northeast news - march 25th, 2010

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March 25, 2010 - Vol.7 - No.11

By Matthew BainsNORTHEAST – Provincial Finance Minister Co-

lin Hansen was in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John last week to discuss his government’s 2010 budget.

Hansen said 2010 represents a turning point as not only the start of a new decade, but as the beginning of an effort to build on the legacy of the Olympic Winter Games. He said the Premier’s vision was to have the Games be a launching pad to showcase British Columbia to the world, adding that is not just capitalizing on tourism, but attracting new business-es and investment.

“We have work to do in following up on those hundreds and hundreds of contacts that we’ve made during [the Olympics] to make sure we can actually deliver on that launching pad that the Premier talked about so many years ago,” he said.

The minister said 2010 also represents a turning point for the global economy as it emerges from the “Great Recession.” The Province is forecasting, us-ing conservative numbers, that British Columbia will see economic growth of 2.2 per cent in 2010, 2.3 per cent in 2011 and 2.8 per cent in the next two years. He said although the drop in revenues last year caught them by surprise, he believes they avoided a much worse downturn by structuring a competitive tax regime and paying down provincial debt in pre-vious years when they were running surpluses. He added British Columbia is the province that is least dependent on exports to the United States, with 37 per cent of exports going to Asia last year.

Hansen said the efforts to keep the tax rate com-petitive will continue over the next three years. The basic personal income tax exemption will rise to $11,000 this year. The grant for northern and rural homeowners will increase up to $200, with seniors able to receive up to $1,045. Homeowners with chil-dren under 18 will now be able to defer payment of property taxes. The general corporate tax rate will fall to 10 per cent of taxable income in 2011 and the 4.5 per cent small business rate will be eliminated in April of 2012. Also, tax credits for the film and digi-tal animation/visual effects industries will increase and an Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit of 17.5 per cent of qualifying labour expenditure will be in-troduced this year.

The government is projecting total revenues of $39.2 billion this year, up from $37.1 billion in last year’s updated forecast and revenues are ex-pected to grow to $42.8 billion by 2012/13. How-ever, expenses will outstrip revenues by $1.7 bil-lion in 2010/2011, $945 million in 2011/2012 and $145 million in 2012/2013, with a return to surplus projected in 2013/2014. Hansen said healthcare continues to be the biggest driver of costs, with the budget of the Ministry of Health Services increasing by $661 million this year and by $2 billion over the next three years.

“When you hear people talking about cuts to healthcare, cuts to budgets, nothing could be far-ther from the truth,” he said. “It has been the Min-istry that continues to grow.”

He said Health Minister Kevin Falcon will continue to look for ways to curb the growth of healthcare costs going forward through innova-tion and reducing duplication and waste.

The government has also budgeted for $8.2 billion in total capital spending, including $5.4 billion in taxpayer-supported capital spending. Hansen said that includes projects they were planning to do anyway, but also $5.3 billion in accelerated capital spending for infrastructure in an effort to continue stimulating the economy and creating and/or maintaining jobs.

British Columbia was one of the hardest hit provinces in the country by the recession, as the annual average unemployment rate grew to 7.6 per cent in 2009 from the 4.6 observed in 2008, with major losses observed in forestry, construction and manufacturing. However, the employment situation has stabilized in the most recent two quarters, with a total of 13,400 jobs being created from September to December and a net gain of 12,000 more jobs in January. The unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 8.1 per cent in January.

Total provincial debt is expected to rise to $55.9 billion by 2012/13. The minister said his government remains committed to paying down the debt once the province returns to a surplus situation. Furthermore, the government projects $320 million in reduced ministry spending over the next three years, namely $176 million to the Ministry of Forests and Range.

They also plan to reduce the civil service by about 3,500 full-time equivalents (FTEs) by 2012/13.

Opposition finance critic, Bruce Ralston, said British Columbians were expecting a budget that outlined a long-term economic strategy coming out of the recession, but this budget fails to deliver.

“There’s not the kind of focus on commercializa-tion, innovation and research and development that we think is necessary to build jobs in the long-term,” said Ralston. “Further investment in post-secondary education, I think, is really important.”

He said even the technology council appointed by the Premier called for more aggressive targets to increase private sector investment in research and development, but there was no mention of that in the budget.

Finance Minister outlines prov. budget during visit

Hansen says HST to level the playing field with Alta.By Melanie Robinson

FORT ST. JOHN – Provincial Finance Minis-ter Colin Hansen and the rest of the Liberal gov-ernment want British Columbia to be attractive to business and people.

The recent Olympic Games and the move to HST is one of those steps taken to ensure that happens.

Hansen talked of those changes during a re-cent visit to Fort St. John.

Hansen said when the Province’s move to HST is brought up, it often becomes an “elephant in the room” but there are myths about the tax – such as it costing seniors thousands of more dol-lars a year or that the tax will be put on home heating costs and gasoline – that are just that.

The costs for heating and gasoline, he said, are regulations with Ontario’s switch to HST. Se-nior’s, he said, will see no direct impact.

“Yes some things are going to cost more – a

haircut, a restaurant meal, some others are going to cost a little bit more,” he said. “If you look at what those increase costs would be on a senior couple earning $30,000 a year and you offset that with the HST tax credit that 1.1 million British Columbians would receive, including that senior couple – a cheque in the mail every three months to offset those increased costs – the net impact on that couple is zero.”

Story continued on Page 3

Melanie Robinson photoFinance Minister Colin Hansen believes 2010 is a turning point for the province and the global econ-omy.

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That’s not to say everyone benefits. Hansen said middle in-come families will feel an impact of up to a couple hundred dollars with the switch to the new tax.

All consumers, however, will benefit with the value added tax, he said, because the PST cost presently embedded in the cost of some products will come out within the first 12 months.

Hansen said for every 60 cents of PST that shows up on sales slips presently, consumers are spending an additional 40 cents on embedded PST that is built into the costs of goods and services.

“Under a value-added tax system, that all comes out and so when you’re going to buy that two by four at the end of the day, you’re paying the cost of the two by four and the milling costs, you’re not paying the embedded taxes that you’re pay-ing today,” he said.

Those in attendance at the meeting expressed concerns about the tax – including the price of work materials and the impact on some of the region’s companies.

One of the concerned was Bob Fedderly with Fedderly Transportation who said his company is preparing to do some analysis on wage impacts and how much the local market is going to lose to out of province competitors.

He said the company is concerned because it could send a quote to an oil and gas producer in Calgary for $100,000 plus 12 per cent, but it would be competing against companies that are only plus five per cent.

“So when they have to write a cheque it’s going to be that much more,” he said. “Even though you get it back, there’s a cost of carrying that money, so who pays it? Are they going to get more for their natural gas because they’re carrying the cost of that HST? I don’t think the cross-border implications of it were studied closely enough.”

Hansen said by switching to HST, local companies benefit because it levels the playing field with Alberta and it will be a big benefit to the whole area.

While he admitted the majority of the province’s residents are opposed to the new tax, the same could be said for other

changes in the past.“HST will never win a popularity contest just as the GST

has never won a popularity contest,” he said. “I think if you went out and you did a survey and you asked people ‘do you like paying income tax?’ you would get a similar high per-centage that would say no. But I think if you went out and asked people ‘do you think we should have the most efficient tax system in the province that is the least expensive to admin-ister, that produces the revenues we need for health care and education?’ I think you’d have a majority saying yes.”

HANSEN SAYS HST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

High school closed over safety concernsBy Melanie Robinson

FORT ST. JOHN – An investigation into a suspicious letter on the walls at North Peace Secondary School has revealed it was merely a student proud of his work.

The school was closed on March 19 following concerns that the writing, which talked of a post-apocalyptic world and what life would be like after that, posed a threat to students and staff at the school.

RCMP investigated the letters contents and concluded there was no need for concern.

“The police investigation revealed that this was a fictional story written by a student [and] some of the reader’s of the let-ter had misinterpreted [its] nature and in turn overreacted by spreading the news to others that there was a safety risk at the school,” said Cpl. Steve Perret with the Fort St. John RCMP.

He added with today’s technology, information about the letter was instantaneous.

“In this case the rumours about the threats to the school spread like wildfire throughout students, staff and friends of students and the rumours just fueled themselves from there.”

Lesley LaHaye with School District 60, said while the in-

vestigation with the RCMP has concluded, the district, staff and the RCMP will review the case to determine if the reac-tion was appropriate and whether there was a more effective way to deal with the situation.

“We don’t want to overreact or escalate issues. In the same breath, you don’t want to take any risk,” she said. “We ac-knowledged there might be a little room there for risk and we just wanted to make sure. I think that was the most appropri-ate choice for us.”

LaHaye said the district is dealing with how to keep up-to-date with the changes and advances in technology, while harnessing it in a positive way.

“We’re not believing that we can ban these technologies, we have to learn, I think, how to help our kids to understand how to use them wisely and effectively,” she said.

The school district will be holding a parent conference fol-lowing the spring break that will have a number of sessions on safety with technology and how it can be used in a positive way to support learning.

The conference is free and registration information is avail-able at local schools and on the school district website.

March 25, 2010 Northeast NEWS

Life Changes Can Change Your Tax Situation

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For some Canadians, the year 2009 was a time of big changes. They may have gotten mar-ried or welcomed a new baby. Or perhaps one of their parents needed a full-time caregiver. If you experienced a life change in 2009, taxes are probably the last thing on your mind but all of these situations can impact your return.

Most Canadians have their tax deductions col-lected by their employer at source. Employers calculate the amount of deductions based on the information provid-ed by an employee on a TD1 Form. It is quite common for employees to fill out only one TD1 Form and never update it when their tax situa-tion changes.

It is important to re-member changes in your life impact how much tax is withheld. Though it is always nice to get a tax refund, it is even better not to pay the money to the govern-

ment in the first place.

If you get married or have children, your situ-ation has changed. You should ask your pay-roll or human resources department for a new TD1 Form. The updated information should be used to recalculate the amount of tax withheld. Or if you are eligible for a new tax credit, you could also need to fill out a new TD1 Form. It can make a difference.

For example, the Child Tax Credit is based on $2,089 for each child born in 1991 or later. If you qualify for the ben-efit, filling out a revised TD1 may result in slightly less tax being withheld by your employer.

• Have you had any life changes in the last few months?

• Are you a single par-ent with a child who turned 18 last year?

• Did you get married?

• Is your spouse earn-ing significantly more

income this year?

• Did your spouse quite their job to stay at home with the children?

• Are you caring for an elderly parent?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your tax situation has changed. It could be a good time to consult a tax professional to make sure you have the right amount of tax being withheld.

A tax professional at H&R Block can talk about other credits and deductions that may af-fect you. Call 250 785 7549 in Fort St John or 250 782 7906 in Dawson Creek.

This article provides only an overview of the regula-tions in force at the date of publication, and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed legislation or seeking pro-fessional advice. Therefore no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this bulletin can be accepted by H&R Block Canada, Inc.

INVITATION TO TENDER Residential Refuse Collection

and Disposal Sealed tenders clearly marked “Tender for Residential Refuse Collection and Disposal 2010 Fort St. John, BC” will be received by the City of Fort St. John up to 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 10631 – 100th Street. The duration of the contract shall be from September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2014 with an option to the contractor to extend the contact for one additional year to August 31, 2015. Tender documents are available for review and pick up at City Hall and online at www.fortstjohn.ca. Inquires regarding this tender may be directed to Victor Shopland, Director of Infrastructure and Capital Works at (250) 787-8162

By Matthew Bains NORTHEAST – The provincial govern-

ment has announced it will extend royalty and tax credits to the oil and gas and min-ing industries.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Pe-troleum Resources is now accepting re-quests for applications from oil and gas companies for a new, $120 million install-ment of the Infrastructure Royalty Credit program, which was introduced in 2006. Minister Blair Lekstrom explained this al-lows companies to submit projects such as new roads and pipelines for consideration to receive a reduced royalty rate on the natural gas extracted as a result of those developments.

“We [the ministry] go through those evaluations and pick the projects we think are most conducive to new developments taking place,” said Lekstrom. “They would then pay a reduced royalty on that gas until they recover the amount that was approved under the Infrastructure Royalty Credit program.”

He said for example, if a $10 million credit was approved for a project, the com-pany would pay a reduced royalty until they recovered that $10 million and then they would pay the full amount. He said this en-courages new exploration and development where it would otherwise not happen, and on average, he said that means a return of $2.50 on every $1 of credit extended.

The minister maintains that this is not a subsidy to oil and gas companies and his government is not giving up revenue be-cause those revenues would not be realized otherwise.

“I would rather take a small percentage of something than a large percentage of nothing,” said Lekstrom.

His government also plans to extend the Mining Flow-Through Share Tax Credit, introduced in 2001, for another three years to 2013. It is a 20 per cent tax credit for mineral exploration, and when combined with a similar federal tax credit, it could potentially reduce the cost of a $1,000 in-vestment to approximately $380. Lekstrom said it gives British Columbia’s mining industry a competitive advantage and pro-vides more certainty for investors.

Randy Hawes, Minister of State for Min-ing, announced earlier this year that min-eral exploration activity in the province reached $154 million in 2009, the sixth-highest total in the last 20 years, with 30 mine development projects submitted to government. That includes $20 million in the Northeast.

“Mining has really seen a resurgence,” said Lekstrom. “Certainly we can see it here in the Peace country with our coal mines. The uptake in that is significant, but we’re seeing some new metal mines about to come online. Mining is a big part of our future.”

The provincial budget projects revenues from mining to hover around $405 million over the next three years. Revenues from natural gas royalties are up this year to nearly $700 million from $464 million in last year’s updated forecast and are expect-ed to rise to over $1.2 billion by 2012/13. That’s based on prices rising 21 per cent over that period, although they are expect-ed to remain at historically low levels.

Royalty, tax credits extended; revenues expected to rise


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Don’t forget to turn out the lights!

March 27, 2010Doors Open at 7 pm

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Responsibilities• Communicate regularly with four participating First Nation communities• Identify key projects in each community• Research funding sources • Prepare and submit proposals• Comply with all reporting as required by Northern Development Initiative Trust• Maintain activity records for grant tracking and reporting

Request for Proposal

1. Please provide a brief description of your relevant background.

2. What kind of experience do you have working with First Nation communities?

3. What is your experience with proposal writing?

4. Please provide examples of successful proposals completed. What is your success rate?

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses regarding communication skills?

6. Do you have your own office? If so, what is the primary location? If not, would you be open to working at the Treaty 8 Tribal Association in Fort St. John?

7. Are you able to travel to the participating communities?

Proposal DeadlinePlease submit your proposal by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 29, 2010.

Erma StanonikCommunity & Economic Planning AdvisorTreaty 8 Tribal Association10233 – 100th AveFort St. John, BC V1J 1Y8Phone: 250-785-0612 ext 224Fax: 250-785-2021Email: [email protected]: www.treaty8.bc.ca

To find out more about each member and non-member First Nation community in the Treaty 8 Tribal Association, visit our website www.treaty8.bc.ca.

This story is a follow-up to “PRRD backs residents opposed to proposed landfill loca-tion,” which appeared in the March 4 edition of the Northeast News.

By Matthew Bains PEACE REGION – A representative of

CCS Midstream Services, the proponent behind a controversial industrial landfill pro-posed near Farmington, has responded to concerns raised by nearby residents.

Ryan Kaminski of business development said the proposed location near the existing Bessborough municipal landfill was chosen because of its central proximity to their cus-tomers and the suitability of the site based on regulatory, environmental, financial and logistical factors. However, he said they are still in the early stages of the environmental process and they remain committed to listen-ing and working through the concerns and suggestions of the community.

“Based on community feedback, another potential site has been brought forward as an option,” said Kaminski. “CCS has listened and has added this new location to the assess-ment process. If it proves to be suitable, we will move our planned facility to this recom-mended location.”

He said other sites in the area were re-viewed but were not suitable because of constraints due to existing pipelines or well sites and issues with access and availability of land.

Kaminski said consultation with residents began late last year, prior to entering the En-vironmental Assessment process. He said over 20 separate, in-person meetings have been held with members of the local commu-nity since October, and a public meeting was

also held at the Bessborough Hall on Nov. 12, where approximately 50 local residents attended. He added the concerns gathered during those consultation efforts have been consolidated and submitted to the Environ-mental Assessment Office as the basis for the forthcoming assessment.

He said the Ministry of Environment (MOE) would determine the types of materi-als accepted at the proposed site during the approval process. However, he said CCS op-erates the only two secure landfills in British Columbia and those facilities mostly receive drill cuttings from local drilling activities and oil and fuel impacted soils from spills, clean up and reclamation of old sites and contami-nated locations from historically poor envi-ronmental practices. He said his company has 13 years of experience operating landfills in Canada and it’s their practice to properly treat those materials and dispose of them ac-cording to the best environmental practices of the industry.

Kaminski said, based on market analy-sis, the site could expect to receive between 100,000 and 200,000 tonnes of waste per year and the site could see an average of 14 trucks per day. He added traffic was a con-cern brought forward in the public consulta-tion and potential impacts will be assessed in the EA process.

He explained the storage cells that would hold the industrial wastes are made from a composite liner of high-density polyethyl-ene and engineered clay and a leak detection system would be installed between the liners. He said CCS has never experienced a storage cell failure at any of their 19 landfill sites.


CCS responds to concerns about proposed landfill

Really, I don’t want to talk about it any-more. Yet the purpose of the “MP Report” is to “report” to you on the issues facing the nation and Parliament. And so …

Under House of Commons rules, the NDP get just ONE “supply” day prior to March 31 to determine the subject of debate. This week, with all of the press-ing challenges facing our nation today, such as the economy and jobs, the “ur-gent, high-priority” issue that Jack Layton chose to debate on his one supply day was …prorogation.

I was disappointed to witness precious time in the House wasted on a long-stand-ing, routine process used over and over again by all political parties in the federal, as well as provincial legislatures across the country.

However, it was at least an opportunity to clear up some myths circulating about the issue.

Myth: The use of prorogation is unusu-al and infrequent.

Fact: It is a routine, constitutionally legitimate process that has occurred on 105 occasions in the 143 years of our na-tion’s history. On average, there have been three or four Throne Speeches launching a new session per Parlia-ment. Some with six or seven Throne Speeches. Former Prime Minister Trudeau pro-rogued parliament three times in both the 28th and 30th Parliaments. Former NDP Premier-turned-federal Lib-eral MP Bob Rae was named “King of Prorogation” by the press.

Myth: The Second Session of the 40th Parliament was short.

Fact: Parliamentary sessions have, on average, lasted roughly one year. The av-erage number of sitting days per session is 109 days. There were 128 sitting days in this last session.

Myth: This prorogation resulted in a

great deal of lost time in the House.Fact: In Parliaments where prorogation

has occurred since the 33rd Parliament, days lost have averaged about 20 days. The number of sitting days lost during this most recent proroga-tion would have been 22 days but we reduced it to just 12 days lost by elimi-nating two break weeks. Former Prime Minister Chrétien lost 25 days when he prorogued Parliament for the second time in the

27th Parliament.Myth: The Government can avoid ac-

countability to the House of Commons and to the people of Canada through pro-rogation.

Fact: A new session must start with a Speech from the Throne, through which the Opposition can voice its lack of con-fidence in the Government and ultimately

defeat it. To top that off, in the last two sessions, our Government has immediate-ly tabled a federal budget, also subject to confidence votes.

The NDP are not alone in their hypoc-risy on this issue. As a national newspaper columnist pointed out, just eight sitting days after declaring Parliament too pivot-al to prorogue, Liberal Leader Michael Ig-natieff embarked on a week-long national tour and a third of his caucus didn’t bother to show up to work in the House.

The opposition parties’ attempts to gain political favour with Canadians by circu-lating myths about a long-standing parlia-mentary procedure have failed.

That’s because Canadians want their MPs and their government to focus on issues that matter …real polices that sup-port our economy, create jobs and secure the safety, security and prosperity of Ca-nadians now and in the future.

And that is what our Conservative Gov-ernment will continue to do!


Necessary response

By Jay Hill

Words of OpinionEDITORIAL

MP Report

Opposition fixated on procedures, government tackles issues

It’s happened before and no one would want to see it again – especially if warning signs were there.

That’s not the case in the circumstance of School Dis-trict 60 choosing to close down North Peace Secondary School on March 19 after getting word of what ended up being a school project posted around the school.

The essay spoke of a post-apocalyptic world and raised concern at the high school and a decision was made to cancel classes.

The district took the right steps in making that de-cision and ensuring that the staff and students at the school were kept safe while an investigation got un-derway.

While the investigation determined that it was a false alarm, it could have been a cry for help or a warning be-fore something no one wants to see happen occurs – and what if it had and nothing had been done to prevent it?

Every one of us have seen the impacts violence in schools can have on the lives of students and staff and, no matter if the school is in the region or in another country, no one wants to see it happen.

The district, along with the school and the RCMP, are planning to debrief its decisions and decide whether the way they reacted was appropriate or if there was a more effective way of dealing with the situation.

So not only did they take the right steps on March 19, but they are taking the right steps to ensuring they can work to prevent anything, misunderstanding or not, from occurring in the future.

9909-100 Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 1Y4 • Phone toll free 1-877-787-7030 • Phone: 250-787-7030 • Fax: 250-787-7090Email: [email protected] • [email protected]

1220B 103 Avenue, Dawson Creek, V1G 2G9 • Phone: 250-782-7060 • Fax: 250-782-7066 [email protected] • [email protected]

The Northeast News retains complete and sole copyright of any content, including stories, photographs and advertisements published in the Northeast News. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission or consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Melanie RobinsonEditor

Ron LovestonePublisher

Brenda PiperSales Manager

Ann MastSales

Lisa MacElheren Sales

Matt Bains Reporter

Melodie LapinaProduction

Holly LeggeAdministration

Shaun WhynachtSales


FEEDBACK

Jack McPhersonSales Consultant

12109-8th Street Dawson Creek, BC Canada V1G 5A5

Ph: 250.782.9155Fax: 250.782.1238Cell: 780.518.1784Toll Free: [email protected][email protected]

Happy Easter!Due to the Easter Long Weekend

the Northeast News booking deadline for the April 8 edition will be Noon, Wednesday March 31.

Everyone at the Northeast News would like to extend their wish for a Happy and Safe Easter Weekend!

Frog Soup

Check out our new location in the Northgate Mall on 100 Street.

250-785-5555

April tag special is

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Editor:I would like to get out an important message: Say no

to Seismic.This is for all property owners who have not had any

recent seismic, or maybe no seismic at all in your area or on your property. This is your only legal way to decrease the possibility of a company drilling oil and gas wells on your land. Without this seismic data, the oil and gas com-panies will not be able to best determine where to drill. There have been years of problems associated with gas activity – to the extent of families having to move off of their land.

The more recent, disastrous examples of why to not al-low oil and gas activity:

The Nov. 22, 2009 total failure of all safety devices and procedures on a site near Pouce Coupe.

The gas well blow out and resulting fire that burned for over two weeks Feb. 24 to March 12 near Hythe.

Do not let the dollars that the oil and gas companies offer you or sway you with short term gain for long term pain.

Do not let oil and gas companies paint a rosy picture for you – 10 wells within a 1.5 mile radius – not so rosy.

Years of pump jack noise – not so rosy.Pipelines crisscrossing the countryside – not so rosy.Compressor site odour (rotten egg smell) – not so rosy.The industry will tell you that these things will not

happen: know that they have all happened to my family. These and many other issues happen daily in the Peace to area residents.

Every year there is an increase in the number of inci-dents and an alarming increased risk to human and animal health.

By the time a landowner becomes wise to the workings of this industry, it is too late. The companies have done irreparable damage.

I am not saying that the industry should not drill. There is lots of land outside of our private property borders to successfully operate.

Please pass this important message – say no to seismic – on to family, friends, neighbors and anyone it may ap-ply to. It is our only hope. Preserve what is left. We all deserve clean air, clean water, health and a quiet, beauti-ful place to raise our children.

Clara LondonFort St. John

Editor:The provincial government has missed a major oppor-

tunity to improve the health and well-being of British Co-lumbians – and to save money doing it.

Budget 2010 continued the slow erosion of social sup-ports that has been the norm for more than a decade in BC. The network of community non-profits that do this work provide support for BC families, children and senior’s in all kinds of ways, often during very challenging times in their lives.

But the provincial budget brings further reductions and additional costs for hundreds of such agencies and fewer supports for British Columbians making their way through tough times.

We spend a great deal of time talking about the soaring costs of health care, but time and again we pass up the chance to actually do something about it by paying atten-tion to the importance of the social determinants of health.

When it comes to helping people lead healthier lives, the key is to have the social supports there for them in their communities when they need it. So the last place a

proactive government should be looking for savings is in social services, because those are the services that are go-ing to give you major savings down the road by keeping people out of crisis.

Budget 2010 brings cuts, reductions and increased expenses from several different sources, including the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development. Health au-thorities cut dozens of community contracts last fall and are expected to make further cuts this spring. Meanwhile, BC’s non-profits have been bypassed for the larger HST exemption of 75 to 87 per cent granted the health, educa-tion and local government sectors, and now will need to find that money due to the lower rebate of 57 per cent.

These agencies’ costs will be going up even while their resources are going down. And this is at a time when needs are up in our communities. It’s incredibly short-sighted for a government that cares about fiscal responsibility, be-cause we’re just spinning people into much more costly kinds of problems.

Anthony Ostler, Board Voice Chair

Editor:There is nothing that BC can’t do. We’ve just hosted the

best Olympic Winter Games celebration ever and showed that there is no limit to what we can accomplish if we put our collective hearts and minds to it. And the Paralympic games won’t just be an echo of the Winter Games, they will sound the charge anew.

As a British Columbian of Greek ancestry I am doubly proud of what we’ve shown the world about this province and everything it has to offer. The environmentally friend-ly venues built for these games made them the greenest

Olympics in history and drew attention to the leading role BC is playing in the global transition to renewable energy sources and clean technologies.

Every time I look up at Grouse Mountain, and the new wind turbine they’ve installed, I’m reminded of how much potential we’ve been given to work with in this wonderful province and how much we have to give to the world from our richness. We have the resources, we have the brains, we have the leadership and vision. And we’ve shown that we can do it like no other place on earth.

Eugenia Nikolaidis, Vancouver, BC

Property owners – say no to seismic

Social services feeling budget impacts

Provincial green potential like no other

Send us your letters to the editor!E-mail them to [email protected], fax them to (250) 787-7090

or drop them off at our Dawson Creek or Fort St. John office.


Lending Institutions Current Mortgage Rates

Note: Rates are provided for information purposes. Rates should be verified by Financial Institutions.

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n/a n/a 6.45 2.35 2.85 3.25 3.64 3.64 4.95 5.20

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MORE FEEDBACK

Editor:In Canada, we are told that we have the

highest standard in our food and inspections. I do not believe this, as the European Union will not buy our beef because our cattle are given a growth hormone. If our flax seed has one kernel of genetically modified organisms in 10,000 seeds, then the whole shipment is sent back to Canada from the European Union. So farmers can’t sell this flax. They don’t want our poultry because it is washed in our poisoned fluoride water with chlorine in it also. Ottawa has issued a warning that chlo-rine also causes cancer.

Our city should cut out chlorine as this was on the petition signed by over 1,200 people that use Fort St. John water.

Well I don’t think that we have the high-

est standard of living but I do believe that we are the most poisoned group of people and it is high time we wake up and smarten up to protect our health and the health of our future generations. Fluoride was first used for rat poison but now they use it to poison us and we let them convince us that this poison will help our teeth – just how gullible are we? We are just plain stupid. Many people have fluo-ride poison in their teeth or white spots for life and it looks like they have chewed tobacco – it does not make pretty teeth. It especially does damage to the DNA of babies teeth, bones and brain cells. The new warning is not to mix any baby formula or give babies tap water to drink because of the damage that it does to their bodies.

Doctors were going to do a bypass on my

husband on Dec. 23, 1982. When the doc-tor left the room, we packed up and left as we had seen the problems that one man and one woman were having with their bypass. The man had been in each of the five years to have the bypass cleaned out. In Dr. Men-dolson’s book, it said whatever is dead on this blue toe will amputate itself. In one month, the skin and toe nail came off and the toe was fine. He lives five more years before he passed away with cancer. Now I just saw that the op-eration would net the doctor $94,000 and no guarantee that you will live so I am sure glad we walked out as I don’t think my husband would have made it and it certainly would have caused a lot of needless pain. Many of our diseases are caused from the poor qual-ity of the food we eat. Health Canada is not

protecting us at all – they protect big business and to hell with us. The only time we matter is when they want to collect more taxes or be-fore an election when they want our vote, then they really give us a lot of promises that they have no intention of keeping.

So I hope Canadians will wake up and fight back with the same strength that the two mil-lion Americans did last September against the federal reserve that isn’t federal at all. People from every state in the USA were there to put a stop to the corruption and it’s not over yet but Canadian news leaves this out. They would rather bash something further away that we don’t care about. I also wish to thank the people who prayed for my health in Janu-ary.

Dorothy Folk, Fort St. John

Government, residents need to change their standards


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He added the amount of leachate (contaminated rain-water) stored at the site will be determined in the permit-ting process, but common practice dictates maintaining the lowest possible level at the landfill through active removal and transport to an approved disposal facility.

Concerns regarding airborne emissions, odours and impacts to property values have been identified and will also be included in the assessment process. Kaminski said it is typical for all of these kinds of facilities that the land be returned to its original use following cap-

ping and closure and that the company be required to continue managing the site during the post-closure pe-riod.

Kaminski said the company has held numerous meet-ings with representatives of the PRRD. Applications to the Agricultural Land Commission or for Official Com-munity Plan and zoning bylaw amendments have not been filed with the PRRD but he said those applications are pending the results of the many assessments that will be required for this type of development. He said they

have not responded to the PRRD board’s decision to ask for a stay in the EA process while residents’ concerns about the location are addressed, but they will ask to make a formal presentation to the board in the near fu-ture. He added the company has received no formal cor-respondence from the MOE on that matter.

“We will continue to listen and participate in the regu-latory process,” said Kaminski. “Our goal is to provide a service to our customers while respecting the communi-ties where we operate.”

CCS RESPONDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Two Tumbler Ridge community groups receive gaming grantsBy Matthew Bains

TUMBLER RIDGE – Two organizations helping chil-dren and youth in Tumbler Ridge will receive $21,100 total in provincial gaming grants.

The Tumbler Ridge Children’s Centre Society will re-ceive $18,100 to help fund its operations, which includes providing preschool five mornings a week, group daycare and before-and-after-school care.

Director Jodi Penner said they have 80 children regis-tered at the centre, and they see an average of 55 children a day, because many of their parents work shift work. She said she’s not sure about the exact breakdown of where that money will go to, because she had requested $37,300 in the grant application submitted in November, but she said the money will be critical in offsetting operating costs.

“The most important is to cover our van costs, which is $7,000 a year and we don’t bring in any extra funds for that,” said Penner, adding the money will also offset the cost of groceries for their breakfast program and for a sup-port staff worker for their preschool.

She explained the society fundraised for the entire $32,000 needed to purchase the van last year. She said they have about 23 children enrolled in the out-of-school care program and transport about 15 children every day.

“I didn’t want to transport the children by walking in the harsh weather conditions that we have in the north and so that was our mission last year,” said Penner.

She added it’s also a safety issue for a number of the chil-dren with special needs that they provide assistance to. She said they have one fulltime worker that works with sup-portive childcare, but they often have extra staff on hand to support those children.

She explained the Tumbler Ridge Children’s Centre, located in the lower level of the Community Centre, was re-established in 2006 because of the demand from par-ents. She said they are the only licenced childcare facility in the community and added the economy is already tough enough and many of the parents of the children they serve would struggle if the centre had to raise the rates charged for their programs, so the grant money will help them to avoid doing that.

Scouts Canada - 11th South Peace Tumbler Ridge was granted $3,000 in the “Enhancement of Youth” category. Scout leader Sarah Falcon explained they have 32 youth in the group, whose main focus is conservation efforts in the community. She said they have partnered with the Wolver-ine Nordic and Mountain Society to maintain hiking trails in the area and the money will help with the cost of ma-terials and equipment. She said they also maintain a bird sanctuary near the elementary school and added they do a volunteer roadside cleanup along the highway every year and the money will help them buy vests so the work can be done safely.

“It’s not just going to benefit the Scouts, it will actually benefit the whole community as well,” she said. “It will help us help others.”

Falcon said other volunteer efforts have included a shore-line cleanup around Gwillim Lake.

She added they are also big on recycling. “We have a little thing that we do every year called Junk

Wars, where we take what’s relatively considered gar-bage and we try to make stuff with it,” she said. “Last year we tried to make toboggans with scrap wood and things that we found in our back-yards, with varying degrees of success. This year it was scrap wood used to make a birdhouse.”

Falcon added there is now a community garden in Tum-bler Ridge that she hopes the Scouts can be involved with.

She said there are badges that can be achieved, but mostly the Scouts learn about the environment and the im-portance of conservation.

In total, nearly 6,000 orga-nizations across the province

were awarded gaming grants for 2010/11. Gaming grants have increased to $120 million this year

from $113 million last year and the money will target pub-lic safety, youth and disabled sports, people in need, fairs, festivals, museums and community services such as pre-schools.

However, the Opposition has slammed the government for not restoring grants for arts and culture and for eliminat-ing grants for playgrounds.

***The Fort St. John Friendship Society, which provides

a variety of social services and programs to the city and surrounding communities, was also given a grant totalling $24,500.

Money will go towards the ‘Nurturing Hands Project’, in-corporating early literacy programs with cross-generational interaction, and will also be used to renovate the preschool washroom upstairs and install a new washroom on the main level to enable split-use of the facility.

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By Matthew BainsNORTHEAST – BC Hydro announced on March 11 it has

awarded electricity purchase agreements (EPAs) under the Clean Power Call to 19 projects, including five wind power projects in the Northeast.

Combined, the run-of-river hydroelectric and wind energy projects will generate 2,450 gigawatt hours of firm power an-nually, enough to power nearly 218,000 homes in the province.

“These first project selections represent a significant step forward in meeting our provincial goal of becoming energy self-sufficient and building a clean energy powerhouse here in BC,” said Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Pe-troleum Resources, in a statement.

Projects in the Northeast include the Quality Wind Project, proposed by Capital Power Renewable Energy Limited Part-nership, near Tumbler Ridge. The project could produce 433 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, generated by 74 wind turbines.

“This is one of the key steps to actually going ahead and building the project,” said Jay Shukin, spokesperson for Capi-tal Power. “It’s only one step, but it’s a very significant one, and we’re thrilled with the announcement.”

The project is under review by the Environmental Assess-ment Office and Shukin said they expect a decision later this year. He said if they received certification and obtained the other necessary permits, they expect to begin construction next year, with a completion date anticipated in the spring of 2013. He added that could mean about 200,000 hours of direct and indirect employment during construction and between eight to 12 full-time operational positions.

Finavera Renewables Inc. was awarded EPAs for four proj-ects, including three near Tumbler Ridge and one near Chet-wynd, which would generate 813 gigawatt hours a year total. A representative from the Vancouver-based company could not be reached for comment before press time.

The Clean Power Call began in 2008 and the process has been criticized for delays and the resulting uncertainty. BC Hydro spokesperson Dag Sharman said the delays were a re-sult of making sure the projects were cost-effective and also to assess the adequacy of consultation with First Nations, re-quired as a result of a BC Court of Appeals decision last year. He said new protocols have been added to the EPAs and BC

Hydro will work with independent power producers (IPPs) to ensure consultation is adequate.

Lekstrom has promised to introduce legislation this session that will ensure fair, predictable clean power calls through sim-plified procurement protocols and new measures to encourage investment. Sharman said the details of that legislation have not been communicated to BC Hydro at this point.

“We’ve done a lot of work to ensure that these projects are in the interest of BC Hydro’s ratepayers, and we’re certainly confident that they are,” said Sharman.

However, NDP energy critic John Horgan said the govern-ment plans to subsidize the private power industry by guaran-teeing long-term contracts for power we may not need, at an expense to ratepayers.

“The private power industry donated more than $300,000 to the BC Liberal party in the lead-up to the last election and now will be the main beneficiary of the BC Liberal energy plan,” stated Horgan on his party’s website. “By locking BC Hydro into long-term, high-cost contracts to purchase all the power they generate, regardless of whether BC Hydro needs it or not, IPPs are guaranteed huge profits and the public utility will be forced to sell excess power on the open market at a loss.”

The minister has argued demand for electricity is expected to grow by as much as 40 per cent over the next 20 years and his government is committed to meeting that demand through

conservation and clean energy development. He has also said they are committed to capitalizing on opportunities to sell ex-cess energy to other jurisdictions that have committed to re-ducing dependency on electricity generated from fossil fuels.

BC Hydro has set a target of acquiring up to 5,000 giga-watt hours a year in the Clean Power Call with 28 projects still under review. Sharman said they haven’t ruled out exceeding that target if the power could be purchased in a cost-effective manner.


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BC Hydro announces first group of clean energy agreements

By Matthew BainsDAWSON CREEK – A team of young

curlers from Dawson Creek have earned their way into an international competition by win-ning a provincial championship earlier this month.

Skip Jordan Steinke, lead Sanjay Bowry, second Tristan Steinke and third Jason Gint-er, along with coaches Jeff Ginter and Don Bourassa, competed in the Juvenile (under 18) Boys Provincial Curling Championship in Wainwright, Alta., from March 5 to 7, hosted by the Northern Alberta Curling Association. The team tied for first place with four wins and one loss in the round robin tournament and then won a tie-breaker against their op-ponents from Red Deer by a score of four to three. The team’s skip said they had competed in last year’s provincial championship and used that experience as motivation this year.

“It was a good experience for us, and we worked hard and got where we wanted to

be this year,” said Steinke. “We’ve been working so hard all year, and for the last two years and our coach-es are so good at what they do.”

Winning the championship has earned the team a spot at the Opti-mist International Under 18 Curl-ing Championships in Regina from March 30 to April 4. They will be competing against teams from across Canada, the United States and even one team from Japan. Steinke said they haven’t competed at this level before and he’s not sure what to expect, but added winning the provincial championship has bolstered their confidence.

“I expect we’ll be pretty strong actually,” he said. “The team that we played in the tie-breaker we’ve

played quite a bit before and they actually finished third in the international [champion-ship] last year, and we ended up beating that team, so we know we’re right with them in terms of skill level and mechanics, so I think we’ll be okay.”

Steinke said he’s also excited to meet some of the best professional players in the world when the Grey Power Players’ Champion-ship comes to Dawson Creek from April 13 to 18. He said his team has volunteered to keep statistics during the tournament. He added his team will also participate in a Capital One School of Rock program on March 27 at 1 p.m. at the Dawson Creek Curling Club. This year’s Brier champion, Kevin Koe, will lead 32 junior curlers from the Greater Peace Re-gion area through a 90-minute instructional session focusing on skill development.

“He will teach us a lot, I can tell you that much,” said an enthusiastic Steinke.

Curling team earns spot in Sask.

Contributed photo(From second left to second right) Jordan Steinke, Jason Ginter, Tristan Steinke and Sanjay Bowry, along with coaches Jeff Ginter (left) and Don Bourassa.

Can’t stand your scary, cobwebby basement one more minute? Is it past time to re-place the pink-and-aqua tiles and porcelain in the master bath? Maybe you’re sick of the curling, chipped vinyl floor, the tacky cabinets and cramped layout of your kitchen. Perhaps you’re trying to convince your partner that the siding is sad and stucco would be stupendous. But your partner wants to build a deck…

What are the best home improvement projects to undertake? It depends on your goals and plans.

If you’re trying to sell your property soon for the highest possible price, your priori-ties are likely somewhat different than if you’re planning to stay for a few years and want to improve your family’s quality of life.

If you’re selling, focus on the renovations a buyer would be most likely to undertake, not those you’re most itching to do. You might dream of putting French doors and a Juliet balcony in the master bedroom, but if your kitchen is 25 years old — or even 15 — you’re better off directing your home improvement dollars there. Buyers generally focus on kitchen and bathroom quality, along with overall living and storage space. Kitchen and bathroom remodelling projects are among the most disruptive undertak-ings, so buyers especially appreciate upgraded fix-tures, appliances and décor in these rooms.

Take a look through the next few pages and find 10 worthwhile home improve-ment projects and the per-centage of cost typically recouped at resale (in a seller’s market), along with some of the local compa-nies – from supply com-panies to contractors that will help those renovation dreams come true.

Northeast NEWS March 25, 2010 Page 13

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Payback: As much as 300 per cent

2. Kitchen remodelling

Typically one of the most expen-sive improvement projects, and you can quickly run up a huge bill. Careful planning and shopping will help mini-mize costs here. When remodelling the kitchen, remember to keep the project in line with the style and quality of the rest of the house and neighbourhood. Just as there’s no point in putting a pricey gran-ite countertop on dated-looking 1970s cabinets, there’s no point in installing a $50,000 kitchen in a $200,000 house.

Payback: 68 to 120 per cent3. Bathroom additionIf your home has only one bathroom

and is meant to house more than two people, a bathroom addition should be one of your top priorities. If most homes

in your neighbourhood have two, three or more bathrooms, and yours has just one or one-and-a-half, you will definitely in-crease your property value by adding a bath.

Payback: 80 to 130 per cent4. Bathroom remodellingUpgrading a pokey bathroom will en-

hance the value of your home and add to your daily comfort and enjoyment. White porcelain is the safe, timeless choice here.

Payback: 65 to 120 per cent5. Finishing unfinished spaceWhether it’s an attic or a basement, by

finishing these spaces you add significant value to your home, increasing square footage without having to build.

Payback: 50 to 90 per cent


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Don’t move...improve6. Window/door replacementIf your windows or doors are wasting en-

ergy, or simply decrepit-looking, replace-ments can be an excellent use of your home improvement dollars. Stick to standard styles; odd shapes and highly customized arrange-ments do little for resale value.

Payback: 50 to 90 per cent7. Deck addition/improvement/expansion One of the few exterior improvements with

any significant return, apart frompainting. Payback: 65 to 90 per cent8. Additions of bedrooms, family rooms,

sunrooms, conservatories, garages, etc.Increasing square footage is almost always

an excellent use of remodelling dollars, but don’t expand your home so much that there’s little outdoor space left.

Payback: 50 to 83 per cent9. Home office remodellingThis project is becoming increasingly pop-

ular. Be sure to plan for plenty of electrical

and cable outlets to accommodate all the re-quired machines and gadgets.

Payback: 60 to 73 per cent10. Energy efficiency retrofitsIf your primary concern is return on invest-

ment, proceed with caution. Some retrofits, like better insulation and high-efficiency fur-naces, pay for themselves relatively quickly. Others, like solar panels, heat recovery ven-tilators and tankless water heaters may take years to pay for themselves.

Payback: Highly variable.Two projects unlikely to pay off: swim-

ming pools (which may even adversely affect your property value) and excessive landscap-ing (buyers may admire it but few will pay extra tens of thousands even if that’s what you spent. Remember badly done remodelling/renovation projects will cost you in two ways – you won’t pay just for labour and materials; you’ll pay when buyers see a project that has to be redone. - Contributed

INDEPENDENT PLUMBING & HEATING10020 93 Avenue, Fort St. John, BC • (250) 785-6679

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Northeast NEWS March 25, 2010 Page 17W

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Studio

Type Mgr.

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Creative Dir.

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BY DATE

PRODUCTION NOTES

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MATERIAL CLOSE: MARCH 18

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Date:Designer/Studio Artist:

MAR. 18, 2010RS

AD NUMBER:

DAB_1003_LB_JOURNEY

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Print Mgr:Client Serv:Color/B&W:

Fonts:

H. DEFREITAS

P. MCKEEND.CLARKK+1 Frutiger; Helv. Neu.; Bank gothic; Trade Gothic; Zapf Dingbats; Symbol

REGION:

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CHRYSLER CANADAALBERTA DAB MARDAB_10_1003

SPRING INTO DRIVE EVENT

10.25" X 13.5"

Client:Project:

Docket No.:

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**2010 JOURNEY R/T shown.**2010 JOURNEY R/T shown.

DAB_1003_LB_JOURNEY.indd 1 3/18/10 3:08:23 PM


WISE

BUYE

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E LEG

AL CO

PY: O

ffers

avail

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at pa

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deale

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By Matthew BainsDAWSON CREEK – The Get Dawson Creek Green proj-

ect will be hosting a “Sunsational Solutions” workshop on March 27.

Experts in renewable energy sectors including solar, wind and geothermal have been invited to attend to provide residents in the region with information on alternative energy solutions for their homes. Exhibitors/presenters will include Marvin Jackson of Sundog Solar and Mike McFadden of G2Solar.

Jackson will display a solar thermal hot-water pumping sys-tem that not only has residential uses, but agricultural applica-tions.

Local presenters include 2 Stroke Painting, Epscan Indus-tries Ltd., Peace Country Geothermal, Peace Energy Co-oper-ative and the Northern Environmental Action Team (NEAT).

The event is meant to be interactive and fun for the whole family, explained Get DC Green web/marketing manager Lin-da Studley, and will feature door prizes and draws, live music

during the lunch hour and a table with games and activities for children. There will be hotdogs and pop for sale, and the money raised from those sales will go towards the Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Resource Society, a newly created soci-ety looking to help non-profits in the community with admin-istrative tasks such as grant writing and record keeping.

The event is being held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Epscan Industries building at 600 113 Avenue. For more information call (250) 782-5005.

Dawson Creek to host workshop on alternative energy

RequiRed immediately tRainee oR expeRienced oilwell cementing equipment opeRatoRs and bulk

cement hauleRs full time peRmanent employment in ft.

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We offer• Excellent base salary and job bonus plan• Salary commensurate with experience• State of the art equipment• Full training program• Comprehensive benefit plan• RRSP contribution plan• Opportunities for advancement

Fax resume with drivers abstract to:(250)233-8804 Attn: Lawrence Casey

or Email: [email protected]

An employee oriented company.www.trican.ca

CLASSIFIEDS Northeast NEWSPage 20 March 25, 2010

South Peace Community Resources Society10110 – 13th Street, P.O. Box 713, Dawson Creek, BC, V1G 4H7, Phone: (250) 782-9174

CASUAL SUPPORT WORKERS NEEDEDSouth Peace Resources Society is looking for:

Committed, energetic people who enjoy challenging & fun work in the helping profession.

We have casual positions available for:COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKERS

Earn money while learning valuable marketable skills!!!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALLLORI BROOKS @ 250-782-9174, EXT.: 22810110 13th STREET, DAWSON CREEK, BC

ORE-MAIL YOUR RESUME TO

[email protected]

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Advertising Sales Trainee

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated entry level individual to sell advertising in the Northeast News

and our specialty Publications. The ideal candidate will be determined, persuasive, focused and motivated.

Previous experience an asset but not a prerequisite.

If interested please forward your resume to [email protected]

or mail toThe Northeast News

9909-100th Ave.Fort St. John BC V1J 1Y4

or phone 250-787-7030

Employment OpportunityYouth Outreach Worker

The candidate selected for this full-time position will work as a part of a team to provide youth, individuals and families with direct support services and assist with the delivery of the Keeginaw Kids and Miyo.sin Teens on site programs.

Preference to applicants with:

• Post-secondary education and/or relative training/experience in social work, counseling, childhood development

or recreational fields.• Knowledge of local Aboriginal culture and traditions

• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written & computer)• First Aide Certification & a valid B.C. Driver’s License (Class

4 preferred).

Candidates must complete a criminal records check and be willing to work flexible hours.

Interested in working in a fun, “Team” oriented environment? We’d love to hear from you!

We offer a competitive wage and benefit package.

Drop off, fax, or e-mail a Cover Letter and Resume to:

Fort St. John Friendship SocietyATTN: Anita Lee, Executive Director

10208 – 95 AvenueFort St. John, BC V1J 1J2

Phone: (250) 785-8566 Fax: (250) 785-1507E-mail: [email protected]

Fort St. John Friendship Society

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Real Estate – 500 Sq Feet Office space on 2nd floor in professional building 1200 – 103 Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC Call: 250.219.1434

BusInEss fOR sALE

For sale in the real estate industry. Turn Key business, well established. Please contact 250.264.7598 for information.

BusInEss OPPORTunITY

Investors wanted global or local to develop Sea water conversion using Geothermal energy to cre-ate massive fresh water for the future. Call: John Stender 780.837.6337 or Glen Martin 780.788.9747

Investors wanted Overseas or local North America to purchase OSB Plant in Fort Nelson, BC for major refrigeration storage facil-ity. Contact: John Stender 780.837.6337 or Glen Martin 780.788.9747 Investors wanted Overseas or Canada to purchase mill in Fort Nelson, BC and restructure for a flour mill production. Contact: John Stender 780.837.6337 or Glen Martin 780.788.9747

HELP WAnTEd

Dr. Brian Ashley. Looking for a full time certified Dental Assistant in Fort Nelson. For further informa-tion please contact Wanda 250.774.3510 or fax your resume 250.774.7481 Farm hand in Cecil Lake / Flatrock area. Wages nego-tiable depending on expe-rience. Accommodations available. Call Dave 250.262.9043

HELP WAnTEd

TRUCKS/SUVs FOR SALE Need Cash? Cash Factory Loans offers Payday, CTB, EI, and Pension Loans up to $800, Collateral Loans up to $10,000 now offer-ing Cheque Cashing and Tax Returns! Money in Minutes! 10243-100 St next to BCGEU or 250-787-8811

Excellent people. Awesome Benefits. Great Wages. Have you ever thought about a job with Local Government?Would you like to be part of an incredible team? Check out thefollowing job opportunities currently available with the City of Fort St. John:

• Visitor Information Counsellor (Student) – Full Time –Auxiliary – Term – May 3, 2010 to September 3, 2010 - $13.00/hour-$16.00/hour – Posting 2010-20. Position closes Tuesday, April 6, 2010

For job details go to www.cityfsj.com. Interested candidatesshould forward a complete resume prior to 4:00 pm on theclosing date to:

Manager of Human Resources, City of Fort St. John10631 - 100th Street, Fort St. John, BC. V1J 3Z5PHONE: (250) 787-8150 FAX: (250) 787-8181

Email: [email protected]

The North Peace Rod and Gun Clubis sponsoring a town hall meeting at the Pomeroy Hotel and Convention Centre

Scotty RoomSaturday March 27 - 7:00pm

Come and fi nd out why YOU need to get involved!

Your hunting and fi shing

opportunities

Will you have any next year?

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

CAREER OPPORTUNITY CAREER OPPORTUNITY

CLASSIFIEDSNortheast NEWS March 25, 2010 Page 21

“Enriching Your Life”

For TenderTwo-Year

Janitorial ContractLake View Credit Union is accepting tenders for a two-year janitorial contract in our Dawson Creek branch. Tenders must be submitted in a sealed envelope, no later than 4:30pm on March 31, 2010.

For contract details, please contact ReneGeorge, CEO at 250-782-4871 Ext. 251 orvia e-mail at [email protected]

The lowest bid or any bid may not be accepted.

fOR REnTBright, clean three bedroom house for rent in Dawson Creek. Partially fenced yard, four appliances. Pets allowed. $1200/ month, $600.00 damage deposit. Call 250.793.0375

fOR REnTLarge one bedroom apart-ment Central location, Cable included, newer carpet and paint $700.00 a month. Call 250.785.4305

fOR sALE1981 – 14x70, 3 bdrm mobile home, on blocking ready to go. Laminate floor-ing and new lino, furnace and hot water tank replaced recently. Washer/Dryer. Light paneling in home gives a bright, clean look. Faux brick feature wall in living room. Large bay win-dow. Older stove in kitchen, needs fridge. Ceiling fans in bedrooms and dining area. Sound structure. Non-smoking. No pet damage. Blocking comes with home. Moberly Lake/Chetwynd area. $25,000.00 O.B.O. Call:250.788.9248 4.8 acres for sale with 1993 mobile home. $148.00 or best offer. 10 minutes from Hudson’s Hope on the road to the Dam. Call: 250.783.9195

TRUCKS/SUVs FOR SALE Need Cash? Cash Factory Loans offers Payday, CTB, EI, and Pension Loans up to $800, Collateral Loans up to $10,000 now offer-ing Cheque Cashing and Tax Returns! Money in Minutes! 10243-100 St next to BCGEU or 250-787-8811

fOR sALE

2 New Epiphone guitars “Les Paul Custom”& “Les Paul Zack Wylde”edition. Marshall “MG 50 DFX”amplifier and acces-sories. $2230.00 OBO Tel: 250.775.0599

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

FOR TENDER

RENTALS

RENTALS

Li-CarManagement Group

Now taking applications for1, 2 and 3 bedroom units.

Call our office for more informationor one of our Professional Site managers!

Alpine- Office 250-785-2662Bona Vista - Maria 250-785-9825Sandalwood- Bob 250-262-2011

Hillcrest- Glen 250-261-4216Driftwood- Bob 250-262-2011Melsher- Office 250-785-2662

Maplewood- Bob 250-262-2011Graham- Office 250-785-2662Killarney- Bob 250-262-2011Ambassador- Erin 250-787-8897

Green Glen- Bob 250-262-2011Phone - Office 250-785-2662 Email: [email protected]

AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSINGBC Native Housing Corporation

Applicants are needed in the following areas:

Kelly Lake and Moberly Lake

Families with low to moderate income preferred.To apply call the Prince George office

@ 250-562-9106

14024

SPACIOUS

Mom’s DreamWork From Home

National Nanny agency seeks energetic, professional, local p/t placement/

recruitment. Coordinator for Northern BC, flexible

hours, excellent communication skills, motivated, sales oriented, HR exp., attention to detail, negotiation skills,

home office an asset, $$$ per placement, perfect for ambitious stay at home mom.

Email resume to: [email protected]

AnTIquEs

Lets Get Better Antique fur-niture at the F.S.J. Enerplex Trade Show April 16,17 & 18th Phone: 604.793.0222

LOg HOMEs

We build, refinish and chink log homes. We also build solid wood rustic furni-ture. To view furniture call Lisa in FSJ 250.263.7765 or Doug in Hudon’s Hope 250.783.9156 lynxcree-kwoodsmiths.com

BOOkkEEPIng

Attn: Entrepreneurs. Too busy to do your bookkeep-ing? Apex Co. can help. Flexible reliable bookkeep-ing for small businesses. Now accepting new clients. Call Sandy Baker 250-787-9442

JAnITORIAL sERvICEs

Janitorial services available for homes and business offices. Exceptionally clean, hard working and dedicat-ed. Call 250.794.7021 or 250.772.5154

Your Northeast BC Connection

March 25, 2010

ATLIN • CHETWYND • DAWSON CREEK • DEASE LAKE • FORT NELSON • FORT ST. JOHN • HUDSON’S HOPE • TUMBLER RIDGE

1-866-463-6652nlc.bc.ca

For more information

378/

10.0

3.24

-j N

EN

HealtH Care assistant

Want your life to take a different and more rewarding direction?

Register now for the Health Care Assistant program and be on your way to a career as a

HealtH Care attenDantor a HOMe sUPPOrt WOrKer.

starts July 5Length: 25 weeks

Dawson Creek CampusVideoconference to Fort St. John

Student Residences are available.

For more information contact a Recruiter at your local campus or visit Northern Lights

College online at nlc.bc.ca.

CHetWynDOccupational First Aid Level 1 ................... Apr 7,17H2S Alive ....................................................... Apr 13General Oilfield Driver Improvement ............. Apr 14Occupational First AidTransportation Endorsement ......................... Apr 18Occupational First AidLevel 3 .............................. Apr 19-30, Exams May 1

DaWsOn CreeKPrivate Security ................ start Apr 7, Exam Apr 13Digital Photography ................................. start Apr 7Quesnel-Solar Theory ................................. Apr 9-10Bartending and Wine Service ..................... Apr 9-10Quesnel-Solar Installs .............................. Apr 11-12Microsoft Word Level 1 .......................... start Apr 12Basic Computers ................................... start Apr 13

FOrt nelsOn Occupational First AidLevel 1 .............................. Mar 29, 30 Apr 9, 10, 17, Occupational First AidTransportation Endorsement ............... Apr 4, 11, 18General Oilfield Driver Improvement ......... Apr 8, 28Hoisting and Rigging ................................ Apr 21-24Boom Truck Operator ............................... Apr 25-28CORE Hunter Training ........................ Apr 26-May 8

FOrt st. JOHnOilfield Heavy Haulers ............................... March 31Confined Space Entry and Rescue ................ April 6Heavy Duty Boom Truck ............................. April 6-8Manual Hoisting and Rigging ......................... April 9Supervisor Safety Management ................... April 12Management Skills for Supervisors ........ April 13-16Hydrocarbon Vapour Products Awareness .. April 16

tUMbler riDgeCORE Hunter Training ...... Mar 26-27, Exam Mar 28Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) .... Mar 27Prenatal Classes ................................. April 8, 14, 23Air Brakes ................................................ May 11-13Traffic Control Person/Flagging ................. May 26-2

Today’s economic challenges are temporary, future labour shortages are not. Now’s the time to skill up and invest in training.employers: To protect your future labour supply. Hold on to your apprentices and take this opportunity to get them into technical training.apprentices: To invest in your future. Put down the tools and catch up on your technical training. You’ll be way ahead of the game when the economy turns around.trades and apprenticeship

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer• Automotive Service Technician• Carpentry• Commercial Transport Technician• Cook 1/Camp Cook• Electrician• Esthetics and Nail Care Technology• Hairstylist/Cosmetology• Heavy Duty Equipment Technician• Industrial Instrumentation Mechanic• Plumber• Welding•

For more information contact Pam Eales, Trades and Apprenticeship Coordinator, 250-784-7605 or [email protected]

teaCHer trainingAre you interested in a career in teaching?

Do you want nationally recognizedteaching credentials?

alasKa HigHWay COnsOrtiUM OnteaCHer eDUCatiOn (aHCOte)

Certification: B.C. College of TeachersDawson Creek and Fort St. John Campuses

Contact:Fort st. John: Jaclyn Jones at

250-785-6981, ext. 2050Dawson Creek: Debbie Mingo at

250-782-5251, ext. 7543or a Recruiter at your local Campus.

lanD anD resOUrCe ManageMent PrOgraM

Fort st. John CampusSeptember Intake

These Programs were developed in conjunction with our industry partners to ensure our students have the best

opportunity for employment in the Land and Resource Management sector.

Includes three areas of study:

One-year certificate inLand Administration

Learn to complete land acquisition • documents, and basic office skills.Train for work with a land consulting • company, First Nation Band office, or an oil and gas company.

Most courses are available on-line, so you can continue to work while upgrading your skills.

Two-year diploma in Land AgentLearn to negotiate land acquisitions to • develop oil and gas facilities.Train for work with a land consulting • company or oil and gas company.

Two-year diploma in Land ReclamationLearn to repair disturbed land resulting from • industrial development and activity.Train for work with an environmental • consulting company.

Northeast NEWS

March 25, 2010 Page 23Northeast NEWS

Get your message home. Call....

Brenda PiperAdvertising Sales

[email protected]

phone: (250) 787.7030 Fax 250.787.7090 toll free: 1.877.787.7030

9909-100th avenuefort st john, bc V1J 1Y4

advertising

Glass◉ Windshields ◉ Custom Showers ◉ Flooring◉ Windows and doors

9708-108 St Fort St John250-785-6409

2009 People’s Choice Award Winner

*Free In Home Consultations

glass

Chiropractor

Dr

Gerr

y M

ange

l#

2 8

712

100

Ave

Fort

St J

ohn

250-

263-

9770

Fort

Nel

son

250-

775-

6677

chiropractor

want to advertise in the business directory? call 1.877.787.7030

Northeast British Columbia

Directorybusiness&professional

Locksmith

9708-108 St Fort St John

Automotive Chipped Transponder Keys

Available

250-785-6409

• MASTER KEY SYSTEMS• LOCKOUT BOARDS• PADLOCKS

locksmith

real estate

Accounting & Taxes

Madeline Scott Bookkeeping & Income Tax

Business, Farming and personal Bookkeeping Accounting now offered

31-9600 93rd Ave, Totem MallFort St. John, BC

Ph: 250-263-0886Fx: 250-785-1585

accounting & taxes

CommerCial & residential refrigeration

Heating & air ConditioningapplianCe parts &

drop – off applianCe repair

Jim [email protected]

10704-101 avefort st. John, BC

V1J 2B9

ph: 250.787.1688fax: 250.787.1682

refrigeration

sales

Frank Beatton lived at the Hudson’s Bay Post on the north shore of the Peace River and kept entries of daily life in early Fort St. John. The recordings of this early Hudson’s Bay Company Factor have been digitized by The Cemetery Seekers and brought home to Fort St. John. This project was funded by the North Peace Savings and Credit Union. Over 4,000 images were photographed at the provincial archives in October 2008.

Excerpts from March 1910Wednesday March 16 Edward started to Joe Mykose’s Camp. Self out after horses. Taylor arrived

from Hudson’s Hope.Thursday March 17 Busy at odd jobs. Edward and Fields hauling cord wood. Continues fine weather.

Snow nearly all gone. Taylor started today at noon for Hudson’s Hope.Friday March 18 Self out after horses. Edward hauling manure. Fields helping. Fine weather. J.B.

LaLonde of Revillions arrived from Dunvegan. He brings news of Mr. Carter’s death, which occurred at LS Lake.

Saturday March 19 Self after horses again. Edward and Fields hauling manure. Beautiful weather.Monday March 21 Self cleaning up the garden. Edward hauling manure. Fields helping. Fine clear

day. Snow all gone around the place and a lot of water getting on the ice.Tuesday March 22 All hands busy cleaning up around the place. A fine clear day.Wednesday March 23 Started to snow this morning and continued nearly all day. Very little doing.Thursday March 24 Self off after horses all day. Edward at wood. Fields in office. Attachie and Dick

arrived and brought a few furs. They report starvation in their camp. Blowing a strong west wind all day. Snow nearly all gone.

Friday March 25 The Indians left this morning. Self fixing up the store. Fields helping Edward at wood. Still blowing a gale of wind.

Saturday March 26 Busy at odd jobs. Cold and stormy. Sunday March 27 Three Indian boys arrived from the north this evening.Monday March 28 Self in store with Indians. Fields and Edward at wood. A fine clear day. Oller and

two boys arrived from the north. They report very little food in their camp. They left again this evening.Tuesday March 29 Self went off to look after the horses. Fields in office. Edward at wood. Cold and

stormy.Wednesday March 30 Self at odd jobs. Fields in office. Edward cutting fence rails. One Indian arrived

from Mountagines Camp and reports starvation in their camp. Stormy as yesterday.Thursday March 31 Started Edward off to Mountagines Camp with provisions this morning. A fine

clear day.The Beatton Journals and other documents can be viewed digitally at the North Peace Museum. Inqui-

ries: (250) 787-0430.

Fort St. John 100 years ago in 1910

Matthew Bains photoChanneling the spirit of “the king of rock and roll,” Fred Steen gave his best Elvis Presley impersonation during the BC-Alberta Variety Talent Show at the George Dawson Inn in Dawson Creek on March 20. Steen was one of 19 singers, musicians and enter-tainers who performed that night and were judged by a three-per-son panel. Singer/guitarist Mike Morneau finished in first place with an original country ballad he wrote about his daughter, along with an impressive guitar instrumental and Tyrone Labucan wowed the audience with renditions of Lonestar’s “Amazed” and Dion’s “Runaround Sue” to finish second. The two finalists will move on to the Grand Final in Grand Prairie later this year for a chance to win $5,000.


3%A.P.R. Minimum $5,000 Non-redeemable. Rate subject to change without notice.

You better get a moo-ve onif you want to cash in big onour 3% for 3 yr term depositWhen we put it out to pasture, it might not come back.

March 25• Need help filling out your Metis funding ap-

plication? Carol Paynter from the Metis Nation BC will be at the Academic Development Build-ing Room 12.14 in Dawson Creek from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To book an appointment, please call (250) 784-7544 or e-mail [email protected].

March 25 to 27• The Canadian Cancer Society, Dawson

Creek Unit, will be holding their annual Daffodil campaign – buy fresh cut daffodils or daffodil pins to show your support for people on the can-cer journey from volunteers at the Dawson Co-op or the Liquor Store or call (250) 782-5598 for bulk orders. Let’s all wear a daffodil pin on April 9 to show we care.

March 26• The South Peace Chapter of the BC Sus-

tainable Energy Association and Peace Energy Co-operative are pleased to present the film Fuel at KPAC, 1100 95 Avenue in Dawson Creek. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission by donation. There will be a presentation by the Pacific In-stitute for Climate Solutions at 6:30 p.m., movie to follow. Check out the movie trailer at the link below and feel free to share this invitation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTCSSkxlxE

March 26 and 27• Women Alive 11th Annual Regional con-

ference at the Christian Fellowship Assembly in Grande Prairie from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 26 and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 27. Speakers in-clude author Donna Carter with the topic Smart Things Women Can Do and Michelle Nagle with a break out session for young women on Does It Really Matter? Online registration at www.womenalive.org or phone registration at 1-800-387-4753 with an admission price of $50 for adults, $40 for students and $25 for teens. Wheelchair accessible with sign language inter-preter available. For more information contact Jane at (780) 568-2529.

March 26• The South Peace Chapter of the BC Sus-

tainable Energy Association and Peace Energy Co-operative are pleased to present the film ‘Fuel’ at KPAC 1100 95 Avenue in Dawson Creek. Doors open at 6 p.m. Advance tickets are $5 at the Peace Energy Co-operative 1445 102 Avenue or $6 at the door. Rousing and reaction-ary, FUEL is an amazing, in-depth journey that offers a virtual tour through the drama of fuel, the history, the politics, the mess that the world is in and the fascinating alternatives for a way out. FUEL challenges the audience to make a change and seek accountability, reinforcing the idea that the power of every individual can and will make a difference.

March 26• Friday night dance with country music by

Night Sounds (alcohol free) at the Senior Citi-

zens Hall, 1101 McKellar Avenue in Dawson Creek. Dance is from 8 to 11 p.m. Admission is $10 per person, lunch included. All ages wel-come.

March 27• Are you interested in renting a table at a

multi-table garage sale for families with children up to 12 years-old? Items for sale will be in new or gently used condition and could include cloth-ing, toys, books, furniture, games and sporting goods, among others. The event will take place at Sudeten Hall from 9 a.m. to noon. Call (250) 782-9556 or e-mail Kathy at [email protected] for more information.

March 27• The Canadian Cancer Society, Dawson

Creek Unit, and the Dawson Co-op are cel-ebrating their 25 year of sponsoring a pancake breakfast to raise funds for fighting cancer and to kick-off the Relay for Life campaign. This year it will be held from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Daw-son Co-op cafeteria. Fresh daffodils and daffodil pins will be on sale.

March 27• The Derrick Dance Club of Fort St. John will

be hosting a dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Senior Citizens Hall at 10908 100 Street with music by Night Sound. Members are $10, non-members are $12. Everyone 19 and over is wel-come. For more information, call Lucy at (250) 785-2867 or Judy at (250) 787-0460.

March 27• The Peace Region Songwriters’ Association

presents the Earth Hour Coffee House at Under the Willow Cultural Cafe from 6 to 7:30 p.m. – open mic, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. featured performers Samanth Scott and Jodi Able of ‘Tide Roots,’ 8:30 p.m. Earth Hour begins, the lights go out, and the candles are lit, open mic from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Local talent – musicians, poets, playwrites and more, refreshments available, admission $5.

March 27• Join Get Dawson Creek Green for “Sunsa-

tional Solutions” – Sustainable Energy Solutions for Home and Farm from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the big green building at Epscan Industries at 600 113 Avenue. Everything you wanted to know about solar, geothermal, and wind technology from industry experts, working alternate energy systems on site plus draws, music, refreshments and activities for the kids. For more information call (250) 782-5005, email [email protected], or visit the website at www.getusgreen.org.

End of March• The BC Healthy Living Alliance is offering

a digital storytelling workshop. It will be two days in length and participants will come out of it with a created digital story. Potential participants would need to be comfortable using a computer, digital cameras and downloading digital pictures to computer and come to the workshop with

a story idea and 15 to 20 pictures for the sto-ry. Registration fee will be $50 per person and all software is free ware or share ware, so is no cost to participants and they can continue to use it after the course. Ideally, participants would be able to share their skills with others after the workshop. Contact Heidy Kux-Kardos for more information at (250) 782-7045.

April 3• Parents’ Group for Children with Special

Needs – will be meeting every other Saturday at the Tumbler Ridge Children’s Centre from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

April 4• Deadline for Tumbler Ridge Jr. Idol Reg-

istration – Forms available at the Community Centre Front Desk.

April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29• April storytimes for pre-schoolers ages one

to two years-old from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. at the Fort St. John Public Library. For more informa-tion, call the library at (250) 785-3731.

April 7, 14, 21 and 28• Need a hand with your tax return? The Com-

munity Volunteer Income Tax Program has trained volunteers that can help you complete your income tax and benefit return. Book an appointment today at the Fort St. John Public Library. Events from 7 to 9 p.m., call (250) 785-3731 for more information. Remember to bring all your tax papers and forms with you.

April 7, 14, 21, 28• April storytimes for pre-schoolers ages three

to five years-old from 10:15 to 11 a.m. at the Fort St. John Public Library. For more information, call the library at (250) 785-3731.

ONGOING Fort St. John• Alcoholics Anonymous - If you think you

might have a problem with drinking, come to an AA meeting. Call for times and places or some-one to talk to (250) 785-8866.

• Fort St. John Multiple Sclerosis support group. If you or anyone you know has MS and have any questions or just need to talk, please call Susie at (250) 785-2381 or Sandi at (250) 787-2652.

• FSJ Gradfest 2010 meets the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the North Peace Sec-ondary School cafeteria. This is a safe, fun filled event for all Grads following the ceremonies and grand march. We are in need of volunteers and donations. Any one wanting to volunteer contact Carl: [email protected], any donations please contact Shelley: [email protected] and any prize donations contact Jenn: [email protected]

Fort Nelson• Alcoholics Anonymous - Monday 8 p.m.

Catholic Church Basement (closed meeting); Wednesday 8 p.m. Catholic Church Basement; Thursday 8 p.m. Catholic Church Basement;

Saturday 8 p.m. Hospital Cafeteria; Sunday 8 p.m. Friendship Centre.

• Cocaine Anonymous - Tuesday 8 p.m. Cath-olic Church Basement; Friday 8 p.m. Hospital Cafeteria.

• Alanon - Tuesday 8 p.m. Northern Lights College (back door).

• The Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life in Fort Nelson will be held on June 5th. To register go to www.cancer.ca/relay or call Car-mella at (250) 500-2499

Pouce Coupe• Alcoholics Anonymous - Friday 8 p.m. Old

Library (closed). 250-786-0155.Chetwynd• Alcoholics Anonymous meets Tuesday and

Friday at 8 p.m. at the Public Library, 5012 46 Street. 250-788-9658

• NA meets Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Air-port waiting room.

Tumbler Ridge• Alcoholics Anonymous - meeting Wed. 8

p.m. 115 Commercial Park (Baptist Church).• Mondays: Bingo - 6 pm doors open, 7 pm

games begin. Community Centre Rms. 4 and 5.• Tuesdays: TR Seniors (55+) Drop-In – Floor

curling, carpet bowling, card & board games, coffee & cookies. Community Centre Room 5 from 1-4 pm. Small drop-in fee.

• Wednesdays: TR Seniors (55+) Drop-In – Cribbage, Whist & good company. Beginners welcome! 7 pm in the Library. Small drop-in fee.

Taylor• Civil Air Search and Rescue (CASARA)

meetings every second Tuesday at the Taylor Fire Hall at 7 p.m. For information call Bob at 250-789-9152 or 250-787-5802.

• The Alaska Highway RRA (Recreation Air-craft Association) meets every third Thursday at the Taylor Fire Hall at 7:30 p.m. For information call Richard at 250-782-2421 or Heath at (250) 785-4758.

Dawson Creek• Craft group for Mental Health and Addic-

tions Clients. Meets Thurs 1:30 -3:30 at 1017-103 Ave., Dawson Creek. (250) 782-4410.

• Alcoholics Anonymous - meets Mon., Tues., Fri., & Sat., 8 p.m. at Peace River Health Unit. Wed. 8 p.m. Hospital Education Room. All meetings are open.

• Mile 0 Al-Anon meets 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday evening at Parkhill Community School 9700-5th Street, Dawson Creek.

• Relapse Prevention. Mental Health and Ad-dictions 1017-103rd Ave., Dawson Creek, (250) 782-4410. Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. Everyone welcome! Please call to confirm meeting.

• The Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life in Fort St John will be held on May 29th. To register go to www.cancer.ca/relay or call Gwen at 1.800.811.5666.

Northeast NEWS May 21, 2009 Page 25

May 13 to June 17• Are you living with a chronic health condition? The Univer-

sity of Victoria and Northern Health Authority are pleased to of-fer ‘Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions’ in Fort St. John. This free six-session education program for persons living with chronic health conditions will be available at #300, 9900 100 Avenue. The workshop meets for six Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. To register or for more information, call Terry Cayer - Cordinator toll free at 1-866-902-3767 or e-mail [email protected]. Space is limited so call today.

May 23• First annual Peace Region Palaeontology Symposium featur-

ing the fourth annual Fossil Road Show, speakers, door prizes and guided children’s activities. Held at the Tumbler Ridge Public Library and Curling Rink. For more information contact (250) 242-3466.

May 23• Country dance at Farmington Hall featuring Highway 40!

Dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., no minors. Tickets $15 each, avail-able at Farmington Store. For more information, call Clarisse (250) 843-7954.

May 24• The Forgotten House -- Grizzly Valley Players present a mati-

nee at 3 p.m. in Room 5 of the Community Centre in Tumbler Ridge. May 29 to 31

• Couple’s “Love and Romance” Retreat at The King’s Valley Christian Camp. Accommodation available. For further informa-tion or registration call (250) 827-3549. May 17 to June 28

• Triathlon Training clinics are coming to Fort St. John. Come out and learn about triathlon and get prepared for the local upcom-ing triathlons. Held on May 3, 4, and 6 are clinics on swimming stroke improvement, bike tuning and equipment and triathlon. Come hear from local triathletes and ask questions about events, training, preparation and anything else you like. Sign up at the North Peace Leisure Pool or contact Becky at (250)787-5780 or [email protected] for more information.

Upcoming local Triathlons include: Dawson Creek May 24Fort St. John June 7 Fort Nelson June 28

May 12 to July 28• Relapse Prevention Group - Tuesdays from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at

Mental Health & Addiction Services. Contact Dennis at (250)262-5269.

May 23• The Derrick Dance Club of Fort St. John will be hosting a

dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Senior Citizens Hall at 10908 100 Street. Music by Night Sounds. Members $10, non members $12. Everyone 19 and over is welcome. For information call Lucy at (250) 785-2867 or Judy at (250) 787-0460.

May 23• The Magic of Sam Pearce Show is scheduled at the Stone-

bridge Hotel with the show to benefit the Fort St. John Firefighters.May 25 to May 29• Do you think you’ve been treated unfairly by a B.C. govern-

ment ministry or public agency? The B.C. Ombudsman may be able to help. The Ombudsman’s staff will be in the following communities on the dates listed below, and are available by ap-pointment to discuss your problem or complaint. Call 1-800-567-3247 to book an appointment or see www.ombudsman.bc.ca for more info.

Fort Nelson May 25Fort St. John May 26Dawson Creek May 27Mackenzie May 28Chetwynd May 29May 27• John and Eloise Bergen, missionaries working with ‘Hope for

the Nations’ in Kenya were brutally attacked and severly wound-

ed when burglars broke into their African home in 2008. Come and hear the testimony on how God’s love carried the Burgens through the ordeal. This Canadian couple from Vernon, BC have chosen forgiveness, and are returning to continue the missionary work they started in Kenya. Drilling wells, growing food, and helping to support six orphanages. The event is at Quality Inn at 7 p.m.

May 28• Abbeyfield Houses of Fort St. John is holding their AGM at

7 p.m. at Northern Lights College. Everyone welcome. Direc-tors and volunteers needed. Memberships will be sold prior to the meeting ($10). Please come out and support our home for senior’s independent living! For more information call Clara at (250) 785-6450.

May 29• Access Awareness Day in Fort St. John. Stay tuned to the

Northeast News for more information.May 30• The Fort Nelson Woman of Industry is holding a golf tourna-

ment at the golf course. Lots of door prizes, putter to be won and an extra prize if a member brings a friend that becomes a member. Please RSVP to Karen Prouse at [email protected]

May 30• The Welcome Wagon events, the Baby Shower and Grand-

parent Showcase will be taking place at the Stonebridge Hotel at 1 p.m. The Bridal Showcase will take place at 6:30 p.m.

May 30• The 34 annual Trutch Gymkhana is being held at the Mile

206 Trutch Rodeo Grounds, lots of camping space available and a concession will be on site. Great family fun, all ages ride!! Please call Beth at (250) 262-5712 for more information.

June 4• Ladies out of town dinner in conjunction with the Oil Men’s

Golf Tournament presented by OilWives Club of FSJ. Cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. at the Pomeroy Inns and Suites. Tickets are $50 and include: entertainment, dinner, dessert, wine, jewellry draw, games and door prizes. Tickets available at Flow-ers by Tamee, Frontier Jewellers. Call Marlene (250) 785-8737 or Debbie at (250) 787-5100 for more information.

June 6• Rotary Manor Annual Garage Sale from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

1121-90 Avenue. Household items, tools, toys, furniture, coffee and donuts and much more. Donations welcome after May 4 (no appliances please). All proceed to toward resident programs and activities. Rain or shine, no early birds, there will be no sales be-fore 9 a.m.

June 14• Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion walk, wheel, run and wheel-

chair challenge. Registration at 12:30, event starts at 1 p.m. in Cen-tennial Park. For information, contact event leader Lori Slater at (250) 787-1912 or [email protected]

July 12• North Peace Horticultural Society plans their annual Garden

Tour. Bring your family and tour a variety of Fort St. John gar-dens.

August 1• The Marilyn Leffler Memorial Ride and Show ‘n Shine in sup-

port of the Canadian Cancer Society BC and Yukon Region. Regis-tration begins July 1 for this all day event at Casey’s Pub in Fort St. John. Show ‘n Shine awards for seven motorcycle categories and lots of door prizes. Event includes a ride to the viewpoint on the Hudson’s Hope Road. Everyone welcome to this fundraising event to fight cancer.

August 21 to 23• The North Peace Horticultural Society presents their 16th an-

nual Flower Show and Exhibition at the North Peace Cultural Cen-tre. The event will be open to the public on Aug. 22 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Awards presenta-tions will take place at 4 p.m. Refreshments will be available by donations on both Saturday and Sunday while the show is open. Categories include arrangements, art, houseplants, patio plants,

hanging baskets, cut flowers, photography and several children’s categories. Look for the flower show book in several locations.

ONGOING Fort St. John• The Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society is seeking moti-

vated people to join their volunteer team. If helping people sparks your interest drop by the office at #201, 10142-100 Ave. (above Girl Guides Thrift Store) or call 250-787-1121.

• A Youth Relapse Prevention Group may be held weekly, in the afternoons at Mental Health and Addiction Services, #300 - 9900 – 100 Ave. For more information call Chris or Shaun at 250-262-5269.

• The Citizens Patrol is seeking people who can volunteer at least five hours a month. Perfect for those new to town, those con-cerned about safety, who want to make the community a safer place to work, live and play. Call coordinator Connie 250-262-4530 or RCMP liaison Rick 250-787-8100.

• Alcoholics Anonymous - If you think you might have a prob-lem with drinking. Call for times and places or someone to talk to 250-785-8866.

Fort Nelson• Alcoholics Anonymous - Monday 8 p.m. Catholic Church

Basement (closed meeting); Wednesday 8 p.m. Catholic Church Basement; Thursday 8 p.m. Catholic Church Basement; Saturday 8 p.m. Hospital Cafeteria; Sunday 8 p.m. Friendship Centre

• Cocaine Anonymous - Tuesday 8 p.m. Catholic Church Base-ment; Friday 8 p.m. Hospital Cafeteria.

• Alanon - Tuesday 8 p.m. Northern Lights College (back door).Pouce Coupe• Alcoholics Anonymous - Friday 8 p.m. Old Library (closed).

250-786-0155• Computer Class at the Pouce Coupe Seniors Hall every Mon-

day and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Low Im-pact exercise class every Thursday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Open to everyone! For more information call Carol at 250-786-5673

Chetwynd• Alcoholics Anonymous meets Monday and Friday at 8 p.m. at

the Friendship Centre. 250-788-9658• NA meets Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Airport waiting room.• Tuesdays & Thursdays: Minor ball 5 pm-7 pm at Chetwynd

Ballpark & Rec. Centre Diamonds.Tumbler Ridge• Alcoholics Anonymous - meeting Wed. 8 p.m. 115 Com-

mercial Park (Baptist Church).• Mondays: Bingo - 6 pm doors open, 7 pm games begin. Com-

munity Centre Rms. 4&5.• Tuesdays: TR Seniors (55+) Drop-In – Floor curling, carpet

bowling, card & board games, coffee & cookies. Community Centre Room 5 from 1-4 pm. Small drop-in fee.

• Wednesdays: TR Seniors (55+) Drop-In – Cribbage, Whist & good company. Beginners welcome! 7 pm in the Library. Small drop-in fee.

Taylor• Civil Air Search and Rescue (CASARA) meetings every sec-

ond Tuesday at the Taylor Fire Hall at 7 p.m. For information call Bob at 250-789-9152 or 250-787-5802.

• New Totem Archery is now at the Taylor Community Hall Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. Contact newtotem-archery.com.

• The Alaska Highway RRA (Recreation Aircraft Association) meets every third Thursday at the Taylor Fire Hall at 7:30 p.m. For information call Richard at 250-782-2421 or Heath at 250-785-4758.

Dawson Creek• The Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce luncheons are

held the first Thursday of each month at noon at the Best Western. Different guest speaker each month. Members and Non-members welcome. Contact: Lesley Pewarchuck 250-782 4868.

If your non-profit group has events or meeting you wish pub-lished, send them by fax to (250) 787-7090 or via email to: [email protected].

UPCOMING

Dawson Creek900-102nd Ave. Suite 102

Phone: 782-1121

Fort Nelson#19 Landmark Plaza

Phone: 774-2020

Fort St. John9808-101st Ave.

Phone: 785-2020

“Focused on Family Eyecare”

Dr. J. Grant TimminsDr. John E. Gentles

Dr. Todd J. Lang

Eye Examinations, Optical Dispensing, ContactLenses, Low Vision Care, Ocular & RefractiveSurgery Co-management, CSA Safety Eyewear

Community Calendar

By Matthew Bains PEACE REGION – A rural director with the Peace

River Regional District is calling on the provincial govern-ment to reform the criterion used by the BC Assessment Authority to determine farm status for properties in the Ag-ricultural Land Reserve.

Electoral Area C director Arthur Hadland wrote to Bill Bennett, Minister of Community and Rural Development, last month to ask him to place a moratorium on the assess-ment of ALR lands so that a simpler assessment standard could be implemented. He wrote that in his view, “if land is in the [ALR] and has been grazed, harvested or tilled, it should continue to receive farm status regardless of the success or pursuits of the landowner.”

Hadland said he was writing on behalf of farmers and ranchers who feel unjustly targeted by the BCAA. Pat Brady, a 72 year-old rancher from Pink Mountain, for-warded his own letter to provincial and local government officials, including Hadland, describing his problems in meeting farm status. He stated he earns a modest income by raising horses and working them to take people on trail rides, but that doesn’t qualify as farm income and his land is being reclassified. Brady wrote his family has owned the property for over a century and has always used it to ranch, so income shouldn’t be the only consideration. Hadland said maintaining farm status has been an issue for rural landowners for decades now and he believes it’s bigger than just one ranch in the North Peace.

He said the BCAA scrutinizes whether farmers are ac-tually farming in order to determine whether farm status applies, but other properties classes are not subject to that kind of scrutiny. He said losing farm status can mean a sig-nificant increase in property taxes, which penalizes farmers who “do not always fit the rigid dictates of the bureaucracy of the BCAA.”

“Don’t penalize the landowner, just assess the land as agricultural land,” said Hadland. “Agricultural land can be used for many things – it might be a farmed woodlot, it might be for running an agri-business like agri-tourism,

trail rides, grazing cattle – it’s not always obvious.”He said allowing producers that tax break is one of the

few things that allows them to continue farming, especially when the industry in British Columbia is experiencing sig-nificant challenges and allowing them to fall through the cracks shows a disregard for the agricultural community. There was a report submitted to government last year by a Farm Assessment Review Panel that recommended chang-es to the assessment criterion, but Hadland said that missed the point.

“They were still dealing with measuring the individual, assessing him and having him qualify as a farmer, and I think that is so wrong, because with all the other assess-ment classes, they’re assessed on the zoning or the land use designation that is given.”

He said the minister could change the regulations to make them simpler, so that agricultural pursuits were recognized regardless of income thresholds and other criterion.

However, John Rustad, Liberal MLA for Nechako Lakes and co-chair of that Farm Assessment Review Panel, said he believes with the changes his government has made, the process is already very straightforward.

“It’s a pretty simple process right now,” he said. “It’s just based on your revenue that you report to the federal government for farm status. As long as you are using your property in the ALR to produce agricultural product – and there’s a wide range of products that fall under that – and you meet that threshold, that’s as simple as it is.”

Rustad said changes made to regulations as a result of the panel’s report included eliminating split classification. He said as long as a person meets farm status, there is no split classification, so the entire parcel would be given the tax credit and classified as farmland. He said if land isn’t being actively farmed and there is no farm income, or if land is being leased out to somebody else that has farm income, then farm status would not apply to land, whether it’s in the ALR or not.

He said they are working to streamline the reporting process so that one report is submitted to the federal gov-

ernment and the Province can then access that information without requiring a separate report. He added the report-ing period would also change so that the previous year’s income would be reported on Oct. 31.



Dawson Creek auCtion ‘Mile Zero City’

Cattle reportslaughter Cattle

stoCkers anD feeDers

301-116th ave. Dawson Creek, British ColumbiaDawson Creek Office: 250-782-3766 VJV main Office: 403-783-5561 Cattle Sales, Don Frssler: 250-719-5561 Fax: 250-782-6622

now taking bookings for spring farm salesJune 5 - Fulton Martin - 200 cow/calf pairs.

Consignments Welcome.

Upcoming Sales:

Vold, Jones & Vold Auction Co. Ltd.

D1 - D2 Cows 48.00-54.00D3 - D4 Cows 40.00-47.00Holstein Cows NoneHeiferettes 45.00-70.00Bologna Bulls 57.00-68.00Feeder Bulls 50.00-70.00Good Bred Cows 600.00-885.00 Good Bred Heifers None Cow/ Calf Pairs NoneOlder Cows NoneMilk Cows None

630 head of cattle went through the ring of Dawson Creek Action on March 18, 2010

Good Feeder Steers 1000 lbs Plus: None Heifers NoneGood Feeder Steers 900 lbs Plus: 80.00-87.00 Heifers 74.00-80.00Good Feeder Steers 800 lbs Plus: 84.00-93.00 Heifers 78.00-82.00Good Feeder Steers 700 lbs Plus: 92.00-100.00 Heifers 84.00-89.00Good Feeder Steers 600 lbs Plus: 104.00-113.00 Heifers 88.00-100.00Good Feeder Steers 500 lbs Plus: 108.00-123.00 Heifers 92.00-107.00Good Feeder Steers 400 lbs Plus: 110.00-124.00 Heifers 95.00-108.00Good Feeder Steers 300 lbs Plus: None Heifers 95.00-105.00

2010 PJ CampaignIt has come to our attention that there are some members of our community that need our help.

We are making

CHILDREN IN CRISISour priority

On behalf of the Women’s Resource Centre, Women’s/ Children’s Emergency Shelter and Foster Parents of Fort St. John, we are raising money to supply 1,000 “Sweet Dreams Initiative” kits for local children in crisis.

We would like to thank you for helping us meet this goal and most of all, thank you for helping these children in need. To make a donation or receive more information please contact your

local Western Financial Group Office:

Each kit will include: 1 pair of pyjamas, 1 reading/picture book, 1 stuffed teddy bear, 1 toothbrush, toothpaste, 1 night light and an addressed stamped postcard for the child to send a thank you to the supplier.

10504 -100 Ave250-785-4408

9800 - 93 Ave250-785-9922

9508 - 93 Ave250-785-9957

5 - 10230 - 100 St.250-785-2225

AGRICULTURERegional director calls for simpler farm assessment standards

By Melanie RobinsonFORT ST. JOHN – If you shoot and score, you could be

the lucky winner of $100,000.As part of the Allan Cup tournament, coming to Fort St.

John next month, there will be a shootout, sponsored by Western Financial Group, during the final game on April 24, that gives the lucky winner 20 seconds to get 16 out of 20 pucks in the net from centre ice.

“It’s probably the easiest chance to win $100,000 in Fort St. John,” said Derek Mattauer, branch manager of the

100 Street location. “All proceeds [from ticket sales] are going to the Fort St. John Flyers.”

Mattauer hopes more people buy tickets this year because, during an exhibition game last year at the EnCana Events Centre against Stony Plains, a local resident, Frank Roberts, won $10,000 in the same competition – so it can be done.

“It’s easy to do, not easy but doable and this year the number’s are bigger,” he said.

Tickets for the chance at the shootout are now on sale for $5 each or three for $10 at any of the Western Financial locations in Fort St. John and at the Fort St. John Trade Show.

The winner will be announced just before the final game begins with the chance at the prize taking place during the first intermission.

However former or current professional or semi-professional hockey players are not al-lowed to take part in the challenge. That in-cludes members of the Canadian Junior Hock-ey league and college hockey players in the last five years.

Junior A, senior hockey and Junior B players are allowed to take part.

Tickets for the Allan Cup are also on sale in 11 game reserved packages or for general admission on-line or at the North Peace Cultural Centre.

Allan Cup president Paul van Nostrand said tickets are selling well for the six-day event and he feels they are in good shape being 30 days away.

He said the city is also working on changes to the North Peace Arena required before the tournament, including ad-ditional lighting and safety netting.

“I know that the city has lots of plans to really spruce things up and do the necessary work to make it the top

notch facility that it is,” he said.The committee is also looking for volunteers at the event,

with more information available at www.2010allancup.ca.


INITIATIVE PETITIONKNOW THE RULES

■ The Recall and Initiative Act allows registered voters to propose new laws or changes to existing laws.

■ On Tuesday, April 6, 2010, petition sheets for the initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST) will be issued to the proponent, William Vander Zalm.

■ The proponent has 90 days to collect signatures from at least 10% of the registered voters in each of the province’s 85 electoral districts. The petition must be returned to the Chief Electoral Officer by Monday, July 5, 2010.

■ To sign an initiative petition, a person must be a registered voter on April 6, 2010 and must only sign the petition for the electoral district in which they are currently registered.

■ An individual may only sign an initiative petition once.

■ Only registered canvassers may collect signatures.

■ Initiative advertising may only be conducted by the proponent or a registered advertising sponsor.

If you plan to participate in the initiative campaign,it’s important that you know the rules.

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for administering the Election Act and the Recall and Initiative Act.

www.elections.bc.ca / 1 - 8 0 0 - 6 6 1 - 8 6 8 3

Creation Date:10/05/09

Ad No (File name):EBC003116 HST Petition 6.75x105L

Ad Title:Know the rules

Revision Date:March 17, 2010 12:52 PM

Client:Elections BC

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Publication/Printer:Various pubs

Atypical Docket #:3117

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Residents offered chance to win $100,000 during Allan Cup

Melanie Robinson photoWith last year’s shootout producing a winner, organizers of the Allan Cup shootout are hoping residents are keen to give winning $100,000 a try. From left: Allan Cup president Paul van Nostrand and Derek Mattauer with Western Financial Group.

Rustad said the issue of having just one classification for all lands within the ALR did come up for review by the panel, but he said the problem is less than 40 per cent of the land in the ALR is actually used for agricultural purposes today.

“If there’s no activity in your folio whatsoever, then you do not get a farm status,” he said. “The intent of the policy there is we want to encourage people to be actively engaged in agriculture.”

He said his government will look to implement more of the recommendations in the coming years. For example, he said this year they will look to change the minimum farm income threshold to a flat rate of $3,500, as opposed to the current threshold of $2,500 plus a percentage of a farm’s value. He said they are also looking at increasing the tax exemption for farm building improvements. Finally, he said an issue he’s heard a lot about from farmers here in the Peace is the loss of farm status when they retire.

“We’re going to try to put in some provisions, so that if a farmer has been on the land for a period of time, they would be able to retire on that land and not trigger a change in the tax policy for their land.”

RegionaL DiRectoR cont’D

Members of the Lakeshore 4-H Club proudly dis-play the commu-nications awards they received in the areas of edu-cational displays, speeches and dem-onstrations. The respective winners will move on to dis-trict competitions. Contributed photo

northeast news - march 25th, 2010

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cent of exports

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