caledonia courier, december 23, 2015

Publications Mail Contract #: 40007759

Published by Black Press Ltd at 150 West Columbia Street,

Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0

WEDNESDAY, December 23, 2015WEDNESDAY, December 23, 2015 PHONE: 996-8482 www.caledoniacourier.com VOL. 38 NO. 43 $1.30 inc. GST

CALEDONIA

BARBARA LATKOWSKICaledonia Courier

Caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the spirit of giving is alive and well in Fort St. James as volunteers busily pre-pare food boxes to help those in need.

About 140 boxes have been prepared and deliveries began on Dec. 18.

Organizer, Jasmine Lakusta is thrilled with the community support this year.

“We’re so thankful to the community, the volunteers and the corporate sponsors. With-out them, this could not have happened.”

Along with food and gift donations, it’s ex-pected that about $12,000 in monetary dona-tions will have been raised but donations are still coming in.

And volunteers have made everything come together. “Volunteers have been amaz-ing this year,” Lakusta said. “Even with some unexpected issues, they looked after it. Every-one worked together to solve it.”

According to Lakusta, whether, it was time or money, the community always steps up and makes things happen and it’s because of their support that the Toy and Food Drive is a suc-cess year after year.

“It’s because of this community. Everyone always pulls together.”

Toy and Food Drive: ready to deliver

Volunteers busily prepare each box for delivery.


For some, the winter blues may already be starting to settle in.

The days are shorter, darker and colder during the winter months it’s not uncommon to feel tired, unmotivated and even lazy.

But there is a way to beat the blues. Even though it might seem easier to stay in “hiberna-tion mode”, staying indoors isn’t necessarily the healthiest option

according to Northern Health.Helping children enjoy all of

the natural beauty winter has to offer will have positive benefi ts for families in the long run. It will help you stay energized and bring families closer during the winter months.

Here are some healthy op-tions to stay fi t during the winter months:

Plan to be active every day. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a planned skiing vacation. It can just be a walk, building a snow-man together or sledding.

Eat a healthy diet. This will affect mood and energy levels along with regular exercise.

Bundle up and enjoy the out-doors. Lack of sunlight can af-fect mood.

Be proactive. Plan and work together as a family to stay ac-tive by thinking of new activities and ways to stay engaged during the winter months.

It can be challenging at fi rst but once outdoors, you will fi nd the blues can be beat and that wintertime can be exciting and fun for the whole family.

Beating those winter blues

Students from Fort St. James Secondary School helped Fill up the Bus for the Toy and Food Drive.

A2 www.caledoniacourier.com Wednesday, December 23, 2015 Caledonia Courier

The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) is seeking proposals from proponents to de-velop and deliver Early Intervention Services/School-Aged Therapy within the entire Nechako Lakes Area, including the communities of Burns Lake, Southside, Granisle, Fraser Lake, Vanderhoof and Fort St James. The Early Intervention Therapy (EIT) Program provides community-based occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology and family support services for eligible children and their families and communities.The target population for Early Intervention Services (EIS) is: children from birth to school age who have suspected or identified developmental delays and/or dis-abilities. The target population for School-Aged Thera-py is children of school age who have suspected or iden-tified developmental delays or disabilities.Recognizing the importance of the early years, the pri-mary goal of the Early Intervention Therapy (EIT) Pro-gram is to optimize the growth and development of chil-dren from birth to school entry who have, or are at risk for, a developmental delay and/or disability.With the fear of services being lost, there has been mis-information that tries to portray Early Childhood de-

velopment services as disappearing. While such tactics have raised political awareness, it is incumbent on the Ministry and Agencies to work together to maximize benefits to those the services will benefit.Carrier Sekani Family Services is supportive of the deci-sion of the College of New Caledonia to shift its focus from direct service delivery back to education. Warner Adam, CEO of Carrier Sekani Family Services notes “the plan to enable agencies best positioned to focus on direct service delivery means enhanced service; not a re-duction as has been suggested in some community meet-ings. We applaud CNC for concentrating on its educa-tion mandate and preparing a diverse work force for the Burns Lake region.” Adam continues, “CSFS does not run “cost recovery” programs. We maximize funding to direct service delivery, and already have established pro-grams running in Vanderhoof that can be replicated in Burns Lake. Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) has for sometime recognized the need for increased Early Childhood Development services (ECD) and has repeat-edly approached the Ministry of Children and Family Services (MCFD) about providing such needed services to the communities in the Burns Lake area.

There are philosophical differences in the manner or-ganizations believe services should be provided. CSFS believes in order to improve access services should be delivered where people reside rather than a hub that people must travel to. As noted by Chief Wilf Adam of the Lake Babine Nation “a lot of the people who need these services the most live in poverty and having ser-vices where they are and provided by community people is most effective.” CSFS also argues community funding must stay in community, CSFS supports qualified local professionals to deliver the services.In response to an invite to come to northern BC and meet with the community before the New Year Deputy Min-ister Mark Sieben indicated the Minister is required to be in Victoria and neither he nor Minister Cadieux will come to the north. Warner Adam states, “research indi-cates the importance of Early Childhood as a foundation for success. It is disrespectful that Victoria places such little emphasis on the future of citizens in the north, all the while planning for how it can extract the resources from underneath those citizens.” This invite is on the heels of Burns Lake Mayor Luke Strimbold arguing that decision making outside of community must change.

B.C. call for proposals on developing early intervention program for Nechako Lakes children

NEWSCourier

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

DECEMBERDECEMBER, 2015, 2015District of Fort St. James CalendarDistrict of Fort St. James Calendar

Offi ce:

477 Stuart Drive West

Email:

offi [email protected]:

250-996-8233

Like us at Facebook:

District of Fort St. JamesFollow us on Twitter:

@DFSJames

Munic

ipal W

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w.fo

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mes.c

aPlease submit all events by Wednesday for the next

Wednesday paper distribution.of [email protected]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

DISTRICT OFFICE CHRISTMAS HOURS!DISTRICT OFFICE CHRISTMAS HOURS!Dec 24 8:30 to 12:30 ; Closed Dec 25-Jan 1 ;

Jan 4 regular hours 8:30-4:30pm

Lunch Program@ The Anglican Church

3 4 5 76 8 9

9:30-11am Pre SchoolGym @ Nak’azdliPublic Skating

5:30-7:00

9:30-11am Pre SchoolGym @ Nakalbun Public Skating

7:00-8:30

10 11 12 1413 15 16


9:30-11am Pre SchoolGym @ Nakalbun

Public Skating7:00-8:30

9:30-11am Pre SchoolGym @ Nak’azdli


17 18 19 2120 22 23


9:30-11am Pre SchoolGym @ Nak’azdli


9:30-11am Pre SchoolGym @ Nakalbun


20 21 22 2423 25 269:30-11am Pre School

Gym @ Nak’azdliPublic Skating5:30-7:00

Parent & Tot Skating 3:45-5pm




District Offi ce Closes at 12:30pm

27 28 29 3130 1 2JANUARYJANUARY


Women Connect NVCSS Boardroom

349 Stuart Drive6-8pm

Legion General Membership Meeting

7pm @ Community centre


District Offi ce Open 8:30-4:30

NEWSCourierCaledonia Courier Wednesday, December 23, 2015 www.caledoniacourier.com A3

“For unto us a Child is born...And His name will be called...

Mighty God, Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas from Victory Church

As the Holiday Season is upon us, we fi nd ourselves refl ecting on the past year and on those who have helped

to shape our business in a most signifi cant way.

We value our relationship with you and look forward to working with

you in the year to come. We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and a New Year fi lled with

Peace and Prosperity.

The staff at the

Omineca Express& Caledonia

Courier

THE CHURCHESOF

FORT ST. JAMES

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. MAURINE BARZANTNI, SR.RENEE RICHIE,

SR. DIVINA PEDRO 250-996-2275

(Across from the Petrocan Station)


Head lice can affect anyone. How adults, teens and children react to head lice can subject children to teasing bully-ing.

According to Northern Health, reac-tions to head lice can signifi cantly inter-fere with a child’s emotional wellbeing, social status in the classroom, and ability to learn.

For these reasons, head lice can be treated and sensitively applied to anyone infected.

Head lice are tiny insects that live on the human scalp. They do not transmit dis-ease and are not a health hazard.

Having head lice is not because of be-

ing unclean or a refl ection of poor person-al hygiene.

Head lice can be acquired by direct head-to-head contact with an infested per-son’s hair or by sharing combs or hats. It can be spread very quickly especially in a school environment.

Head lice facts:Head lice are tiny insects about the size

of a sesame seed and can vary from white to brown in colour.

Head lice live only on a person’s head and may only survive 1-2 days away from the scalp as they need human blood in or-der to survive.

Head lice do not jump or fl y.They can move quickly on dry hair, so

they are diffi cult to see.Head lice bites can be very itchy.

It’s important that children get treated quickly to prevent spread to other families.

According to Northern Health, this is what parents can do:

Be aware of the symptoms of head lice and treatment procedures. (there are special treatments, combs and shampoos available)

Check the heads of all family members on a weekly basis. Increase this to daily checks if a case of head lice has occurred in your child’s classroom.

Teach your children not to share hair accessories, hats, coats, combs, brushes, etc.

Inform all other contacts so other cases can be found and treated.

Decrease the risk of reinfection by braiding long hair or putting it in an up do.


Tis the party-hosting season for celebrat-ing with family and friends. Here are a few tips that will help keep energy costs down dur-ing the holidays:

Use the time-of-use schedule. Take advan-tage of off peak periods on weekdays and holi-days. December 26 and

26 are considered holi-days but not December 24. (on-peak is 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mid-peak is 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and off-peak is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.)

When cooking on your stove top, match the heating element with the size of the pot you are using. More heat will get to the pot and less heat will be lost.

When baking, check the progress of your

goodies by looking through the oven win-dow. Opening the oven door, even for a few seconds will lower the internal temperature.

Any leftovers? Al-low anything leftover to cool fully before placing in the fridge or freezer. Pass on pre-heating. It might be necessary for baking but not for roasts or casseroles.

Place all outdoor

lights on a timer. Have them on during off-peak hours and turn them off overnight.

Lower the thermo-stat. When entertain-ing, the increased body heat and cooking will help keep your house warm. If you are being entertained elsewhere, lower the thermostat in your home.

Energy One has ad-ditional energy saving tips for the holidays.

Not harmful but negative reactions are(also by keeping hair short)

For more information on head lice and treatments contact the Public Health Unit at: (250) 996-7178.

Holiday entertaining energy saving tips from Hydro One

For more information, visit: HydroOne.com/Save Energy.

The BC SPCA is en-couraging British Co-lumbians to voice their opinion on proposed changes that will remove the limit on how many wolves hunters can kill in the Peace Region and tri-ple the number of grizzly bears that can be killed in the same area.

B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natu-ral Resource Operations wants to remove any closed season for wolf hunting and remove the former bag limit of three per year, and triple the number of grizzlies that can be killed in the Peace Region from 50 to 150. The public has until Dec. 31 to provide feedback online about the pro-posed changes.

“B.C.’s wildlife is not just a resource for hunters and trappers to use – B.C.’s wildlife be-longs to all British Co-lumbians, and it’s their tax dollars that fund these policies,” says BC SPCA chief scientifi c

B.C.’s bears and wolves need your help this holiday season

offi cer Dr. Sara Dubois. “Many conservation and animal welfare sci-entists disagree with the ministry’s guessti-mate on bear and wolf populations – plus the killing of these animals

is not for sustenance, it amounts to trophy hunt-ing only.”

It is important for people to make their opinions on the pro-posed policy changes known, and not just on

social media. “We know it’s a busy time of year, but we’re hoping people will take a few minutes to review the proposed changes and let the gov-ernment know how they feel about them.”

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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


• Guest Editorial• Editorial

Published by Black Press Ltd at 150 West Columbia Street, Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0


Arriving in Fort St. James almost three months ago, I didn’t know what to expect.

It was a long drive coming from Ontario and a big change moving to a small town in Northern British Columbia.

“It’s a little gem in this big country of ours,” a neighbour said.

And it certainly is. I was instantly welcomed. Not only are you surrounded by natural beauty, but it’s the

people of Fort St James that make this little gem so special. You might be a small, but you are so big at heart. The true

meaning of community lies here.I’ve often heard, “The community always pulls together,”

or “If anyone needs anything, the community always comes together to make it happen.”

And this is undoubtedly true. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the true meaning of “giving” is ever so present here.

Whether holding a function, an event or a fundraiser, ev-eryone always does come together.

For the people in Fort St, James, this might seem quite normal, but for a new comer, it’s extraordinary.

So thank you Fort St. James for welcoming me to your little gem.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas: a time for giving

thanksBLACK PRESS

Don’t drink and drive. Sad that it must be said every year. Even more disheartening that the message just doesn’t get through.

Every year, in nearly every community, police, victims, families and others plead with the public not to drive while impaired.

And every year, in nearly every community, at least one incident will be reported of a motor vehicle collision that could have been avoided had alcohol not been involved.

Far too often, that incident will have tragic results. Families will be de-stroyed. All for the sake of saving $20.

“I just live around the corner.” “I don’t want to leave my car at the bar.” “I need my vehicle in the morning.” “I don’t have money for a cab.”

All excuses police have heard be-fore. None of them legitimate.

Police in Fort St. James and across

the province are into their Christmas season crackdown, promising to be ever-vigilant in catching impaired drivers.

It’s sad to think that people will consider getting behind the wheel after a night of consuming liquor or drugs, despite constant reports of deaths caused from such acts.

ICBC notes that impaired driving is still the leading cause of car crash-es in B.C. and 27 per cent of vehicle crash fatalities are related to impaired driving.

According to Statistics Canada, impaired driving is the leading cause of criminal death in the country.

Let that sink in for a minute. The leading cause of criminal death in Canada is also so easily preventable.

So, before picking up those keys at the end of the staff holiday party, or a night out with friends, keep this in mind: Someone’s family will be destroyed by an impaired driver this Christmas season.

Don’t let one stupid decision make you the cause.

Do your part for a safe holiday


Community EventsCommunity EventsCommunity Events are free of charge as they are

sponsored by the Caledonia CourierCOMING EVENTS... Will appear as space is available, free of charge in this section. Coming events are available to non-profi t organizations only. This area is not intended for thank you submissions or selling products. It is simply a place for nonprofi t organizations a place to announce upcoming free activities. You can e-mail your item to [email protected] or by fax: 567-2070. Your organizations’ announcement can also be dropped off at our offi ce located at #111-250 Stuart Drive, Fort St. James. Decision of the publisher is fi nal.

***The print syllabus for the NECHAKO VALLEY FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS... is available for pickup at the Vanderhoof Library and Woody’s Bakery. You can also access the syllabus for all piano, speech arts and strings classes online at www.musicfestivalweb.com/nechako. The deadline for registration is Jan 11, 2016. Dates for the festival are Mar 7-20,2016.

***MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE... advocating for better services in our communities, such as: housing, counseling, education and job opportunities. Meetings held on the second Thursday of each month via – video conferencing from the communities of; Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, Granisle, Ft. St. James, Southside and Vanderhoof. 1:30 – 3:00. In Vanderhoof meetings are held in the boardroom at the hospital. Clients, family members and community partners are invited to attend. Your voice is IMPORTANT. For more info on the committee and it’s works contact: Heather @ 250-692-7500. Or your Mental Health Service Provider

***We are looking forward to the 38TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS!

Dates are March 7- 20, 2016 and will be held at Nechako Valley Senior Secondary School. Mon-day March 7, Speech Arts. Friday March 11, Strings. Monday March 14- Thursday March 17, Piano. Please see “Syllabus” at www.musicfestivalweb/nechako to see what you can enter today! Online registration begins Dec 1 and clos-es January 11th; late fees added up to January 22. Absolutely no entries after that date. Thank you!

***VOLUNTEER WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY!...Are you or anyone you know interested in becoming a volunteer? No matter your age or your interests, there are plenty of opportunities for you or your family members to volunteer within our community. At Volunteer Fort St. James we assist local non-profi t organizations in recruiting volunteers and assist volunteers to fi nd an organization(s) they want to work with. If you chose to become a volunteer you are in control. You get to choose the event(s) you volunteer for, how often you volunteer and how much time you’d like to volunteer. Volunteers are not obligated to volunteer for any opportunities, no questions asked. It is as simple as that! If you’d like to become a volunteer, when opportunities become available you have the option to be notifi ed by email, or you can check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/volunteerfsj or stop by the Volunteer Fort St. James Offi ce Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 – 12:30 pm. You can sign up today to become a volunteer at www.volunteerfsj.ca. For more information you can e-mail us at [email protected] or call us at 250-996-8284 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 11:30 – 12:30 pm).

***STUART LAKE OUTREACH GROUP FOOD BANK SCHED-ULE... is the third Wed of each month: 10:00 am to noon at the

Food Bank behind St. Patrick’s An-glican Church, Stuart Drive. Volun-teers needed. Call 250-567-6744. Food Bank needs canned meals, beans, stews, soups, tuna, salmon, sandwich meats, pasta and sauce, tea, coffee, toilet paper, canned milk, cereals, etc. At this time we have lots of sugar! Thank you for your generosity.

***UNTOLD TRAUMA...author seeks contributions from non-First Nations students and staff who experienced Catholic residential or day schools abuse in Northern BC. For more info email [email protected]

***FIREWEED STOPPING THEVIOLENCE & OUTREACHSERVICE For those who believe all is possible!...Provides free Confi dential, Safe, and Supportive counselling and outreach services for women. Hours of Service: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and every other Friday. Location: Room 203, 349 Stuart Drive, Fort St James, BC Phone: (250) 996-1214 Fax: (250) 996-7647 Email: fi [email protected]

***STUART LAKE OUTREACH GROUP... hosts a free hot lunch each Tuesday from 10.00am to 1.00pm in the space behind St. Patrick’s Anglican Church. Meals are served by members of area churches and other volunteers from the community. We wish to thank all those who assist by cooking, serving, and cleaning up. Your help is invaluable. We also host a free Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day to all who are lonely or in need. Volunteers for these programs are needed. Please call Gwen at 250-567-6744.

***FORT ST. JAMES SEARCH & RESCUE... New members are welcome, training is provided for more information please contact Paul at 250-996-7478 or Rod at 250-996-3231

***

FORT ST. JAMES PUBLICLIBRARY HOURS...

Tuesday 11:30-8:00Wednesday 11:30-4:30Thursday 11:30-4:30

Friday 11:30-8:00Saturday 11:00-3:00

***AUXILIARY TO STUART LAKE HOSPITAL... Monthlymeeting 2nd Wednesday eachmonth. Hospital Cafeteria 7:00 p.m.

***NECHAKO VALLEYCOMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY...Child and YouthMental Health and CounselingServices available at no cost.Monday to Friday 8:30 am to4:30 pm. Call 996-7645 for appointment.

***FORT TRAP AND HANDGUNCLUB... meets last Sunday of every month. Contact (Sue)at 250-996-7728 (h) for moreinformation.

***MUSIC MAKERS...Newmembers always WELCOME. Not everyone has to be on stage, thereis lots of work behind the scenes. Call Heike Fonda at 250-996-7006 for more info.

***PUBLIC SERVICEANNOUNCEMENT...If youknow anyone, including a child, who has been abused or harmedby a psychiatrist call the CitizensCommission on Human Rights at:1-800-670-2247.

***AA MEETINGS...Thursdays at8:00pm. United Church on 2ndAve West. Call 250-996-8290 for more information.

***FIREWEED SAFE HAVEN...asafe place for women and their children leaving violence or abuse. 24 hour access - please call 996-8000.

***FORT ST. JAMES PARENT ADVISORY...3rd Tuesday everymonth 7 p.m. at High School.

Early DeadlinesDue to January 1, 2016New Year’s Day Holiday

January 6 - Omineca Express & Caledonia Courier deadlines will be

moved to December 31 at 4pm

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

FORT ST. JAMES DISTRICT PAGE

2016 COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

The District of Fort St. James Regular Council Meeting Schedule for the year 2016 is now post-ed on the notice board at the Municipal O ce, 477 Stuart Drive West, Fort St. James, BC. The schedule will remain posted until December 31, 2016. The schedule is also posted online:

http://bit.ly/1a9SuEp. Kevin Crook, Chief Administrative O cer


From Coney Island to the Polar Ex-press, hippopotamuses and hallelujahs, nutcrackers and sugarplum dancers, the Christmas Concert at David Hoy Elemen-tary School had it all.

There were dancers, singers, instru-ments, clowns, ballerinas, elves and even the Grinch made an appearance as each class took to the stage on Dec. 16 in cel-ebration of the season.

Much preparation went into each per-formance and this was evident to those who attended and helped fi ll the packed

gymnasium.Margaret Ann-Houghton, a substitute

teacher is familiar with David Hoy and has been part of the school community for many years.

“I’m so impressed by this because I know how much work goes into it,” Houghton said.

David Hoy Elementary School Christmas Concert: full of Christmas cheer

Everyone took part as each class performed their own unique interpretation of the holiday season.

“This is fantastic. It’s wonderful to see everyone involved. All are in and no one is left out,” Hough-ton said.


NEWSCourier

A division of

Around the Fort…“What are you looking forward to most this Christmas”?

Braelyn Pacheco“Dressing up, opening presents and looking

after my dog, Konner.”

Asia Panesar“A doll.”

William Teegee“When the stockings are filled.”

Bruce Macdonald“Being with family.”

Constable Sanchez“I’m looking forward to a happy and peaceful new

year in the community.”

Cathy Bedro “I’m looking forward to time off, a nice break.”

CourierCaledonia Courier Wednesday, December 23, 2015 www.caledoniacourier.com A7

VIVIAN CHUIOmineca Express

A local singer-songwriter is fulfi lling her birthday wish this week — to release her debut album before turning 21.

Five days before her 21st birthday, Jerusha White from Fort St. James is launching her fi rst full-length album The Other Woman with a celebration at Nechako Valley Second-ary’s Integris Community Theatre on Dec. 17.

Started two years ago, it’s a production that fi rst took the sing-er-songwriter to recording studios in Vancouver, then Edmonton, and fi nally Victoria, said White’s mother Loretta Turgeon.

“We went through a learning process to get the quality,” Turgeon said, adding that all studios have a part in the pro-cess to bring the musicianship of the recordings up, such as varying the volume in certain sections to bring out the emo-tions and attractions in each song.

“We want to represent northern Canada with quality,” she said. “Up here they know her but the rest of the world doesn’t, and we want to say that up here in the north we have quality talent, the desire to know quality and get what we want.”

She added, “We want to put out something the world will appreciate and like.”

With the help of local contractors and professionals who have donated their professional time, the album’s produc-tion was fi nancially supported with hard work through the provincial government’s Small Scale Salvage Program, as the family harvested and sold dead wood in small patches in-accessible to larger logging companies, Turgeon explained.

White has performed in various events throughout the re-gion, including the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George where she was the starting performer of the event’s closing ceremony.

Though originally a one-song appearance, the organizers enjoyed her performance and asked for two songs instead, with a 45-minute performance after the ceremony and the desire to contact White for future events, Turgeon said.

Q: Vivian ChuiA: Jerusha White

Q: Can you tell me about your songwriting process?

A: Songwriting is a very different thing for everybody who writes music. You can either write from personal expe-rience or write from third person, or write from things you might imagine. You can write from any perspective.

A lot of the time songwriters write from personal experi-ence. I can’t do this because it’s too personal for me.

I grew up with a musical theatre and classical background.

For me it’s easier and I feel more connected as a musician if I’m getting into character and I’m portraying a character, rather than trying to channel my own energy.

Obviously when you’re portraying a character you put your own energy, feelings, and emotions into this character, and you give everything you got, 110 per cent. I fi nd for me, when it’s my own memories, my own pain sometimes, it’s painful, and the the last thing I want to do on stage is to break down into tears.

I want to give a full performance, give my best shot, and I’m not able to do that if I’m constantly worried about if I’m going to cry.

I try to write more from third person and I write a lot about things I see, my colleagues and peers’ experiences and how they feel and what they say, what if someone wrote a song about this.

It’s really quite different and it’s not many people who do this kind of writing. it’s very tedious if you will, you have to constantly go outside the box and think, hey, what would I say if that was me.

Q: How did you learn how to write songs?

I have been writing since I was eight years old. I have pieces of music laying everywhere, songs laying everywhere, sometimes they work out sometimes they don’t, sometimes you save them for later.

I’ve always written the same way, this third person, and not writing from personal experience

One song in the album in fi rst person is called “I want it all.” I wanted to venture into that and see what it’s like, and try it; it is quite common. If everyone’s doing it, I want to give it a shot and see if it’s any different and what happens.

It was a very diffi cult thing to do. I was crying, I was upset; it was a really painful process actually. It really solidi-fi ed my belief that that writing style is not for me. I am not able to get into character; I am not able to deliver as much. As an artist, it’s a big thing for me, delivering 110 per cent all of the time.

Q: What instrument do you use to write?

I don’t really use any instrument when I’m writing. Usu-ally when I’m writing I’ll have lyrics or a line running around my head for a couple of days. It’ll be sitting there at the back of my mind and I can’t get it out so, I usually write it down and stretch it out and fi nd what it’s trying to say.

The song usually writes itself; it comes out. I haven’t ever had to push through a writer’s block; I haven’t experience this yet. But for now, I’ve been really blessed and lucky and I’ve been able to just let the music come out.

It’s usually the lyrics fi rst and then sit down at a piano and piece out the melody and let the melody show me where it wants. I’m a big believer that music writes itself. A lot of people like to plan every single note and really be quite involved with the music. I fi nd that it works for me better if I let the music show me where it wants to go.

As far as the writing goes, the music writes itself and I’m just a tool to let it out.

For every song I write I also fi nd a model song. That means it has a similar melody, feel, groove, or beat, some-thing that is the same, so that I have something to base my pattern off of. I hear them and I go, oh, that beat, I like this beat, I want to use it. I will use something similar or I’ll come up with something that feels the same.

I fi nd that to be one of the best things about music. Not only does music gives you this feeling, but when you listen to a song that you like, you feel warm like you just ate some-thing that you like, or you’re happy inside, but it brings emo-tion out. And what I love the most is that I have the ability to listen to this music, any music, hear the emotion, and feel that I can use this emotion to express something else.

Music is so versatile; it’s really relatable to everything and everyone.

Q: What are your songs about?

There’s a lot about love; it’s very relevant. I don’t write from experience, so a lot of my friends stories such as so-and-so’s boyfriend did this, this person having to like this guy but he doesn’t like her back, and this is how she feels about it.

There’s one song [in the album] called “Echoes”, co-writ-ten with Greg Ventin, the lead of Rosewood’s Diary. A dear friend, a fantastic writer, an amazing musician. We co-wrote this song and it’s interesting because it’s not really about anything love-related, it’s more self-refl ection.

To co-write that with Greg was a really cool experience, so comfortable.

Q: So this album took two years to produce?

I’m very picky. If something’s not exactly how I want it, or if it’s not up to par, I’ll dig my heals and say, look, this has to get fi xed until I’m happy about it.

Because it’s a debut album, I want it to be so that if I listen to it in a year or so, I’m not going to say I wish I could have changed this or done that.

Obviously there’ll always be these things that come up and as you grow as an artist, you get better and better. I feel like if I hadn’t taken the time, I think it would have been a really big letdown for myself, because I wouldn’t have had time to grow.

Voice is a funny thing; it changes as you grow, especially as a woman your voice doesn’t stop growing until you’re 21, I believe. It changes week by week, one week you might have a really high voice, one week a really low voice.

I want to be able to work with this changing in the voice. When I listen to the track now, compared to the track in the beginning, I sounded like a totally different person to my-self. I’ve learned so much; I’ve grown so much. I’m really happy that I took the time.

One of the things, more than anything I would like to say, is the amount of gratitude for everyone that has helped me along this amazing experience. I would not be here without everyone. I would still be sitting in my room writing to my-self, and singing to myself. You really are nothing without the people around you, and you learn that so fast in this busi-ness.

Q: So we’ll see you on Thursday at the CD release party?

I’m so excited, so nervous, I’ve done tons of performanc-es for sure, but for me, it doesn’t seem to matter. I just feel this fresh new feeling all the time.

Every performance I get nervous, every performance I get excited, every time I go on stage I feel like it’s the fi rst time.

I enjoy that it’s fresh all the time because I feel like the day I go on stage I feel like I’ve done this before, I shouldn’t do it anymore because you lose that *gasp* it’s this intake of air when you grab your mic, the moment the light hits you, the “whoa, okay, I’m here, man!”

I think that’s what keeps me going partially. It’s this rush, the adrenaline before performing. It’s the worst drug in the world because I can’t get rid of it.

COMMUNITYDebuting fi rst full-length album for happy 21st


The Fun Page

ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20Think about ideas for the future if what you are doing right now does not seem very exciting to you, Aries. A new plan of attack can reinvigorate your motivation.

TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21Taurus, focus your energy on home-related projects. Pro-crastination is your enemy in these circumstances and can staunch any productivity you may have achieved.

GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21Gemini, there is a way out of every situation, even if it seems like all exits are blocked. Swallow your pride if need be and accept the help of others when it’s offered.

CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22Cancer, you will be getting a lot of help with a special project, so expect it to go quite smoothly. Just be sure to pay back the favor when you can.

LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23Leo, a new perspective could help you see that things you thought were a big deal are really mole hills instead of mountains, and that’s an important lesson to learn.

VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22Virgo, learn how to deal with con ict in a productive way. Otherwise you may be stressed out and full of angst for no reason at all.

LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23Somehow you always manage to pull through even with a ton of things on your plate, Libra. Even though you are successful, remember to schedule some downtime once in awhile.

SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22Don’t get caught daydreaming too much this week, Scor-pio. People at work may think you’re not serious about your efforts when nothing could be further from the truth.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21Sagittarius, expect to spend some money this week. Just how much you will spend depends on your ability to nd the best bargains and discounts.

CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20It can be frustrating when others do not seem to under-stand your motives, Capricorn. Don’t feel pressured to change your way of doing things, especially if it’s working.

AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18Aquarius, something you have been looking forward to for some time is about to happen. It has been a long time coming but entirely worth it. Enjoy the ride.

PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20Pisces, stick up for yourself when you need to. You are your biggest advocate, and you will present a strong front when feeling secure.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYSDECEMBER 20Jonah Hill, Actor (32)

DECEMBER 21Samuel L. Jackson, Actor (67)

DECEMBER 22Meghan Trainor, Singer (22)

DECEMBER 23TJ Oshie, Athlete (29)

DECEMBER 24Michael Raymond-James, Actor (38)

DECEMBER 25Helena Christensen, Model (47)

Horoscopes

Crosswords

Word

ScrambleGuess

Who?

CLUES ACROSS 1. Teletype (Computers) 4. Loose- tting sleeveless garment 7. They __ 8. Extinct Turkish caucasian language 10. Tall N Zealand timber tree 12. Piedmont city on the River Gesso 13. Burl __, storyteller 14. Made up of 50 states 16. Not or 17. Given a monetary penalty 19. Unnilpentium 20. ISU town 21. Equality for everyone 25. A lyric poem with complex stanza forms 26. Actress Farrow 27. Scottish caps 29. Gobblers 30. __ Lilly, drug company 31. Process an animal hide 32. Describe in perfect detail 39. 1000 calories 41. American National Bank (abbr.) 42. MN 55121 43. Everyone 44. Substitute

45. Rubber, marching or head 46. Dance Latin rhythm 48. Inside of 49. A way to let know 50. Morning moisture 51. Point midway between S and SE 52. Sales messages CLUES DOWN 1. Duty 2. Whatchamacallit 3. A citizen of Yemen 4. __ Dhabi, Arabian capital 5. Nickname 6. One seeded fruit (alt. sp.) 8. Fiddler crabs 9. Troughs of bricks 11. Exploiter 14. Atomic #104 15. Italian ice-cream 18. Algerian dinar 19. Consume 20. Macaws 22. Insigni cantly small 23. Tooth caregiver 24. Direct toward 27. Bluish green 28. Caliph

29. Faucet 31. The bill in a restaurant 32. Capital of Tocantins, Brazil 33. Explosive 34. The most abundant of the ra-re-earth group 35. Japanese sock 36. Kampala is the capital 37. Raged 38. Provides with property 39. Miniature racing vehicle 40. Signs 44. Express pleasure 47. Bridge-building degree

Sudoku


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Murray Ridge is gearing up for another exciting season and opening day is just around the corner.

The “best kept secret of the north” is tradi-tionally scheduled to open on the Dec. 19, the fi rst Saturday of Christmas school holidays.

Murray Ridge manager, Jana Gainor is excited about the upcoming season but of

course, is hoping for more snow. “We still need another few inches to groom and open safely,” Gainor says.

Gainor also says that the ski resort is still short a few patrollers during the week. “If anyone is interested in being a ski patroller, just give us a call,” she said.

Along with adult ski patrol programs, there are also junior ski patrol training pro-grams available for those younger who might be interested.

All in all, Murray Ridge is ready and there are lots of events and plans for the upcoming season according to Gainor.

“The lodges are totally ready and even decorated for Christmas. Now we just need some snow.”

For more information on Murray Ridge and the upcoming season visit: murrayridge.com

If interested in becoming a ski patrol at Murray Ridge call: (250) 996-8515.

Murray Ridge: ready for another fun-packed season

The print syllabus for the NECHAKO VALLEY FES-TIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS... is available for pickup at the Vanderhoof Library and Woody’s Bak-ery. You can also access the syllabus for all piano, speech arts and strings classes online at www.mu-sicfestivalweb.com/nechako. The deadline for regis-tration is Jan 11, 2016. Datesfor the festival are Mar 7-20,2016.


FORT ST. JAMESAND AREA

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Serving Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fort Fraser and Fraser Lake

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Email: [email protected]

vertiserReaching Every DoorADSTUART

NECHAKO

Serving Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fort Fraser and Fraser Lake

Pam BergerPublisher

150 W. Columbia StBox 1007, VanderhoofBC V0J 3A0

Tel: 250-567-9258Fax: 250-567-2070

Email: [email protected]

NEWSPAPERS

Serving Fort St. James and area since 1972

Pam BergerPublisher

250-996-8482Advertising: [email protected]: [email protected]

Website: www.caledoniacourier.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO

ADVERTISE HERE GIVE US A

CALL: 250-567-9258

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Advertise your goods and services in the Classifieds and reach hundreds of potential buyers daily. Call today to place your ad and make a sale quickly.

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Career Opportunities

THE S&A Group is currently looking for a professional and eager Admin-istrative Assistant for a rapidly ex-panding company in Vancouver,BC! -Data Entry -Schedule meetings -Answer and direct phone calls -Pre-pare scheduled reports -Filing, fax-ing, scanning, email correspon-dences -Strong use of Microsoft Offi ce and other offi ce management systems Job Requirements - -Must have Microsoft offi ce experience -1-2+ years administrative assistant experience -Provide exceptional customer service -Must have good organization skills -Multi-task in a fast working environment -Must have experience in Excel -Must be able to pass a full background check -Must be computer literate Starting Pay is $27.00 - $29.00 p/hour. Paid Holidays and benefi ts after 90 days. Please send your re-sume to : [email protected]

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Misc ServicesMisc Services

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PlumbingFULL SERVICE plumbing from Parker Dean. Fast, re-liable, 24/7 service. Take $50 off your next job if you present this ad. Vancouver area. 1-800-573-2928.

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INDEX IN BRIEFFAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRAVEL

EMPLOYMENT

BUSINESS SERVICES

PETS & LIVESTOCK

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE

RENTALS

AUTOMOTIVE

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT

LEGAL NOTICESWHERE DO YOU TURN

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ON SALE?

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Caledonia Courier Wednesday, December 23, 2015 www.caledoniacourier.com A11y

Offi ce and shop with secure compound in Fort St James. This property is zoned industrial and is right on the highway so no need to worry about load restrictions in the spring. The entire property is secured by 6 foot chain link fence. Access is through an electronic gate operated by key fobs.

OFFICE O 3 Furnished Offi ces O Furnished Boardroom O Large Furnished Reception Area O Large utility room (could be 2 more offi ces) O 2 Restrooms (1 has shower facilities) O Phone System O Water Softener

SHOP O 4 Post Pickup Hoist O Hot Water Pressure Washer O Air Compressor O 2 Natural Gas Radiant Heaters O Washroom

This property is available for quick possession. Serious enquiries only call (250) 996-4201

INDUSTRIAL SHOP/OFFICE FOR SALE FORT ST. JAMES

Merchandise for Sale

SAWMILLS FROM only $4,397 - Make money & save money with your own bandmill - Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. Free info & DVD: www.NorwoodSaw-mills.com/400OT 1-800-566-6899 Ext:400OT.

Commercial/Industrial Property

Commercial/Industrial Property

Rentals

Misc. for Sale Apt/Condo for RentHILLCREST Apartments - Fort

St. James - Lg. 1 & 2bdrm suites. Clean and quiet. Adult

oriented,Security system,Strict Management,No Pets

ph# 250-996-7998

TRY A CLASSIFIED AD

www.caledoniacourier.com A11

Employment Employment



Employment


COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIANechako Region - Fort St. James Campus

PROGRAM COORDINATOR – ACCESS TO TRADES & RESIDENTIAL BUILDING MAINTENANCE WORKERREFERENCE NUMBER: 15-165SN

Duties include assisting in the acquisition and assessing the organization andmaintenance of program and course resources, supplies, materials and equipment.Qualified applicants will have completed relevant post secondary academic training inbusiness, communication or office computer skills. One year relevant post secondaryeducation preferred.

To find out more information about this and other opportunities, and directions on how to apply,please check our website at: www.cnc.bc.ca/Human_Resources/employment.htm

Join us. We offer a supportive workplace, great benefits, and competitive salaries. And we have opportunities to grow, both within our college, and within our communities.

CNC - A COMMUNITY FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING THAT CARES, SERVES, AND LEADS


Pipeline companies have a goal of zero incidents, however incidents doPipeline companies have a goal of zero incidents, however incidents do occur from time to time. Which is why we are prepared 24/7. occur from time to time. Which is why we are prepared 24/7. Pipeline companies have stringent emergency response procedures,Pipeline companies have stringent emergency response procedures,conduct regular inspections and work together for effi cient incidentconduct regular inspections and work together for effi cient incident response to protect Canadians and reduce impacts to the environment. response to protect Canadians and reduce impacts to the environment.

Learn more about our preparedness measures at:Learn more about our preparedness measures at: aboutpipelines.com aboutpipelines.com

Delivering Canada’s energy. Every day.Delivering Canada’s energy. Every day.

PREPARED

TOM FLETCHERBlack Press

There will be no more political staff de-leting email records in ministry offi ces, Premier Christy Clark promised Wednesday.

Clark said she ac-cepts all of the recom-mendations made by Information and Pri-vacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham and a follow-up study by a former commissioner to preserve email records that could be requested under freedom of infor-mation law.

“The practice of ‘triple deleting’ will be prohibited, ministers and political staff will continue to retain sent emails and a new policy and specifi c training will be developed,” Clark said. “As soon as prac-ticable, public servants will be made respon-sible for the searching of records responsive to information requests on behalf of ministers and political staff.”

Denham reported in October on investiga-tions into three com-plaints, and determined in at least one case that emails had been inten-tionally deleted in an effort to avoid public release. She also con-demned the practice of political staff such as Clark’s deputy chief of staff to delete all of their sent emails at the end of each day.

A political staffer in Transportation Minister Todd Stone’s offi ce re-signed when Denham’s report came out. She said he denied under oath deleting another staffer’s emails related to meetings with remote communities on safe transit options for High-way 16 between Prince George and Prince Ru-pert.

NDP leader John Horgan said giving non-partisan public ser-vants responsibility for records searches is an important step, but the government needs to legislate a “duty to doc-

NEWSCourierPremier bans political interference in records

ument” policy decisions of government.

Clark told report-ers Wednesday that step will be taken once legislation is prepared to build on existing re-quirements.

The government brought in former in-

formation and privacy commissioner David Loukidelis to recom-mend new practices. Among his recommen-dations was to adjust government email sys-tems so even deleted records are kept long enough to be captured

in monthly computer backups, to allow later examination in cases where they may be the last location kept.

Loukedelis said it not practical for any government to keep all email records, and attempting to archive

such a massive vol-ume of data would not only increase costs but would harm the public’s ability to get timely ac-cess. And any attempt to vet each email to de-termine if it should be kept would cause gov-ernment to “grind to a

halt.”B.C.’s Chief Infor-

mation Offi cer reported that the B.C. public ser-vice now receives 284 million email messages each year, and sends out another 86 million.

“To suggest, as some have, that all informa-

tion should be kept is akin to suggesting it is good household man-agement for homeown-ers never to throw away rotten food, grocery lists, old newspapers, broken toys or worn-out clothes,” Loukidelis wrote.

NVSS BOTTLEDEPOT HOURSOpen Mon, Tues,

Friday11am-5pmSaturday

10am-5 p.m.

caledonia courier, december 23, 2015

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