email protected]:

250-996-8233

Like us at Facebook:

District of Fort St. JamesFollow us on Twitter:

@DFSJames

Mun

icip

al W

ebsit

e:

ww

w.fo

rtst

jam

es.c

a

Public Skating 7:45-8:45pm



Public Skating5:45-7:15pm

Christmas Crafts & Fun @ Kwah

Hall 5-8pm1pm Cancer Support

Group @ Sue’sCall 996-8639 for

more info

Please submit all events by W

ednesday for the next W

ednesday paper distribution.offi ce@

fortstjames.ca

2012 Christmas Food, Toy & Winter Clothing Drive December 12th & 13th: Fill That Bus Challenge -

FSJSS Student Council will be touring FSJ in a school bus asking for donati ons of food, toys and winter clothing. Don’t worry if you miss the bus - there are also collecti on boxes throughout our community!

November 30th to December 18th: Tree of Warmth - Decorate the Christmas tree at hub Internati onal Barton Insurance with mitt s, scarves & toques.

Hoop Dance 6:45-7:45pm @ Sowchea

Fill That Bus Challenge

Fill That Bus Challenge Deadline for CNC

Short Story Writing Contest


BOXING DAYCHRISTMAS DAY

9 10 11 12 14 1513



District Of� ce CLOSED






Evangelical Church Christmas Prgrm @

7pm

16

23

17

24

18

25

19

26

21

28

22

29

20

27

*Dog Licences need to be renewed for January 2013.*Seniors Ctr Lunch, Mon, Wed, & Fri 11:30 - 2pm

*All Wednesdays Hoop Dance 6:45 - 7:45pm @ Sowchea


30 31



1 2 3 4 5

January, 2013

NEW YEAR’S DAY

Caledonia Courier Wednesday, December 12, 2012 www.caledoniacourier.com A3Wednesday, December 12, 2012

NEWSCourier

WantedThe RCMP are asking the public to help locate

a male, Kenneth Holdis, for arrest.Two separate arrest warrants have been issued

against Holdis for a range of serious offenses, including break and enter, assault, mischief and break and enter with intent.

“We’re just asking if people have any idea of his whereabouts, if they could just call the Fort St. James RCMP,” said Sergeant Hanson of the Fort St. James RCMP detachment.

“They don’t have to give their name. We’re just looking for information.”

Anyone with information that can help lead to the arrest of Kenneth Holdis is being asked to con-tact the Fort St. James RCMP at 250.996.8269 or call Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.TIPS (8477).

Right: RCMP are looking for Kenneth Holdis, and anyone with information on his where-abouts to contact the RCMP at: 250-996-8269 or drop the information in an envelope addressed to the RCMP at the post office.

Photo courtesy of RCMP

Greyhound decision still pending

The B.C. Trans-portation Board is still working on the decision to approve or deny Greyhound’s request for a reduc-tion in route mini-mums.

The decision could come in mid-Decem-ber, but is likely to take until after the new year.

The Board re-ceived around 160

submissions on the proposal for service reduction.

The company hopes to save $6.7 million through route reductions.

The lack of a local office for Greyhound services continues as well, but is a sepa-rate issue, according to Lyn Potts, a Grey-hound representative for the area.

She said the size of Fort St. James and low usage rates mean having a stand-alone office in the town is not feasible, but they are still searching for a local business to partner with.

As with the taxi office, Greyhound would want to partner with an existing busi-ness to add income to the current business.

Potential partners would need to pass a background check, have appropriate parking nearby for the bus, preferably have a seat or two for passengers and a rest room.

“Whether or not we reduce runs … we still will be doing express shipments to that community,” she said.

THE CHURCHESOF

FORT ST. JAMES

EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCHWELCOMES YOU!4th Avenue W & Birch Street

SUNDAY SCHOOL .........10:30 am - 12 NoonMORNING WORSHIP ....10:30 am - 12 Noon

Church Of� ce 996-7261

OUR LADY OF THE SNOWSROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

SUNDAY LITURGY: Saturday 7:30 pm & Sunday 10:30 amDAILY MASS: Monday - Friday 9:00 am

PASTORAL TEAM: FATHER FRANK SALMON 250-996-8343SR. JANE DWYER, SR. PAT MACAULAY, SR. DIVINA PEDRO

250-996-2275

(Across from the Petrocan Station)

8ATTENTION: All AdvertisersEARLY DEADLINES

Due to the holiday season, Santa and all the elves at the Caledonia Courier have got to

rest! Therefore we will have early deadlines for all Display and Classified advertising.

DECEMBER 26 ISSUEDeadline: Noon Wed December 19

JANUARY 2 ISSUEDeadline: Noon, Mon, Dec 24

OFFICE CLOSEDDec 25 & 26 & Jan 1

250-567-9258

Do you want to practise

forestry in BC?New forestry designation available now

� e Natural Resource Professional (or NRP) designation is new and recent grads from natural resources conservation programs at the University of BC, � ompson Rivers University and the University of Northern BC can apply today. � e NRP designation will allow you to practise aspects of professional forestry in every corner of the province. You might � nd yourself working for government, consultants, industry, Aboriginal groups and more! For more information and to see which programs qualify, visit our website at www.abcfp.ca.

A safe holiday is a happy holidayMake safety a priority this holiday season with these simple tips:

• Never kick or hit your meter if ice builds up. Call us for assistance at 1-888-224-2710.

• After a snowfall, brush snow away from your meters by hand and clear a path for the safety of our meter readers.

• Around your fireplace, consider using a hearth safety gate to help protect small children from the heated glass.

For more winter safety tips, visit fortisbc.com/safety.

SarahFortisBC,

Dispatch Coordinator

FortisBC uses the FortisBC Energy name and logo under license from Fortis Inc. (12-336.4 12/2012)

Lakeshore Realty

You’ll find us at 169 STUART DRIVE, [email protected] 250-996-8618

529 Fir StreetGreat for first time home buyer - it’s cheaper than rent OR investment property - rent-als are in demand. Four bedroom mobile home on deeded land on the greenbelt. Fresh paint, bathroom renos, new interior doors, all appliances, plus BI dishwasher included. Private backyard with large covered deck and two storage sheds. Some furniture could be included. Quick possession possible. $63,500

FORT ST. JAMES PUBLIC LIBRARY

HOURS...

Tuesday 11:30-8:00

Wednesday 11:30-4:30

Thursday 11:30-4:30

Friday 11:30-8:00

Saturday 11:00-3:00

FORT ADULT CENTRE FOR EDUCATION...Suite 221-250 Stuart Drive, in the Goodwin Building. Open daily 8:00-4:00. Call 250-996-7712 for more information.

Editorial Page

Look for us online at : caledoniacourier.com

The Caledonia Courier is

a member of the British

Columbia Press Council,

a self-regulatory body

governing the province’s

newspaper industry. The

council considers complaints

from the public about

the conduct of member

newspapers. Directors oversee

the mediation of complaints,

with input from both the

newspaper and the complaint

holder. If talking with the

editor or publisher does not

resolve your complaint about

coverage or story treatment,

you may contact the B.C.

Press Council.

Your written concern, with

documentation, should be

sent to B.C. Press Council,

201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C.

V9R 2R2.

For information,

phone 888-687-2213 or go to

www.bcpresscouncil.org

E-mail us at : [email protected]

AUDIT

Distributed every Wednesday in Fort St. James

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.


Publisher: Pam Berger

[email protected]

EditorRuth Lloyd

[email protected]

Office: Betty Johnson

[email protected]

Production:Julia Beal

Wendy Haslamwendy@

ominecaexpress.com

Address:Box 1298

Fort St. James, BC VOJ 1P0

Member:B.C. Press Council

Subscriptions (per year) Local: $46.17

Seniors: $39.75 Outside Local area: $64.12

(All rates include HST):

Reproduction of contents either in part or in whole are not permitted without prior consent of the publisher.Copyright Canada No. 22

Serial No. 132934

• Column... • Letter...Editor:

We celebrate National Addictions Awareness Week annually and this year’s event has been very successful. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in National Addictions Awareness Week Campaign in November 19 -23, 2012.

This year’s NAAW participants included: Nak’azdli Health Centre Staff, David ColterJohn, Nak’azdli Alternate Justice Centre Staff, Northern Health Mental Health and Addictions Staff, Nak’azdli Youth Centre Staff, Toni Dage-nais, Sue Williams, Anna Waddell, and Cathy Wickes

Thank You to Nak’azdli Youth Councils and Anita Prince for their help with Real Life Stages Play.

Many thanks to the students and teachers of Nak’al bun Elementary School, David Hoy Elementary School, and Fort St. James Secondary school for their participation, creativity and their powerful messages in their T-shirts design.

To our generous donors: Khas T’an Outdoor Adventure, Silver Springs Country Recreation and Wellness, Nak’azdli Health Centre and Nak’azdli Chief & Council.

Last but not least, thank you to the community members of Nak’azdli and Fort St. James.

Sincerely,

Maria C. Riske/Nak’azdli Community Wellness

T-Shirts made during National Addictions Awareness Week were on dis-play in Kwah Hall.


Poverty politicsTom FletcherBlack Press

B.C.’s ritual day of shame over child poverty has come and gone once again, with politicians trading blame and time-worn talking points.

The occasion was an annual gathering staged at the B.C. Teach-ers’ Federation office in downtown Vancouver. It is organized by First Call, an umbrella group sponsored by the BCTF, the B.C. Government Employees’ Union and a collection of like-minded “anti-poverty activ-ists,” as they describe themselves in their latest report.

The familiar script unfolded. The report misinterprets federal income statistics from two years ago and calls for a long list of uncosted, but hugely expensive measures that they assert will make B.C. the first juris-diction in human history to eradicate poverty.

A sampling: provide raises for employees and contractors at all levels of government until they are making an unspecified “living wage,” because we all know how public sector workers uniquely suf-fer from pay and pension inequality.

Raise the minimum wage again and index it to inflation. Establish universal public dental care, prescrip-

tion drug and eye care programs, and daycare. (Dismiss targeted programs that already provide this.)

Raise welfare rates and expand eligibility for employment insur-ance. Cut tuition and provide more student grants. Eliminate homeless-ness.

My point is not to deny that there are many poor people in B.C. and Canada. There are. But at this point we don’t even have a reliable way of measuring the problem, let alone ef-fective solutions.

The report states: “Statistics Canada said the child poverty rate in Greater Vancouver was 18.4 per cent in 2010 …” No, Statistics Canada didn’t say that. They said what they always say, that “Low-Income Cut-Off,” or LICO figures, are not an ac-curate measure of poverty.

The political response was equal-ly predictable. Veteran NDP MP Libby Davies led the charge in Otta-wa. The government must establish a national anti-poverty strategy with firm annual goals, she said, reciting the identical script of the B.C. NDP.

Davies didn’t mention that Mani-toba is among the provinces with such a plan. It’s the only province that finished below B.C. in the per-centage of children living in low-in-come homes. These plans are mainly

gesture politics, providing the ap-pearance of action.

Social Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux spoke on behalf of the B.C. Liberal government, and she, too, stuck to a familiar script. The best path out of poverty is a job, she said. This is true, but also obvious.

Then Cadieux went on about the “B.C. Jobs Plan,” which has its own sorry record of misrepresented fed-eral statistics.

Here’s one of the report’s more blindingly obvious section headings: “Child poverty concentrated in big cities.” No kidding. The whole pop-ulation is concentrated in big cities.

Herein lies a clue that is missed by “activists” for ever-larger govern-ment. Poor people are increasingly crowded into the most expensive places.

If I’m on welfare or working in a low-wage job and receiving a pro-vincial rent subsidy (one of those things LICO doesn’t measure), should I live in downtown Victoria or Vancouver? Shouldn’t I relocate to a smaller community where hous-ing is cheaper?

There are lots of complications to this, but some kind of incentive to relocate could help big and small communities.

Ruth LloydCaledonia Courier

Jeff Dinsdale of Quesnel visited Fort St. James to give a talk on the history of mushing in north-cen-tral B.C..

Dog mushing has been around in Cana-da for a long time, ac-cording to Dinsdale, with the Inuit in the north using sled dogs for over 4,000 years.

The Carrier peo-ples of New Caledonia and beyond, however, he does not believe were using sled dogs prior to their introduc-tion by the fur trad-ers, who brought them from northern Alberta to help carry furs and

supplies across the north in the winter.

"As far as Brit-ish Columbia is con-cerned, this is where it all started," said Din-sdale.

Over the years, sled dogs and their sleds evolved. Early sleds were fairly rudimenta-ry, beginning with to-boggans made out of two eight-inch boards.

In the early years, the dog teams were small, usually as few as four dogs or less made a team.

Mushers had to run, walk or snowshoe alongside or behind the sleds, with no-where to stand on the back of the sleds, and steering control was

limited.Sled dogs were in-

strumental in the fur trade, in the Collins Overland Telegraph Line, and the railway line. Surveyors of both line systems used sled dogs for their work.

The talk ended with a fantastic demonstra-tion of the traditional clothing from the late days of the fur trade, with a coat made from a wool blanket, leg-gings, and tradition-al ties and wraps to keep the snow out and warmth in.

Over 30 people at-tended Dinsdale's talk, put on by the Fort St. James Sled Dog As-sociation. Entry was

by donation, with pro-ceeds going towards the association's Cale-

donia Classic races set for February 22-24, 2013.


NEWSCourierHistory for the dogs

Above: A willing volunteer was dressed up in some traditional festive wear by Jeff Dinsdale of Quesnel who delivered a talk on the history of sled dog mushing in north central B.C.


Go to our Municipal web site at: www.fortstjames.caFollow us on Twitter: @DFSJames

Fort St. jameS DIStrICt PaGe

COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULEA schedule of Regular Council Meetings for the year 2013 is now posted at the public notice posting place at the District of Fort St. James municipal office, 477 Stuart Drive West.

The schedule may also be viewed online at http://bit.ly/PZp47s.

The notice will be posted until December 31, 2013.

GRANT FUNDINGThe Integris Credit Union Community Foundation has invested over $540,000 in the communities of Vanderhoof, Fort St. James and Fraser Lake since its inception in 2002. These funds are used to meet a wide range of charitable needs and interests. Funding requests from local organizations and agencies to undertake beneficial community projects are now being accepted.

To Apply:1. Applications must be completed on prescribed forms 2. Applications must be submitted by 4pm on Dec. 14, 2012

Funding guidelines and applications are available at the Vanderhoof and Fort St. James branches of Integris Credit Union. Or you can visit our website at:

https://www.integriscu.ca/Personal/InOurCommunity/ApplyForFunding/IntegrisCommunityFoundation/

Applications will be reviewed by January 31, 2013.

The grad class of 2013 would like to thank the community of Fort St. James for making the 36th Annual

Craft Fair a huge success. Thank you to all the businesses for their

generous donations, the use of tables and the organization of the

Craft Fair Committee.We would also like to congratulate the following people on winning the 2013

Grad Raffle:Family Christmas Tree - Cathy Playfair

Ladies Bag - Kathy MarchalMens Tub - Steph PlumridgeKids Basket - Aimee Dunkley

Thank you again from the grad class of 2013.

Thank You

AUXILIARY TO STUART LAKE HOSPITAL... Monthly meeting 2nd

Wednesday each month. Hospital Cafeteria 7:00 p.m.


It was another fantas-tic Santa Claus Parade, Moonlight Madness event and Festival of Trees night in Fort St. James Nov. 30.

The parking was full Friday afternoon, as traf� c bustled about the down-town attending some of the afternoon events such as the Chilli Blankets at In-tegris, where free bowls of chilli and cups of hot choc-olate were being given out. The spot was also a col-lection point for donations of warm winter clothing or blankets, the Rotary Christmas Food and Toy Drive and featured some Christmas karaoke.

The weather was chilly, with a cold wind and snow for most of the day, but the snow stopped not long before the parade got going, and so specta-tors may have had a cold wind to contend with, but they at least did not have to worry about the snow blowing in their faces as they watched.

There were just enough � oats in the parade to give the crowd a great repre-sentation of some of the Christmas spirit of the community, but not so much everyone had to freeze to death to do it.

Newlands once again had a shockingly impres-sive � oat, how they man-age to put such a great � oat together year after year is an ongoing mystery.

But they were all good, and there were some great classic cars and the � eet from the � re department to � ll out the parade as well.

Once the crowd had their pockets � lled with candies from the parade, most of the spectators stopped in for a visit to the Festival of Trees, this year raising money for the Grade 8 trip to Haida Gwaii.

The Northland tree with the snowy owl seemed to be a hot ticket item, but there were also some really unique tree and decoration ideas as well. TABA Enterprises had the winning bid for the Northland tree, with a � nal bid of $380. TABA had also donated a tree to the festival and purchased two from the event.

The Overwaitea wreath made up of holiday cookie cutters was commented on a number of times, and so was the Ladies Auxilli-ary Fire department tree, made as an outdoor tree,

with garlands of peanuts, dried fruit and popcorn and other treats to attract the birds.

One I found particu-larly impressive was the wreath in a snow� ake shape made out of musi-

cal sheets from Lakeshore Pharmacy, which also included some � owers made from the same paper

sheets.The Festival of Trees

raised $3,771 towards the Grade 8 trip.


NEWSCourierSpirit of the season

Top left: Parade watchers get into the Christmas spirit with face paint. Above: Cookie decorat-ing was offered at the Festival of Trees. Left: A young patron of the Festival enjoys a candy cane while looking at the trees. More pho-tos online.Ruth Lloyd

Photos

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been talking about the precautions, the safety measures, and the selection criteria involved in the marine elements of the Gateway project — all of them intended to prevent an oil spill on water. I’ve also mentioned, in recent weeks, how Gateway’s marine safety program was examined by an independent risk-assessment group, which determined that the chances of a major spill are once in more than 15,000 years.

Although statistics and reports suggest a marine oil spill is unlikely, you want to know — what if one does occur? How will Gateway be prepared? While the chances are slim, we continue to develop a world-class marine response program.

The Northern Gateway Project includes a spill response capacity that’s more than three times the Canadian regulation. And while the Canadian requirement for oil spill response is 72 hours plus travel time, our response time will be a fraction of that number — 6 to 12 hours in the marine channels. This is a signifi cant increase to the response capability available to B.C.’s north coast. Additionally, for immediate response, our tug escorts will be

equipped with booms, oil skimmers, and fi refi ghting equipment to provide enhanced initial containment, and they will be available to all marine traffi c in the event of an incident.

We will store equipment, such as containment and absorbent booms, skimmers, and waste storage, in multiple well-maintained, readily accessible response bases, providing a wider area of coverage in a shorter amount of time. Barges will also be located throughout the marine channels for additional storage and equipment mobilization. We are committed to having staff, contractors, and partners in place to maintain that enhanced state of readiness.

The Gateway project will likely never see a major marine oil spill. But if it does, we’ll be prepared to protect our coastline.

Janet HolderExecutive Vice PresidentWestern AccessEnbridge Inc.

Spill response plan

GATEWAYperspectives

It’s more than a pipeline. It’s a path to a stronger economy.Join the conversation at northerngateway.ca

©2012 Northern Gateway Pipelines Inc.


Ad

#EN

017-

11/1

2E –

4.3

125

x 8

It’s more than a pipeline. It’s a path to delivering energy safely.Join the conversation at northerngateway.ca


EN9033_Enbridge_Janet_ad_4.3125x8 #10.indd 1 13/11/12 2:28 PM

your source for FREE coupons

SAVE TIME. SAVE MONEY.

#GiftGuideFL Thursday, Dec. 13, 20127-8 PM EST

Who are you shopping for?

For Him For Her For Kids Stockings

Holiday Gift Guide 2012y

Save on holiday shopping

Caledonia Courier Wednesday, December 12, 2012 www.caledoniacourier.com A7

A Big Thank You to the schools who are featured in our 2012 Christmas by Kids

Christmas by Kids 2012

Happy Holidays

John RUSTAD, MLANechako Lakes

Houston Of� ce2500 Butler Ave

Houston, BCTel: 250-845-7770

Vanderhoof Of� ce183 First StreetVanderhoof, BCTel: 250-567-6820

www.johnrustadmla.bc.ca1-877-964-5650

“The Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to spend more time with your loved ones. My wife and I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

INterested

Happy Holidays!We wish you a Merry Christmas& a Happy New Year!

Experience the CU Difference.

Sowchea Elementary - Grades 3/4


A Big Thank You to the schools who are featured in our 2012 Christmas by Kids

Sowchea Elementary - Grades 4/5

‘Tis the season...

For love and laughter far and near, and for

sending warm greetings to all whom

we hold so dear.

Happy Holidays!School District No. 91

(Nechako Lakes)

“Building Canada’s Premier Forest Company”

Sustainable Forestry InitiativeGood for you, good for our forests!

CelebrateAnd enjoy all that

is wonderful this

Christmas.

Best wishes for

a Happy Healthy

New Year to one

and all!

Christmas by Kids 2012


NEWSCourierCourt report

For � les appearing in Fort St. James Provincial Court on November 27, 2012.

Annie J. Anatole was found guilty of possession of property under $5,000

obtained by crime and sen-tenced to nine months proba-tion and a nine month sus-pended sentence.

Michael J. Aslin was given a 12-month probation

order and one day in jail for forgery.

Roy S. Isaac was sen-tenced to � ve days in jail and charged a $50 victim sur-charge for failure to comply

with a probation order.For � les appearing before

the Fort St. James Provincial Court on December 4, 2012.

Ashley Beauchamp was given a conditional release

with the payment of a $500 bond for assault causing bodily harm.

Wayne N. Button was � ned $250 for failure to comply with a condition of

undertaking.Catherine Joseph was

� ned $500 plus a victim surcharge of $75 for driving without due care and atten-tion.

Don’t Drink & DriveEat, THINK, And Be Wary. . .

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 91(Nechako Lakes)

On behalf of the Board of Education, the Transportation Department

encourages everyone toMAKE SAFE

TRANSPORTATION CHOICESthroughout the Holiday Season.

A designated driver helps you party another day.

Please don’t drink and drive this Holiday season

John Rustad MLANechako Lakes

Toll Free 1-877-964-5650

Nak’azdli Band

Fort St. James

996-7171

from the

DRINKING

& DRIVING

The B.C. government, police and ICBC marked the 35th anniversary of the CounterAttack pro-gram with the launch of the December impaired driving campaign.

In 1976, the year before CounterAttack road-checks started, more than 300 people were killed in impaired related crashes every year in our prov-ince. While attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed considerably since then, an average of 113 lives are still lost each year and impaired driving remains the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C.*

“The CounterAttack program is a remarkable initiative that has helped save countless lives, but we still have work to do,” said Mary Polak, Minis-ter of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The re-ality is 31 per cent of fatal crashes that occur every

year in B.C. involve impaired driving. These are tragedies we can all help to prevent – when you celebrate this holiday season with your family and friends, make sure you plan ahead for a safe ride home.”

“Recent, promising research shows most B.C. drivers are taking our impaired driving law seri-ously, and that it has helped to save more than 100 lives in the last two years,” said Shirley Bond,

Minister of Justice and Attorney Gen-eral. “But some drivers remain un-deterred – so strategic enforcement efforts, including seasonal Counter-Attack campaigns, remain critical to further our goals of reducing fatalities and creating safer roads and commu-nities.”

If your festivities involve alcohol, arrange for a designated driver or use other safe options to get home safely — call a sober friend. “We don’t want to see another family suffer the tragic loss of a loved one at the hand of an impaired driver. This is why our dedi-cated officers will be out in full force during the holidays conducting Coun-

terAttack roadchecks across the province,” said Chief Constable Jamie Graham, Victoria Police and Chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Po-lice Traffic Safety Committee. “If you choose to drive impaired, you will be caught and you will face severe consequences.”

“We want everyone to enjoy the holidays with their family and friends, so make sure you plan ahead for a safe ride home,” said John Dickinson, ICBC’s director of road safety. “Share the respon-sibility of being the designated driver this holiday season. If it’s your turn, be true to your commit-ment – your friends and family are counting on it.”

ICBC supports CounterAttack through an edu-cation campaign and enhanced police enforce-ment and also provides CounterAttack materials to businesses, sports facilities and community groups to help prevent impaired driving.

For holiday season driving tips and more on the CounterAttack campaign, visit icbc.com.

Regional statistics:On average, 32 people are killed each year in

the Lower Mainland in impaired-related crashes.On average, 25 people are killed each year in

North Central B.C. in impaired-related crashes.On average, 36 people are killed each year in

the Southern Interior in impaired-related crashes.On average, 21 people are killed each year on

Vancouver Island in impaired-related crashes.

*Annual averages from 2007-2011 police-reported data. Impaired-driving related data in-cludes alcohol, illegal drugs and medicine.

The launch of the 35th CounterAttack program


General ManagerBurns Lake Native Development Corporation is a First Nations owned and driven organization. With a strong working relationship with its Board of Directors the organization is committed to promoting entrepreneurship and economic growth development within its six member first nations.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ideal candidate for this half-time position (moving to full time pending resources) will demonstrate - financial management skills - good written and oral skills - strong management skills and project management experience - experience working with a board of directors - hands-on HR management skills - familiarity with lending principles - experience in community economic development - experience in a non- profit organization - must have experience in proposal writing, forestry, logging and value added operations - good understanding of dealing with first nation communities

Responsibilities: - co-ordinating meetings of, and reporting to, Board and its committees - assisting Board formulate policies and programs - overseeing administration - planning, developing and monitoring budgets and performance targets - developing and maintaining HR policies; recruiting, training, supervising staff - leading economic development initiatives

Applicants ideally will have several years management experience, post secondary education in a business related field, familiarity with log harvesting, small business lending and an ability to work with diverse client and partnership groups. Aboriginal ancestry is an asset.

Please submit resumes by January 7, 2013 to:

Chair Burns Lake Native Development Corp PO Box 1030, Burns Lake, BC V0J 1E0 Fax: (250) 692-7483 Email: [email protected]

CASUAL CUSTODIANS

School District No. 91 (Nechako Lakes) is accepting applications from those interested in employment as a casual custodian in the Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fraser Lake and Burns Lake areas.

To qualify for casual custodial work applicants must: ● provide proof of completion of Grade 12 (Dog ood erti cate) ● successfully complete Custodial Training Course – provided by School District No. 91 ● hold a valid S certi cate (can be taken after successful completion of Custodial Training Course) ● be able to demonstrate pro ciency in nglish verbally, and in writing, if requested

Applicants who successfully complete the Custodial Training Course will be required to job shadow for a minimum of 8 hours. The 8 hours of job shadowing will be paid.

Resumés must be accompanied by a completed application form which is available on the website athttp://www.sd91.bc.ca or from the School District Administration f ce in Vanderhoof or from any district school.

Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 20, 2012. Please forward your applications to:

Human Resources School District No. 91(Nechako Lakes) Box 129 Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0 Fax: (250) 567-4639 mail: [email protected]

School District No. 91 (Nechako Lakes) would like to thank all applicants in advance for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Announcements

In Memoriam

P.O. Box 1480, 7th AvePrince George, BC

V2L 3P2250-562-8611

In MemoriamDonations

InformationADVERTISE in the

LARGEST OUTDOOR PUBLICATION IN BC

The 2013-2015 BC Freshwater Fishing

Regulations SynopsisThe most effective way to

reach an incredible number of BC Sportsmen & women.

Two year edition- terrifi c presence for your business.Please call Annemarie

1.800.661.6335 email:

fi [email protected]

Travel

TimeshareCANCEL YOUR Timeshare. NO Risk Program, STOP Mortgage & Maintenance Pay-ments Today. 100% Money Back Guarantee. FREE Con-sultation. Call Us NOW. We Can Help! 1-888-356-5248.

TravelCONDOMINIUM HOTEL 1-2-3 bdrm condominiums 825- 1850sq ft. Convenient Beach Access, Heated Pool/Hot Tub In-room Washer/Dryer, Flat Screen TV’s, Free Wi-Fi, Pri-vate Balconies, Daily House-keeping, Handicapped Rooms Available. Weekly/Monthly Rates, Free Local Calls, Free Local Beach Transportation. Conveniently Located to Shops and Restaurants. www.crystalpalmsbeachresort.com 1-888-360-0037. 11605 Gulf Blvd. Treasure Is-land FL 33706.HAWAII ON the Mainland, healthy low-cost living can be yours. Modern Arenal Maleku Condominiums, 24/7 secured Community, Costa Rica “friendliest country on earth”! 1-780-952-0709; www.CanTico.ca.

Employment

Career Opportunities

LEARN FROM home. Earn from home. Medical Transcrip-tionists are in demand. Lots of jobs! Enrol today for less than $95 a month. 1-800-466-1535 www.canscribe.com [email protected]

Help WantedAn Alberta Construction Com-pany is hiring Dozer and Exca-vator Operators. Preference will be given to operators that are experienced in oilfi eld road and lease construction. Lodg-ing and meals provided. The work is in the vicinity of Edson, Alberta. Alcohol & Drug testing required. Call Contour Con-struction at 780-723-5051.Required for an Alberta Trucking Company. One Class 1 Driver. Must have a mini-mum of 5 years experience pulling low boys and driving off road. Candidate must be able to pass a drug test and be will-ing to relocate to Edson, Al-berta. Fax resumes to: 780-725-4430

Employment

Trades, TechnicalNORTHERN ALBERTA clear-ing contractor seeks experi-enced Buncher and Skidder Operators for work in Northern Alberta. Subsistence and ac-commodations provided; email [email protected] Fax 780-488-3002.

Services

Health ProductsGET 50% off - Join Herbal Magic this week and get 50% Off. Lose weight quickly, safe-ly and keep it off, proven re-sults! Call Herbal Magic today! 1-800-854-5176.

Financial ServicesDROWNING IN debts? Help-ing Canadians 25 years. Low-er payments by 30%, or cut debts 70% thru Settlements. Avoid bankruptcy! Free con-sultation. www.mydebtsolution.com or Toll Free 1-877-556-3500GET BACK ON TRACK! Bad credit? Bills? Unemployed? Need Money? We Lend! If you own your own home - you qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB. 1-877-987-1420.

www.pioneerwest.comIF YOU own a home or real estate, Alpine Credits can lend you money: It’s That Simple. Your Credit / Age / Income is not an issue. 1.800.587.2161.INCOME TAX PROBLEMS? Have you been audited, reas-sessed or disallowed certain claims by Canada Revenue Agency? Call Bob Allen @ 250-542-0295 35yrs. Income Tax experience, 8.5yrs. with Revenue Canada. Email: [email protected] O N E Y P ROV I D E R . C O M . $500 Loan and +. No Credit Refused. Fast, Easy, 100% Secure. 1-877-776-1660.

Legal Services

Merchandise for Sale

Heavy Duty Machinery

A- STEEL SHIPPING STORAGE CONTAINERS /

Bridges / EquipmentWheel loaders JD 644E & 544A / 63’ & 90’ Stiff boom 5th wheel crane trucks/Excavators EX200-5 & 892D-LC / Small forklifts / F350 C/C “Cabs”20’40’45’53’ New/ Used/ Damaged /Containers Semi Trailers for Hiway & Storage-Call 24 Hrs 1-866-528-7108 Delivery BC and AB www.rtccontainer.com

Misc. for SaleHOT TUB (SPA) COVERS. Best price. Best quality. All shapes & colours available. 1-866-652-6837 www.thecoverguy.com/news-paper?

Help Wanted Help Wanted Help Wanted Help Wanted

Your community. Your classifi eds.

250.567.9258

fax 250.567.2070 email [email protected]

P.O. Box 1298

Fort St. James, B.C. V0J 1P0

Phone: 250-996-8482

E-Mail: wendy@

ominecaexpress.com

Caledonia Courier

published every Wednesday

Stuart/Nechako Advertiser

published every Friday

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING DEADLINESDEADLINES

Courier -- Friday, Courier -- Friday, 11-noon11-noon

Advertiser -- Tues-Advertiser -- Tues-day, 12-noonday, 12-noon

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Advertisements should be read on the fi rst publication day. We are not responsible for errors appearing be-yond the fi rst insertion. NO CASH REFUNDSAGREEMENT: It is agreed by any display or classifi ed advertiser requesting space that the liability of the pa-per in the event that errors occur in the publishing of any advertisement shall be limited to the amount paid by the advertiser for the portion of the advertising space occupied by the in-correct item only, and there will be no liability in any event beyond the amount paid for such advertise-ment.DISCRIMINATION LEG-ISLATION: Advertisers are reminded that provincial legislation forbids the pub-lication of any advertise-ment which discriminated against any person because of race, religion, sex, colour, nationality, ancestry, place of origin, or age unless the condition is justifi ed by a bona fi de requirement for the work involved.COPYRIGHT: Copyright and/or property rights subsist in all advertise-ments and in all other ad-vertising material appear-ing in this edition of the Omineca Express. Permis-sion to reproduce wholly or in any part and in any form whatsoever, particularly by a photographic or offset process in a publication, must be obtained in writ-ing from the publisher. Any unauthorized reproduction will be subject to recourse in law.

The eyes have it

Fetch a Friend from the SPCA today!

spca.bc.ca

Caledonia Courier Wednesday, December 12, 2012 www.caledoniacourier.com A11

WE DO IT ALL FOR YOU!• Site Preparation • Delivery

• Foundations & Pilings

• Set-Up and More

Contact us today!TOLL FREE 1-877-737-4278

1-250-962-1733

BC’S LARGEST ONE STOP SHOP FOR QUALITY MANUFACTURED & MODULAR HOMES

www.hartmodularhomes.ca3157 Bellamy Place Prince George, BC

“A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIESWITHIN OUR REGION”37, 3RD Avenue,

PO Box 820, Burns Lake, BC V0J 1E0

www.rdbn.bc.ca

PH: 250-692-3195 TF: 800-320-3339 FX: 250-692-3305

E-MAIL:[email protected]

CERTIFICATE OF ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS RESULTS

Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako Electoral Area “C” (Fort St. James Rural)

Road Rescue Contribution Service Establishment Bylaw No. 1651, 2012

Pursuant to Section 801.3 of the Local Government Act and Section 86 of the Community Charter, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako proceeded with the Alternative Approval Process for the establishment of “Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako Electoral Area “C” (Fort St. James Rural) Road Rescue Contribution Service Establishment. The deadline for submission of Elector Response forms was 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2012.

10% of Electors within Electoral Area “F” 113

Number of Elector Response Forms received 26 as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 2012

The results confirm that elector approval through the Alternative Approval Process has been obtained.

Given under my hand at Burns Lake, B.C. this 3rd day of December, 2012.

Gail Chapman, Corporate Officer

Modular Homes

Merchandise for Sale

Misc. for SaleAT LAST! An iron fi lter that works. IronEater! Fully patent-ed Canada/U.S.A. Removes iron, hardness, smell, manga-nese. Since 1957. Visit our 29 innovative inventions online at: www.bigirondrilling.com Phone 1-800-BIG-IRON.BIG BUILDING sale... “”This is a clearance sale you don’t want to miss!”” 20x20 $3,985. 25x24 $4,595. 30x36 $6,859. 35x48 $11,200. 40x52 $13,100. 47x76 $18,265. One End wall included. Call Pio-neer Steel 1-800-668-5422. www.pioneersteel.caGREAT GIFT IDEA! Chill-Spot is The COOLEST Dog Bed-A new and innovative, thermodynamically cooled dog bed, that enhances the cool tile surfaces our pets rely on during the warm weather months. Use promo code COOLGIFT For 10 % off! www.chillspot.biz

Misc. WantedPrivate Coin Collector Buying Collections, Accumulations, Olympic Gold & Silver Coins + Chad: 250-863-3082 in Town

Real Estate

Other Areas20 ACRES FREE! Buy 40-Get 60 acres. $0-Down, $168/mo. Money Back Guarantee. NO CREDIT CHECKS. Beautiful Views. Roads/Surveyed. Neaer El Paso, Texas. Call 1-800-843-7537.www.sunsetranches.com

Legal Notices

Rentals

Apt/Condo for RentHILLCREST apts. Lg. 1 &

2bdrm suites. Clean and quiet. Adult orientated,Security sys-

tem,Strict Management,no pets ph# 250-996-8151or

250-996-7854

Lakeview Apartments752 Stuart Dr. W. Fort St. James. 2bdrm apt. Newly renovated. Quiet, clean build-ing. Adult oriented. no pets R.R. Avail. now 250-996-4073 or 250-996-7598

TownhousesStuart Lake Townhouses Newly renovated, family oriented, 3 bdrm, 2 bath with basement, 2 parking stalls, No dogs. Ref Req’d 250-996-4073 or 250-996-7598

Transportation

Off Road VehiclesATV’S, UTV’s, Dirt Bikes & Golf Buggies. Kamloops Cart-splus. www.cartsplusbc.com 1-888-371-3946. [email protected]

Modular Homes

Legal Notices


NEWSCourier

183 First StreetVanderhoof

Tel: 250-567-6820Fax: 250-567-6822

Toll Free: 1-877-964-5650

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.johnrustadmla.bc.ca

John Rustad, MLANechako Lakes

2500 Butler AvenueHouston

Tel: 250-845-7770Fax: 250-845-7780

Featuring the spirit of the local people

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllddddddddddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssssssssssssssssss

CourageousBattles

HumanInterest

AthletesPioneers

Achieving

Serving the

community of

Fort St.

James

Brought to you by your MLA John Rustad

Running for lifeLocal runner and community health nurse helps get the community up and moving


Renada Walstrom is more than a runner, she is an inspiration.

Walstrom started running when she was on mater-nity leave after the birth of her son, Devin Ketlo, � ve years ago.

She was looking for something to do, something to keep her busy and get her out of the house.

So with the encouragement of her partner Donnie Ketlo and her friend Allison Moise, she went out for a run - but it was not love at � rst steps.

“It was so uncomfortable and painful,” she said. “I remember it clearly, it was not a good feeling.”

But she knew there had to be more to running than the discomfort and pain she felt on her � rst day, and a better way to learn the sport, so she went home and looked up learn to run programs.

She found a program she liked through Sport-MedBC and started her journey to become a runner.

Five years later, Walstrom ran her � rst marathon at the BMO Marathon in Kelowna this past October.

Shortly after, she ran the Vancouver Historic half marathon on Nov. 26, which took her around the sea wall, which she had not been all the way around be-fore. She said it was a day of perfect weather and she saw a seal.

So far, Walstrom has run a half marathon in Vic-toria, three half marathons in Vancouver and the full marathon in Kelowna.

“It kind of went from there and I just fell in love with it and it was just the feeling that you get when you complete a run or an event and you set those goals and you complete those goals,” she said. “I liked the result, I liked how I felt.”

“The world is a cruel place and you know, if I go out for a run, I feel like I can totally take on anything after that,” said Walstrom. “Worries can take up your world and you go for a run and … it doesn’t matter anymore.”

But what makes Walstrom an inspiration is she did not keep what she had discovered through running to herself.

Instead, when Walstrom went back to work after her ma-ternity leave was over after starting to run, she saw it was the time for the Sun Run training to begin, so she put it out to the community to see if anyone was interested in training for it.

In just the � rst year, she had 25 people come to Vancouver to participate in the Sun Run.

The following year there were around 60 people, and near-ly 100 the next year after that.

Most of those people had never run before, some had not even walked much.

“It’s just so easy to get caught up in being in your home,” she said. Even walking out the door can be intimidating for people who have not been getting out much, but being out do-ing the training as a group she said helped some people over-come their fears.

“That was great to see,” she said. “You could see their spir-its lifting, you could see it in their eyes, you could see it in their face.”

While the participants had to put in a lot of time and work to get there, they were realizing a very real reward.

The year the group had nearly 100 participants, Walstrom stood at the � nish line and watched the run-ners come in.

She said some were brought to tears, some were laughing, but they were all rewarded with a renewed belief in themselves.

“It was just a crazy amazing thing to see and experi-ence, and that’s why I do it,” she said. “To be able to see that in other people is profound.”

Walstrom has also used running to help her with her work, and not just as stress relief.

As a community health nurse, she said the statistics which show First Nations at such high risk for many illnesses like diabetes, tuberculosis, and HIV are al-most overwhelming.

“They’re all so preventable,” she said. “If we can just get people up and moving…”

From running, Walstrom can then introduce nutri-tion counselling, and other prevention options for peo-ple to help create healthier overall lifestyles, including reintroducing some hunting and gathering skills to get people back to a simpler way of life before fast food and video games.

And she is working on passing on these ideals to her own children. Her son Devin Ketlo, who is � ve years old and attends kindergarten at Nak’albun Ele-mentary School, ran in a one kilometre kids race when she went to Kelowna to do her marathon.

Devin said he had fun and would do it again. “It was amazing for me to see and be there with

him,” said Walstrom. “I know that he’s going to live an active lifestyle.”

“Just a little thing like that I think is a huge thing,” she said. Walstrom believes it opens up all kinds of possibilities for him to see different opportunities out there and he can feel like he can go anywhere.

Walstrom herself already has goals she is working on for the years ahead. She wants to qualify for the

Boston Marathon in 2014.To get there, she needs to clock in at three hours and 45

minutes in a qualifying marathon, which she is planning on doing next year.

Group runs for learning to walk/run or learning to run faster will be taking place again beginning in January.

Runs were starting at the Nak’azdli Health Centre Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday at 4:30 p.m.. Keep an eye out for updated schedules in the new year.

Renada Walstrom (right) and her son Devin Ketlo show off their medals after a BMO running event in Kelowna, when Walstrom completed a marathon and Devin did the 1 km kids run.

Photo courtesy of Renada Walstrom

caledonia courier, december 12, 2012

Documents

new community hall

community hall committee

minister of community

mayor rob macdougall

new community centre

mayor of elkford

cost of new construction

theatre building