The news you need. The fun you want. June 2013www.flipsidenews.ca

LNG top priority for local MLAsPAT PIMM - Re-elected North Peace MLA Pat Pimm wants to continue the hard work he has done over the past four years.

Pimm, who won convincingly over Independent Arthur Hadland and two others, said he has many priorities but working on the LNG file is tops.

“We have to get our natural gas to the coast, get the LNG plants built, and start shipping overseas,” he said. “If we do that then we will continue to have a strong economy.”

Pimm said he felt honoured to win what he knew would be a “tight” race but seeing the Liberals returned with an strong majority provincially means even more.

“I think people recognized the hard work I did and I will continue to work hard,” said Pimm. “I treated everyone fairly and worked hard for the region. But for us to get such a strong majority is important for our region because our economy depends on it. I think people realized that having a Liberal government means the province will have a strong economy.”

Pimm said continuing with balanced budgets and a strong economy is government’s foremost priority. “That’s what people told us during the campaign and we’ll continue down that road. After all, everyone wants to have a good job so they can support their family. That was a huge factor in this election.”

MIKE BERNIER - The newest MLA in the Peace region says his first priority is to stay on top of the devel-oping LNG potential and the opportunities it presents for the Northeast.

Mike Bernier, the former Dawson Creek mayor who handily defeated Conservative Kurt Peats and two others in the provincial election, said the economic potential of LNG can’t be ignored.

“We have to look at the opportunities with LNG,” he said, “and I will have to have my finger on it all the time for the next four years.”

Bernier also said he’s concerned about education sys-tem cuts to the transportation budget, and health care. He’s determined to seek, as he promised during the cam-paign,$50 million in improvements to the Dawson Creek hospital.

“I will definitely be working on this. It’s not just a pipe dream. We need to upgrade so everything doesn’t have to go to the Fort St. John hospital.”

Provincially, he said the Liberal government needs to work on achieving a balanced budget and economic sus-tainability, and he believes LNG revenues will help, as northern BC takes its place as the true “economic hub” for the province. “There’s lots of opportunity and poten-tial in BC but if we miss this boat it might not sail again.”

By Bruce Lantz

Pat Pimm Mike BernierA TALE OF TWO RIDINGS

Continued on page 5

2 The Flipside June 2013

EDITORIAL

What does it take?Regardless of where you stand on

the recent provincial election results, one thing is made crystal clear by the abysmal 52 per cent voter turnout: We need a new way to vote.

Congratulations are due to the Liberal party, to Mike Bernier in the South Peace and Pat Pimm in the North, for their election victories, and to the other candidates who let their names stand and worked so hard to give voters a choice. The problem is, not enough voters appreciated their efforts sufficiently to get out and vote. Win or lose, the turnout has to be disheartening.

Of course, the pundits - yes those same so-called experts whose predictions tanked on election night - have their own analyses of why the turnout was so bad. But given their underestimate of the Liberals’ ability to overcome what once seemed like an insurmountable deficit in the polls, anything they say can be taken with a grain of salt.

The fact is, many people no longer take voting seriously - especially younger people, who live on their computers and smartphones and who fail to understand why voting has to be so time consuming. But now even older folks are wondering why we have to vote in today’s elections the same way our forebears did 150 years ago. Today’s citizens want to know, and rightfully so, why they can’t vote in the same way

they do their banking, pay bills, buy merchandise, etc. - online. Security is no longer an issue; your vote can be as secure as your banking information and your credit card details. And the technology exists to ensure that no one can vote more than once. It’s done elsewhere, so what’s the delay in BC with making this change and adding it to the mix of voting opportunities?

But if the dinosaurs in charge of our voting system can’t wrap their heads around electronic voting (or does the current government fear that an influx of young electors might mean more votes for the NDP or the Greens?), perhaps they could adopt another proven method of getting the vote out. Either penalize those who don’t vote with a charge on their taxes, or reward those who do with a tax discount. Other countries do it, so why do we think we’re too proud to stoop to such methods? Proud? With sub-50-per-cent vote turnouts in many elections? Isn’t our future important enough to consider change? Or are we left to wonder if the powers that be fear what the outcome would be if larger numbers turned out to vote?

Remember the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

- Bruce Lantz

MP’s REPORTTrade, mining drive economy

Bob Zimmer

By Bob ZimmerEarlier in May I had the privilege

of representing the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group at the Canadian-American Border Trade Alliance Conference in Ottawa. The Border Trade Alliance is a coalition of businesses, public-sector organizations and individuals with an interest in bilateral trade and tourism.

During the conference, we had the opportunity to hear speeches and hold discussions on such issues as trade, bridges, rail, and the Beyond the Border Initiative that was announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama in February 2011. The conference also allowed me the opportunity to speak directly to US Ambassador David Jacobson about these same issues.

This year’s National Mining Week also occurred in May and allowed us as a region, and a coun-try, to take the time to recognize the importance of the Canadian mining industry on Canada’s economic development.

This year’s theme, ‘Our Mineral Resource Advantage: Working for Canadians’, provided an opportunity to highlight the work of Canada’s mining sector in developing world-class knowledge and technologies, as well as demonstrate our Conservative government’s commit-ment to a sustainable mineral resource advantage.

The mining sector directly employs 330,000 Canadians and contributed $63 billion to Canada’s nominal GDP in 2011, accounting for 3.9 per cent of the total Canadian economy. The industry also gener-ates revenues for critical social pro-grams like health care and educa-tion.

There are few regions in Canada where mining has such a significant impact on the local economy than here in Northeastern BC. In fact, mining in British Columbia supports approximately 46,000 jobs each year, many of which are located in our region.

This number is almost certainly going to increase as five proposed major mining projects located in our region go through the various stages of regulatory approval and develop-

ment. This includes the Carbon Creek Coal Mine located west of Hudson’s Hope, the Echo Hill Coal Mine located north of Tumbler Ridge, the Mount Milligan Gold-Copper Mine located east of Mackenzie, the Murray River Coal Mine located southwest of Tumbler Ridge, and the Sukunka Coal Mine located south of Chetwynd. All of these projects are projected to provide significant employment opportunities to those living in the area.

Since 2006, our Conservative government has put in place various measures to enhance innovation, productivity and competitiveness of the mining industry. We are commit-ted to continuing to attract invest-ment, support innovation, open new markets, and improve the regulatory system for major mining projects.

In other news, I recently trav-elled to Toronto to visit the Bombardier Aerospace de Havilland Plant where I was able to tour the manufacturing and assembly plant and view the Bombardier Q400. During the tour, I even caught a glimpse at the first WestJet Q400. These same aircraft will soon be fly-ing into Fort St. John to provide greater access to Northeastern BC.

As always, if you would like to get in touch with me, please feel free to contact my office in Fort St. John at 250-787-1194, Dawson Creek at 250-719-6848, Prince George at 250-561-7982, or Ottawa at 613-947-4524.

Bob Zimmer is the Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River.

Contributed photoLocal MP Bob Zimmer and fellow Conservative MPs recently took on the Canadian Po-lice Association in a charity hockey game in Ottawa. No word on who won.

Bruce Lantz photoWHERE’S THE FOOD?

What’s a girl gotta do to get a meal around here? Well if you’re Payton Rouse, 2 ½, you find your meal-eating chair - even if it’s in a closet - and then you wait. Hopefully someone will notice that you’re hungry!

June 2013 The Flipside 3

Places to findThe FlipSide

In Fort St. JohnA & W , Angelic Light, B&M Glass, Burgers & Brews, Bank of Montreal, Casey’s Pub, Credit Union, Cultural Centre, Esquires Coffee House, Fort St. John Hospital, Fort St. John Medical Clinic, Fort City Chrysler, Headspace, Humpty’s Family Restaurant, Jackfish Dundee’s, JD Fitzgeralds, Lone Wolf (Taylor), Mama Panda Restaurant, Mile 54 Cafe, Masterpiece Framing, Mile 36 Cafe (Taylor), Northern Grand, Northern Star, Northwoods Inn, On the Rocks Pub, On the Rocks Liquor, Razors Edge, Redwood Esso (Taylor), Rogers Trucking, Royal Bank, Rudy’s Car & Truck Wash, Systems Secure, Stonebridge Hotel, Taylor District Office, TD Bank, The Shed (Taylor), Tim Hortons (North & South), Quiznos, Urban Thredz, Whole Wheat & Honey

In Dawson CreekAlaska Highway House, Aurora Inn, Bill’s News, Brass Scissors, CIBC, Dawson Creek Visitor Center, Days Inn Lobby, Dr. Fletcher’s Office, Eljen Clinic, Farmington Store, George Dawson Lobby & Café, Hospital Main, Husky, Lees Restaurant, Rockwells, Stuie’s Diner, Subway, The Lodge, TD Bank, White Spot

Peace Projectmoving forward

By Bruce LantzCanada Post has no plans to

cut sorting services in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, a spokesman says.

While concern was raised with the announcement that the nation-al postal service would stop sort-ing mail in smaller, rural commu-nities and instead truck it to and from larger sorting centres, per-haps delaying delivery and cut-ting jobs, spokesman John Cairns said the changes would only occur in areas where Canada Post can ensure it will be able to maintain current delivery standards of two days for local traffic, three days for provincial and four days for national delivery.

“Some areas in the north won’t be affected. I’m not aware of any-thing like this planned for Dawson Creek or Fort St. John,” he said. “These things are done now and they’re not on the list.”

For example, he said, mail from all parts of PEI will go to Halifax, NS for sorting, while mail from the BC Interior and Vancouver Island will go to Vancouver and back.

The moves, which affect only a “small percentage” of commu-nities, come on the heels of fall-ing revenues for the national mail

carrier. Canada Post has been fighting a losing battle against declining mail volumes thanks to the popularity of email, web-based bill paying and competition from private couriers. A Conference Board of Canada report predicted that the Crown corporation would face a $1-bil-lion annual operating deficit by 2020 if it doesn’t replace the rev-enue lost from private mail. The report, commissioned by Canada Post, noted almost half of all Canadian households send a max-imum of two pieces of mail per month. In 2012 the amount of let-ter mail sank by one billion com-pared to 2006. Further, the report titled The Future of Postal Service in Canada foresees the postal sys-tem’s total volume of mail will drop by slightly more than 25 per cent per cent by 2020.

Canada Post’s problems mir-ror those of the larger US Postal Service, which reported a US$1.9-billion second-quarter loss last month, bringing their loss for the first half of the fiscal year to US$3.2 billion.

Canada Post fell into the red in 2011 after 16 years of profitabili-ty.

The Conference Board sug-gested some key ways of cost-cutting including: wage restraint;

alternate-day delivery for mail, but not parcels; converting door-to-door delivery to community mail boxes; continued replace-ment of corporate post offices with franchised postal outlets; and reduced speed of delivery.

While there will be discussion of those recommendations, the closure of some sorting plants is it for now. Caines said trucks will still be traveling to and from Northeastern BC centres every day and he suggested that, since 10-15 per cent of all mail handled by Canada Post is local, “the cus-tomers won’t notice anything” with the change.

“It’s a cost saving for us but jobs will remain secure as employ-ees will just be doing other things,” he said, although he added that as employees leave some positions may not be filled. “Otherwise we wouldn’t even look at it. We’re just seeking ways to make delivery more effi-cient and cost effective.”

Caines did say that one area of positive growth is the parcel mar-ket, as the very Internet that is causing their financial problems is also bringing in more revenue, through online shopping which generally uses the post office for deliveries.

Postal sorting service staying in local area

The Peace Project, a three-year community-driven initiative to reduce violence against women and girls in Fort St. John, is about to start an exciting new phase. The project just ended its first stages of development – research and planning.

During the past year, more than 450 local residents took part in various community-based research activities, like surveys, focus groups and one-on-one interviews. The research focused on what contributes to violence against women in Fort St. John. The results of the research will be made public this summer.

Also, with the help of 200 par-ticipants at the CKNL Trade Show in Fort St. John and more than a dozen key community partners, a plan has been drafted. The plan includes ideas and strategies that could reduce violence against women and girls in our commu-nity. These include broad topics, like educating families about healthy relationships and inform-ing hard-to-reach populations about the resources available to address violence against women and girls.

The final draft of the Peace Project Community Plan will be completed in June. Two key strat-egies from the plan will be imple-mented over the next two years by the Peace Project Coordinator. To find out more, visit thepeacepro-jectfsj.com or call 250-262-4294.

- Contributed

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is cele-brating the gift of 52 hect-ares (128 acres) of land donated by Margaret and Jim Little, who live in the Tea Creek Ridge area northwest of Fort St. John.

This body of water and surrounding area can be found at the headwaters of Indian Creek near Mur-dale Lake and Whispering Pine Lake in the Montney area. The Littles purchased this land in 1999 and it was always their intention to ensure that the property remain as is for future gen-erations. The area is prime habitat for waterfowl, especially Western Grebes, rare plant species such as the calypso orchid, and wildlife. It also has a special meaning to Jim Little, as it was where he spent many happy days hunting and watching wild-life.

“We’re doing this because we hope it will encourage others to partner with the Nature Trust,” said Margaret Little.

The lake will be called Little-Levin Lake after Jim’s grandpar-ents, Olaf and Thea Levin, and his parents, Elsie and Fred Little. In 1931, Olaf and Thea Levin applied for land in the Peace

River area and homesteaded near Whispering Pine Lake. Jim’s grandparents, along with their children, Elsie (Little), Viola (Martin), and Karl built a home and worked the land. Elsie mar-ried Fred Little, who was also a pioneer. They worked very hard establishing a home for their fam-ily. Jim’s dad was a carpenter and built many houses, some which are still standing on the Doig River First Nations today.

Little-Levin Lake will honour the early pioneers who built this great land and left a legacy for the future. This gift of land will also honour Jim’s parents and grand-

parents while ensuring the Littles’ dream that the land be preserved for future generations.

As a leading non-profit land conservation organization, The Nature Trust of British Columbia is dedicated to protecting BC’s natural diversity of plants and animals through the acquisition and management of critical habi-tats. Since 1971 The Nature Trust along with its partners has invest-ed more than $80 million to secure over 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) across British Columbia.- Contributed

Couple donates land to BC Nature Trust

4 The FlipSide June 2013Answers

Across1. Parker ___ (game co.)5. Painter of ballerinas10. Tires14. Spanish artist Joan15. Deportee16. ___ account: never17. Washington city19. Appaloosa’s relative20. Smooth and shiny21. Feature of crossword grids23. He’s not one to talk26. Art class items27. 6-5000 lead-in, in a song32. Palindromic English river33. One of a flight between floors34. “The Yankee Clipper,” familiar-ly38. Chemical used by document

forgers40. Bandleader’s cry42. European freshwater fish43. Reverse of a hit 45 record45. Ruth’s mother47. Banquet dispenser48. Popular breakfast combo51. Informal54. Black as night55. Lickety-split58. Arabian Sea feeder62. Miniature ___63. Salad component66. Egyptian dancing girl67. Break ___ (dawn)68. Distort, as figures69. Like books70. Is offensive, in a way71. Kennedy and Turner

Down1. Mercedes competitors2. Money in Abadan3. Chaplet4. Serious5. Morning wetness6. Prefix meaning “one quin-tillion”7. Gerard and Hodges8. Co-fighter9. Many are able-bodied10. One just mentioned11. Swinburne’s “ ____ on Charlotte Bronte”12. Knotty tree protuberance13. PlayStation and Walkman18. Herbert’s “-__ in the Dark”22. Bride’s ___ of honor24. Story from Olympus25. A versatile May27. “Split” soup ingredients28. Veteran, perhaps29. Guys-only30. Of utmost importance31. Melodic recitatives35. Treat very roughly36. High: Prefix37. Americans who reached adult-hood in the ‘80s, briefly39. Rejected brusquely, as an advance41. I.R.S. agent, e.g.44. Ancient deity46. Finalize with pen49. Pizazz50. King or queen51. Burns prop52. Chameleon53. Actress Hayek of “Frida”56. Jewel thief’s target57. F.D.R.’s ___ Park59. Dutch embankment60. Like some cards61. Uses needle and thread64. Acorn, eventually65. Gov. Pataki’s constituencyADELAIDEAUSSIEBEACHESBOOMERANGBRISBANECANBERRACOMMONWEALTHCONTINENTCORAL SEACROCODILESDESERTSDIDGERIDOODINGODOWN UNDEREMUSEUCALYPTUS TREESHUGH JACKMANKANGAROOKEITH URBANKOALAKOOKABURRAKYLIE MINOGUEMARSUPIALS

MELBOURNEMONARCHYNEW SOUTH WALESNICOLE KIDMANOCEANSOUTBACKPARLIAMENTPERTHPLATYPUSPRIME MINISTERQUEENSLANDRAINFORESTSRUSSELL CROWESEAFOODSHRIMPSURFINGSYDNEYTASMANIAVEGEMITEVICTORIAWOMBAT

Please note that some of the ‘facts’ below have been proven false myths.

It is impossible to lick your el-bow (busted)

A crocodile can’t stick it’s tongue out.

A shrimp’s heart is in it’s head.People say “Bless you” when

you sneeze because when you sneeze,your heart stops for a mili-second.

In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an os-trich buried its head in the sand.

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

A pregnant goldfish is called a twit. (busted?)

More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

Rats and horses can’t vomit.If you sneeze too hard, you can

fracture a rib.If you try to suppress a sneeze,

you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

June 2013 The Flipside 5

Contributed photo

Organizers are getting ready for the Run for Recovery supporting plans to establish a drug and alcohol addiction treatment centre in Northeastern BC.

The event will see marathoner Wendy Brown run from Fort St. John to Hudson’s Hope to Chetwynd to Dawson Creek and back to Fort St. John – a distance of 327 kilome-tres – to raise money and awareness for the non-profit Northern Lights Recovery Centre project. The run will start June 15 and will take up to two weeks to complete.

“This run has never been done before, and it’s our first major fund-raiser, so we’re hoping to get lots of support for Wendy and the project,” said Bruce Lantz, chairman of the society overseeing the project, which will see a residential treatment cen-tre built in the Fort St. John area.

When built, and staffed by pro-fessional counsellors, the facility will house up to 20 men and women. Treatment programs will be 30 days, 42 days and 60 days in length, depending on the client’s need. The

facility will serve clients from all over Northeastern BC.

“There’s no doubt that problems with alcohol and drug abuse are a major issue, one that affects indi-viduals, families and employers throughout the region,” said Lantz. “We’ve been really pleased with the support so far and we hope to get this project completed soon.”

Organizers are holding a fund-raising barbecue at Price Smart Saturday June 8 from 10 am-2 pm to give people the chance to pledge their financial support to Brown and her run.

“We hope people will stop by to have something to eat and possibly pledge Wendy, or just take out a $20 membership in the society,” said race organizer Janet McNaughton, a director on the society’s board.

Organizers are also offering cor-porate sponsorships for the run - $5,000 for a gold sponsorship, $2,500 for silver and $1,000 for bronze. Sponsors will be recognized with banners on the support RV accompanying Brown on her run.

The run will start at Fort St. John’s Centennial Park at noon on June 15.

Are you ready for the Run?

The Peace River near Fort St. John, which is threatened by a third major dam that would flood more than 80 km of the last largely natural stretch of this river, is BC’s most endangered river in 2013.

The proposed Site C dam is cur-rently in the environmental assess-ment stage and approval could be forthcoming in the next year or so.

“If the dam goes ahead it would have numerous environmental impacts, including the loss of key wintering wildlife habitat. Recreational values would also be severely diminished, many sacred cultural sites would be lost and the only Class 1 agricultural land north of Quesnel would be flooded,” said Mark Angelo, Rivers Chair for the Outdoor Recreation Council (ORC) of British Columbia.

Local opposition to the dam is widespread and passionate among both aboriginal and non-aboriginal groups, and all affected First Nations are unanimously against the dam. The dam also carries an $8-billion price tag for a Crown corporation that already has a huge debt that’s close to being unmanageable.

Perhaps most significantly, the most recent BC Hydro electricity

forecast shows no existing domestic need for the Site C dam and states that BC now has a surplus of power for domestic use expected to last for at least several years, if not longer.

“Given the dam’s adverse impacts, the extensive local opposi-tion and the current surplus of power recently documented by BC Hydro, the case for the dam has largely van-ished,” added Angelo, a recipient of both the Order of BC and the Order of Canada for his river conservation efforts.

While BC Hydro forecasts show that power from Site C would not be needed for years, some have stated the dam should go ahead to provide power for proposed liquefied natural gas plants (although their construc-tion still remains very uncertain). However, to build Site C just to sup-port a possible future LNG plant would be a huge environmental and economic subsidy that the ORC opposes. If LNG plants ever do come to fruition, alternative means to power them should be pursued, the group says.

In second spot on this year’s list is the lower Fraser River with a par-ticular emphasis on the Heart of the Fraser located between the towns of

Hope and Mission, one of the most productive stretches of river in the world.

In third position is the Elk River near Fernie. This waterway is threat-ened by rising selenium levels that are leaching from nearby open pit coal mines.

This year marks the first time in many years that the Coquitlam has fallen off the main endangered rivers list and is named a ‘river to watch’. This is due to progress on several fronts, including the establishment of watershed round table and the implementation of a monitoring pro-gram that showed some improve-ment in controlling silt run-off from nearby gravel mines. However, an expanded monitoring program, under varying conditions, is required if concerns about excessive siltation are to be fully alleviated.

Also on the ‘rivers to watch’ list is Tamihi Creek, a small Fraser Valley waterway that has become a poster child of sorts for the need to better protect streams with excep-tional recreational values from inde-pendent power projects.

- Contrtibuted

Peace is BC’s most endangered river

Your Adcould be here

Call

262-9107for ad info

Wendy Brown

Pimm, Bernier ready for Cabinet post if askedAnd Pimm said a viable natural gas industry is key to

that economic security. “There’s a very positive future ahead of us if we can get everything into balance,” he said, adding that an important part of that will be showing those concerned about the industry that it already operates in an environmentally sensitive way and is continuing to improve.

“The province has a great need for natural gas and we have to get to the point where people don’t think it’s a swear word,” he said. “People need to realize that they can’t get along without it.”

As for his future, Pimm said Premier Christy Clark has tough decisions to make about the makeup of her Cabinet. While he acknowledged he has “some aspirations”, Pimm said there are many good and talented candidates and, ultimately, “It’s her Cabinet and her choice”. Either way, Pimm says he’ll work just as hard, whether it’s in Cabinet or in caucus.

Bernier said he was “stunned” by his election vic-tory and that of the Liberals after a campaign filled with hard work. “It didn’t sink in right away and I’m still getting used to it. It’s very humbling.” Bernier attributes his victory to the acknowledgement of his years in local government and his willingness to listen to people and their concerns while being “humble and truthful”.

He said the Liberal Party did an excellent job of pushing its message about the importance of the economy. “All the other issues are great but people feel good to have jobs and provide for their families.”

Bernier said he has no idea if a Cabinet post is in the offing, but he agreed Premier Christy Clark is in an excellent position as she makes those choices, with a mix of returning MLAs and high-quality newcomers to choose from.

“I will go where I’m put,” he said. “If there are skills sets that I have that are useful, I’d be excited to help.”

continued from page 1

6 The FlipSide June 2013

250-262-9107for Ad info In partnership with the Fort St. John

Association for Community Living, The FlipSide News presents this series showcasing successes in which people with disabilities bring their talents to the workforce.

Kelsey Stevens began attending the Fort St John Association for Community Living (FSJACL) in 2010. Shortly after, Kelsey began working with the Careers program to find an employment position. In the past three years, Kelsey has made tremendous strides, both profession-ally and socially.

During the discovery process, Kelsey showed lots of interest in working with children. Together, the FSJACL’s job coach and Kelsey worked on finding a position based on her interests to develop profes-sional skills and increase her inde-pendence. In 2011 Kelsey started in the daycare at World’s Gym, where she is currently still independently employed. Kelsey is an important team member and assists with ori-enting new staff who start employ-ment in the daycare. She is valued by the parents who bring their chil-dren to the daycare.

Krista Cowie is Kelsey’s employ-er at World’s Gym and she states, “Kelsey is doing great! We are happy

to have her. She is a valuable asset in our daycare. All of the Moms and children love her. Kelsey never misses work unless it’s medical, she is always on time and she is very reliable.”

“I like working and really love the kids I look after,” says Kelsey. “I have gained friendships through work and feel more confident and independent in my life.”

Kelsey has branched out in her employment, baby-sitting after daycare hours for some of the parents, and continues to excel at her area of employ-ment. This not only creates more inde-pendence for Kelsey, it also provides social oppor-tunities for her.

If you are interested in hiring a person with a disability to enhance

your business’s work culture or have questions please call Sheri Ashdown (250) 787-9262 ext 234 or email careers@fsjacl.com or sheri.ash-down@fsjacl.com.

Contributed photoKelsey Stevens with one of her youngsters on the job at the World’s Gym.

Interest in children worked for Kelsey

Taylor is the place to be - at least for nine days of fun this summer.

From July 27-Aug. 4, Taylor’s Peace Island Park will be the host for the Sand Sensations BC festival, combining the best in sand sculptures carved by international sculptors with an amazing array of musical talent performing during open mics held on - what else? - a sand stage. That’s followed Aug. 2-4 by the 41st annual Invitational Class ‘A’ Gold Panning Championships, as panners from around the globe, and with all skill levels, compete for bragging rights - and some serious prizes.

The two events are a major draw, as admission is free to both, and there will be plenty of food and camping sites for those who want the full experience.

Sand Sensations is the northernmost sand carving competition in the province. International carvers will compete, using tons of sand from the area, with its clay content making it ideal for the creation of long-lasting art. In fact, travelers going along the Alaska Highway can still see last year’s 15-foot high sculptures. But there’s also an opportunity for local carvers and their families to share the limelight with the experts.

The sand stage sits in the center of it all and the open mic format ensures that local talent of all sorts will be able to share their family-friendly music styles - a perfect counterpoint to the weeklong carving effort. Musicians can book times to play in 30 minute or one

hour increments on multiple days by contacting the Fort St. john Arts Council at 250-787-2781 or info@fsjarts.org, and will be ensured of having a microphone made available to them plus time to set up additional equipment if needed.

The gold panning championship starts with a community parade on the Friday night, then moves into a weekend of panning, claim staking and metal detecting - supplemented by a community pancake breakfast, bannock baking and games galore. And it’s not just for the experts; there are panning events for all skills levels with experts handy to teach their skills to the novices.

It’s sure to be a rollicking good time for all. Plan to make time for it now.

Taylor festival offers sand carving, music and gold panning for the whole family

By Lori SlaterWhen you are walking across the

street do you ever look down and consider how you are going to maneuver the curb ramp? Do you know what a curb ramp is? Well, this month that is what we are going to chat about.

I learned two very valuable lessons very early on in my journey about curb ramps that I will tell you about later.

What is a curb ramp? Curb ramps, better known as curb cuts, are the piece of a sidewalk that is cut out to allow people with walkers or wheelchairs, Moms with strollers, people with visual impairments and anyone, really, to enter the crosswalk or sidewalk without having to step down. The requirements for curb cuts are outlined in the Building

Access Handbook 2007. They are very well defined as to the width, height and slope of each curb cut, depending on where the cut is.

When wheeling up to a curb cut I always look down to make sure the toe of the curb cut is not too much of a slope. I sit back and start wheeling to make sure I don’t go over forward into the traffic. At the other end, when approaching the cut I have to make sure the toe of the curb cut does not have more than a 13mm slope or I will have to do a wheelie to get up and over it. Sometimes that doesn’t look so pretty!

The first winter I was in my chair I was wheeling across from the Fort St. John Post Office. When I got to the other side I didn’t look down, did a wheelie to get up on the snow-filled curb cut and before I knew it

went over backwards. I remember hitting my shoulder on the pavement but due to the kindness of four young men I soon was upright in my chair and on my way. They left before I could thank them but I will forever be thankful to them. The two lessons I learned that day were to make sure I always look down when approaching a curb cut and to make sure I have my wheelie bars down so I can’t go over backwards!

As you approach a curb cut I challenge you to look down and ask yourself: If you weren’t able to walk, would you be able to maneuver it?

For more information about curb cuts don’t hesitate to contact me.

Lori Slater is an Accessibility and Inclusion Advocate in Fort St. John. If you have any comments, questions or concerns you can

contact her through the ‘The FlipSide’ or slaterl@shaw.ca

Mysteries of ‘curb cuts’ revealed

Lori Slater

June 2013 The Flipside 7

The ninth annual 2013 Sweetwater905 festival, held on the family farm of Emilie and Larry Mattson in Rolla, is taking place June 14-16. A celebration of music, poetry, visual and perfor-mance art, the festival brings together a wide range of talent from the community, the province and beyond.

Located 1.5 miles west of Rolla and 16 kilometres north of Dawson Creek on the sprawling Mattson farm, the event brings together a wide range of talent from the com-munity, the province, and beyond. Adult day pass - $ 35, adult week-end pass - $50, youth day pass (13-17 years) - $15, youth weekend pass - $30, 12 years and under free. On Sunday seniors get in for free.

The lineup is one of significant talent, featuring internationally known Ted Russell Kamp, Ben Caplan, Sienna Dahlen, High Society, Samson’s Delilah, Doug Koyama, Windborn, Joey Only, The Party on High Street, Dave Soroka, and The Mike Freesoul Band. They’re joined by regional performers Folky Strum Strum,

Twin Peaks, Dodge City Rockets, Glezhe Na’che, The Resurrect Christ Foundation, Sorrow’s Bend, Morgan McGowan and Cover Me, Stray Crows, Wayne Ezeard, String Theory, Mystery Cowboy, Samantha Scott, Dirty Little Kitchen, Bryce Petrick and Fleas from Bears.

Literary artists include John Barton, Jeanette Lynes and Barry McKinnon, along with regional lit-erary artists Matt Partyka, Graham Pierce, Gillian Wigmore, G.P. Lainsbury, Rebekah Rempel, Marilyn Belak, Warren Johnson, Donna Kane and Dean Mattson. Filmmakers include Julian Pinder, while visual artists include Karl Mattson, Caily Oldershaw, Travis Charuk, Holly Ulrich, Nora Curiston, Shannon McKinnon, Emilie Mattson, Kit Fast, Kurtis Nguyen and Cherie McKenzie. Representing the performing arts is Amanda Syryda.

Volunteers are at the heart of this festival. Its success owes much to the energetic folks who put in countless hours leading up to and throughout the festival weekend.

Volunteers get an insider’s view of how a festival takes shape and the camaraderie of the whole festival team makes for a very rewarding experience. Sweetwater905 offers limited vendor spaces at the festi-val.

This is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with the fes-tival audience and make them loyal customers. It is also a great fund-raising opportunity for non-profit societies.

All vendors get a front row seat to all of the happenings throughout the festival weekend. Invaluable marketing benefits exist as well through sponsorship opportunities that allow businesses and organiza-tions to connect with the commu-nity at the grassroots level. Benefits increase as the level of sponsorship rises – organizers will work with you to create the perfect package to meet your sponsorship needs.

Visit www.sweetwater905.com for volunteer, vendor and sponsor-ship opportunities, or call 250-759-4552 to be connected with one of the coordinators.

Stellar lineup for 9th annualSweetwater905 arts, music fest

Well it’s officially Spring. The leaves came out early last week and I’m all over it. The leaves are not full yet – they’re small and the most magnificent green ever. Every single spring I say the same thing: “That is my favourite green”. That new green that doesn’t last very long at all. The valley is beautiful right now with green popping out everywhere. Even now, as I look out my office window, the green fills the panes, from the trees across the street. And every Spring one of my favourite poems comes to mind, by Robert Frost.Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

Isn’t that so true? The sun in early May, the welcome rain and, yes, even a thunderstorm, reminds us of how precious this time is. And then I remember a saying I heard when I was a little girl here: 90 days from the first thunderstorm will be the first frost. Who can think of that!? Come on, we finally got warm enough to have leaves! Wow, talk about ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’!

Some of you probably recog-nize this poem that was made famous by the book ‘The Outsiders’ by S.E. Hinton. There is a famous line in the book, and the movie, when Johnny is dying and says to Pony Boy, “Stay Gold”. I remem-ber when I first pondered that line when I was 13 years old and read that book and thought, ‘Stay Gold? But if nothing gold can stay…’ That line poked at me for a few days. Back then, for no one knew better than me, I wanted to stay

young forever and had just cried the entire night before I turned 13. So reading this a few months later in Grade 8 was a big ding-dong for me.

Looking back on those times now, I didn’t see the lesson about being present, just wanting to stay young, not realizing they were the same thing. Being present is Gold.

All of it is so precious, not just each Spring and Summer in Northern Canada but all of it. We are so blessed to have this chance, this wonderful time here on earth, and to just know that, that is our greatest gift, for in that gift of knowing comes our understanding of Gold. Our understanding that this is it - this once - and we must notice it all, be present in it all, while it is Gold.

Have a wonderful week, check out the green and remember…Stay Gold.

Lots of Love, Sue xO

ENJOYING THE RITES OF SPRING

Nature’s first green is gold – Stay gold!

Artworkdisplayed for

public to enjoyIf you think the Northeast lacks

artistic talent, take in the Cultural Crawl Artwalk organized by the North Peace Cultural Center in Fort St. John to mark its 20th anni-versary.

From June 1-22, art lovers can visit commercial/retail locations in the downtown area of the Energetic City and see the work of local artists on display.

And on Saturday, June 8, a 10-passenger bus will leave the Cultural Centre’s parking lot and stop for brief art studio tours, including the new hospital com-mon area, giving visitors a peek behind the scenes where creative work occurs or is on display.

Local artists have seized on this opportunity to display their work and educate the public about their artistic directions and inspi-ration. For the community, this is a great opportunity to meet or become familiar with many diversely talented artists who reside in our own community.

Following is a list of locations and the artists whose work is on display in each:1. Cultural Centre Loft &

Foyer – North Peace Potters’ Guild & the North Peace Spinners and Weavers

2. Peace Gallery North – Vari-ous local and regional artists

3. Scoop Clothing – Catherine Ruddell

4. Northeast News – Cindy Vincent

5. CJ’s Java on Main – Heather Best, Penny Boden

6. Brad Brain Financial Plan-ning – Barb Daley

7. Quality Inn Northern Grand – Eliza Stanford

8. Whole Wheat & Honey – Louise Ruddell, Dora Van Rensburg, Flying Colours Printmakers

9. NEAT – Michael Graham10. Marcy’s Bright Lights –

Darby Forest11. Frolic – Rosemary Landry12. Uniglobe Travel – Donna

Bozarth, Judy Templeton13. Peace by Piece Quilts –

Sarah Halse14. Smarti Pantz – Miep Burger-

jon15. Petals and Blooms –

Michelle Pringle16. Systems Sound Source –

Sonya Bubbs17. Needful Things – Sharon

Gaunt18. Central Emporium – Mike

Kroecher, Karl Musgrove, Holly Ulrich

19. This ‘n That – Lana Shal-lock, Sandy Troudt

20. Headspace Artefacts – Shan-non Butler

21. Women’s resource Society – Robin Hamer, Mayrene Val-ladered

22. Ferris Fast Cycles – Steven Ferris

More information is available at www.npcc.bc.ca

8 The Flipside June 2013

Local News Briefs Coming EventsJune 6 –The World Fair is a com-munity cultural event that aims to raise awareness and appreciation for the values, traditions, and heritage of diverse cultures in the City of Fort St. John. Promote multiculturalism and friendship among different cul-tures plus it will be a great chance to meet people from other parts of the world. Held in conjunction with the City of FSJ’s Be a Tourist in Your Own Town week from 3-6 pm at the Immaculata Hall. Admission is free!June 7 – Today’s Techniques and the BC Amateur Bodybuilding Association present the Northern Classic Body Building & Fitness Show in Fort St. John starting at noon. For more information contact: todaystechniques@yahoo.comJune 8 – Run for Recovery Barbecue 10 am – 2 pm at Price Smart in Fort St. John, to raise awareness and gather pledges/sponsorships for marathoner Wendy Brown to run, starting June 15, from Fort St. John to Hudson’s Hope to Chetwynd to Dawson Creek to Fort St. John (327 km) in support of plans to build a treatment centre for those with alco-hol/drug addictions in Northeastern BC. Come out and support us. For information call Bruce at 250-264-8888 or Janet at 250-263-4644.June 8 - The Relay for Life is being held at Walter Wright Pioneer Village in Dawson Creek from 10 am-10 pm. The biggest cancer fundraiser event in Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life is a non-competitive event where teams take turns walking or running around a track. It is a fun, positive and unique event that you will not for-get!June 8 – Come and support local artists at the Fort St. John Arts Market at the Pomeroy Sport Centre. Featuring handmade jewelry artists, photographers, painters, and more! The Arts Market is open from 10 am to 2 pm. The FSJ Arts Market is always interested in having more local artists so if you’d like to join, call 250-793-6599 or 250-261-3899.

June 14-16 – Sweetwater 905, the area’s largest arts and music event, is being held at the Mattson Farm in Rolla. Free camping.June 15 – Book sale at the Fort St. John Stop by the Public Library from 10 am – 3 pm. Most items are under $2, plus there are CDs, books and movies. For more information contact 250-785-3731.June 21-23 – Pioneer Village Jamboree in Dawson Creek. Fun for the whole family! Pancake breakfast all weekend. Parade and Fireworks on Saturday. Live music! For more information go to http://www.mile0park.ca/June 22 – The Beatton Community 4-H Fun Shoot starts at noon. Non-competitive courses (2-10 animal target courses), concession, BBQ supper (included with registration fee), separate peewee shoot, no arrow speed/arrow height restric-tions, wagon rides by the Northern Horse Mule and Harness Association. Pre-registration: $40. Registration on shoot day: $50 (starts @ 9am only on site). Peewees shoot $5 for the day. Contact 250-264-7422 for more information. Directions to shoot: 13429-256 Rd, Montney (watch for posted signs).June 22 – ALS 5 km fundraising bicycle ride around Dawson Creek from 8 am-4 pm. After that bike ride, participants are welcome to join the 60 km bike ride to Rolla. Both bike rides will be departing from Kin Park. There will be a fundraising BBQ at Kin Park from 1-4 pm. For more information, check out the ’No White Flags’ Facebook page: https://w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / p a g e s /No-White-Flags-Dawson-Creek-A L S - C y c l e - o f -Hope/107520342771993. Contacts: Jen McCurdy 250-219-8335; Vicki Rose 250-219-5257.June 25 – Glitz & Glamour Ladies Nite Out starts at 6:30 pm at the Hythe Community Centre. Enjoy a comedy duo with cocktails and sup-per. Contact Vera (780-356-2634) or Sandy (780-356-2278).

Building bylaw revisitedStrong public protest has the Peace

River Regional District considering reverting to its old building bylaw.

Many rural residents have opposed a bylaw requiring building permits for construction in all areas of the region-al district that took effect March 18. The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) got a taste of the opposition at a recent Committee of the Whole meeting from people from the Charlie Lake and Chetwynd areas.

Building permits are required when constructing or altering a struc-ture over 10 square metres, or build-ing a deck over two metres off the ground. Farm buildings, plus sheds and greenhouses under a certain size, are exempt.

The committee agreed to revert back to the previous bylaw, and to expand the public meeting process into the rural areas in future before reconsidering the building bylaw. Both recommendations will go to a future PRRD board meeting for ratifi-cation.By-election set

Dawson Creek voters will pick their new mayor – and perhaps some new councillors - Sept. 14.

Mayor Mike Bernier resigned from his position after being elected MLA for Peace River South. Starting June 26, current city councillors will have two weeks to declare their candi-dacy, and give up their seats on coun-cil. After that, the nomination period for any residents wishing to run for either mayor or any open councillor positions will begin on July 30 and run for 10 days.

Voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Encana Events Centre, and advance polls will be Sept. 4 and 11 at City Hall. Meanwhile, the may-or’s duties will be handled by council-lors in rotation.Earthquake felt

Residents in the Fort St. John area experienced another earthquake May 27 at around 9:30 p.m.

The earthquake, which registered 4.4 on the Richter scale, was centered near Baldonnel and at a depth of 2 kilometres. Runway extension considered

Extending Dawson Creek airport’s runway will be considered in the city’s 2014 strategic priorities.

It was recommended in the Dawson Creek Airport Sustainability Report in 2011.

Council made the decision after an unsolicited proposal from Integrated Airport Systems Ltd. The 2011 report

suggested the extension take place after six years, and estimated that the city would pay $8-$14 million to extend the runway 1,500 feet. Integrated Airport Systems said they could extend the runway for approxi-mately $3 million, but that cost could vary up to 40 per cent.Jet boat racer wins

Fort St. John’s Gord Humphrey and his boat Unnatural Disaster took first place in the Race the Joe jet boat competition on the St. Joe River in northern Idaho May 18-19.

The race included eight, 25 kilo-metre legs featuring rapids, narrow turns, rocks and sandbars, with racers reaching speeds of up to 140 miles per hour.

Along with his navigator Chris Zapesocki of Gibbons, AB, Humphrey completed the race in 2:00:31, beating second place Dale Whiteside of Penhold, AB and third place Ivan Buchholtz of Peace River, AB. Humphrey and Zapesocki are world champions and have won several races around the world.Science students get medals

Five Peace Region students each got medals, special awards and schol-arships at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Lethbridge, AB recently.

Kyle Plamondon, a Grade 11 North Peace Secondary student, earned four medals for his project. He also received a Western University Entrance Scholarship worth $1,000, a University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship worth $1,000, a Youth Science Canada Excellence Award worth $100 and a Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics International Summer School for Young Physicists Award of $2,500.

His brother, Grade 7 Bert Bowes Junior Secondary student Jesse Plamondon, won a Western University Entrance Scholarship worth $2,000 and a Youth Science Canada Excellence Award worth $300. Grade 7 Bert Bowes Junior Secondary’s Victoria Platzer won a Western University Entrance Scholarship worth $1,000, along with a Youth Science Canada Excellence Award worth $100. Kevala Van Volkenburg, a Grade 10 NPSS student, earned a Youth Science Canada Excellence Award worth $100 and a Western University Entrance Scholarship worth $1,000. Grade 10 South Peace Secondary student Rachael McPhail got a Western University Entrance Scholarship worth $1,000 and her a Youth Science Canada Excellence Award worth $100.

The North Peace Regional Airport has launched a contest encouraging residents and visitors to use the North Peace Airport.

‘FlyYXJ – Take the Pledge’ invites travelers to take the pledge and get their names in a draw for round-trip tickets from Fort St. John to Vancouver. It’s an innovative and fun way to encourage travellers to use this airport instead on traveling across the border to fly out of Grande Prairie, especially with WestJet start-ing regional service to Calgary June 24.

“We are well served by three car-riers now and it just makes sense for

locals to considerthe North Peace Regional Airport

when they book travel,” said Moira Green, managing

director of North Peace Airport Services.

The ‘Take the Pledge’ winners will be announced monthly with the grand prizewinner announced at the Fort St. John International Air Show July 28. For more information on the pledge and the contest rules and regulations, visit www.yxj.ca.

The North Peace Regional Airport serves more than 144,000 passengers annually.

Contest boosts airport use

Directors of the North Peace Airport Society at the launch of the FlyYXJ – Take the Pledge con-test.Area MP Bob Zimmer was at the Bombardier Aerospace de Havilland Plant in Toronto recently, touring the manufac-turing and assembly plant to view the Bombardier Q400, soon to be flying for WestJet into Fort St. John. Contributed photos