By Andrew HudsonHaida Gwaii Observer

Drinking water at four Haida Gwaii schools is being tested after high lead levels were found at older schools in Prince Rupert.

Angus Wilson, superintendent for the Haida Gwaii school district, said last Friday that results will be posted once they come back from the lab.

As a pre-caution, staff at Tahayghen, George M. Dawson, Port Clements and Agnes L. Mathers are regularly flush-ing the pipes, and everyone at the schools has been asked to run any drink-ing water until its cold.

Three of the four schools were built before 1989, the year B.C. banned lead pipes, fixtures, and solder from any plumbing used for drinking water.

Port Clements Elementary is a newer school, built in 2008, but its gym predates the change.

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice says she is glad to hear the Haida Gwaii school dis-trict is acting quickly.

Even a little bit of lead is not good for anybody, and its particularly bad for young children, said Rice, the NDP critic for northern and rural health.

As Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.s public health officer, has said, the problem is not acute no one at the Prince Rupert schools has shown any signs of lead poisoning.

OBserverFounded 1969

Haida Gwaii

www.haidagwaiiobserver.com

$3 00 i n c l ude s GST

Friday, March 18, 2016

White Creek bridge

page 3

Quinn Bender photo Carl Coffey, right, and Bruce Ives with Operation Refugee Haida Gwaii celebrate with Parks Canadas Ernie Gladstone, after touring a vacant four-bedroom house in Queen Charlotte, which Parks Canada owns and has agreed to lease for one year for a family of Syrian refugees.

Lead testing underway for HG schools

Island smart metres not so smartBy Stacey MarpleHaida Gwaii Observer

How smart are Haida Gwaiis Smart meters? Thats what Port Clements Council is trying to figure out.

After several residents approached village staff about irregular spikes in their monthly hydro bills, council is seeking clarification from BC Hydro on how the bills are being calculated.

In a written reply BC Hydro explained that residential meter

readings are taken bi-monthly, which is the normal procedure

province wide. This was explained to mean that half of Haida Gwaiis metres are read each month, while the following month the other half of the islands are read. For meter reading on Haida Gwaii we travel to the communities every month on a Thursday overnight ferry, returning on the follow-ing Thursday, Dave Mosure, Community Relations Coordinator for BC Hydros Northern region, wrote in the letter.

RCMP quarterly reports

page 4Internet backbone

page 8Haida Gwaii U

page 11

OBSERVERFounded 1969 Haida Gwaii

www.haidagwaiiobserver.com

$ 3 0 0 i n c l u d e s G ST

Friday, May 1, 2015

QCS lands village contract

page 4 page 5Skidegates 15 minutesFerry talks

page 3

Whooping cough

page 7

Prince Ruperts Excellence in Service and AccommodationCall 1-800-663-8150

By Stacey MarpleHaida Gwaii Observer

The early morning of Friday April 24, Haida Gwaii was hit by an Earthquake of 6.1 magnitude. No tsunami warnings were issued after the earthquake. The epicentre of the quake was approximately 167 km south of the Village of Queen Charlotte.

Some residents of Haida Gwaii reported objects shaking and windows rattling, but no serious damage or injuries were reported.

As the islands of Haida Gwaii all have unique geological qualities, the effects of an earthquake can vary from island to island. Every community reported feeling the quake in different ways. Queen Charlotte Village which has a rock base didnt feel the quake as much as the residents of the northern parts of Graham island. Tlell and north is mostly a sand based area and feels almost every quake that happens.

Shirley Wilson of Skidegate reported feeling the earthquake. I was sitting in my bed when I heard the house creak. After the initial creak she felt her bed start rocking and noticed her ornaments rocking. The ornaments rocked for a while after the quake stopped, Ms. Wilson told the Observer. My son and brother who were also in the house didnt feel the earthquake at all.

Barry Pages of Masset, director of the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District said he felt the quake but because it was fairly short he wasnt too concerned. However, he added, This is a reminder to every one to be prepared.

Earthquakes are nothing new to Haida Gwaii. The quake comes just weeks after a study identi ed Haida Gwaii as ground zero for the next major seismic event on the west coast.

This recent earthquake doesnt qualify as the big one scientists predict, as it was smaller than even some of the aftershocks after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in 2012.

The same weekend that Haida Gwaii got hit by this 6.1 tremor, Nepal was devastated by a 7.8 magnitude event.

Earthquakes between a 6.0 and a 6.9 are considered a strong on the Richter scale.

Submitted photo Committee members of the Pulling Together Haida Gwaii Event demonstrate their teamwork abilities at the carving shed in the Kay Centre. The group will be holding a fund raiser May 2. See full story on Page 3

Earthquake rattles beds but fails to startle nerves

Search and rescue suspended after Day 3By Quinn BenderHaida Gwaii Observer

The search for Kumdis Ilsand resi-dent, Brent Hendren, was suspended last weekend following one of Haida Gwaiis largest search and rescue operations in more than 25 years.

I know for a fact that if he was alive out there we would have found him. Theres no chance we would have missed him. The community should know we did everything we possibly could to find him, said Chris Ashurst, SAR manager with Archipelago Ground Search and Rescue and deputy unit leader with

Massett Marine Rescue.Mr. Hendren, 27, was last seen

rowing out to his Kumdis Island cabin rental with supplies Sunday

morning, April 18. He missed dinner plans with friends later that night. The following Tuesday Masset RCMP received a missing persons report, which led to the discovery Mr. Hendrens boat abandoned and overturned south of Watun River near Pure Lake Provincial Park.

It is strongly believed that Brent drowned when his rowboat capsized west of Kumdis Island, Mr. Ashurst said. This is based on information from witnesses, the location of the cap-sized vessel, and the distribution of his personal effects along the shoreline.

See SEARCH on Page 2

I know for a fact that if he was alive out there we would have found him.

- Chris Ashurst

See LEAD on Page 2 See METERS on Page 3

We could complain but it doesnt mean they will change.

-Doug Daugert

Even a little bit of lead is not good for anybody and

its particularly bad for young

children

-Jennifer Rice

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i2 Friday, March 18, 2016

Gwaii Taxi & Tours

Skidegate/Queen Charlotte 2 Taxis Plus a

15-Passenger Van Available for Tour or Charter

Web: gwaiitaxiandtours.ca Email: stratton@haidagwaii.net

250-559-2380Tours & Services

vehicle rentals custom tours

booking for island accommodation andmarine excursions

Reservations recommended.

250-637-1162Taxi

correctionIn the March 4 edition we incorrectly spelled Gidgalang Kuuyas Naay,the newly recog-nized name for Queen Charlotte Secondary School, which means Precious Childrens House. We appologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Rice calls for routine testing of school water

But lead is toxic to the nervous system and, even in small doses, long-term exposure can cause harm.

Children are especially vulnerable. Childrens exposure to lead is associ-ated with lower IQ scores, increased attention-deficit disorders and anti-so-cial behaviours.

Given the extra risk for children, Rice is calling for B.C. to adopt routine test-ing for lead in school drinking water, as Ontario already does.

Rice is frustrated that the issue isnt taken more seriously, particularly on the north coast and Haida Gwaii, where the freshwater tends to be naturally acidic, meaning it is more likely to leach metals out of lead and copper plumbing.

People knew there was an issue in the northwest for a long time, and no one did anything, she said.

In fact, what triggered a public health official to do a recent test for lead in Prince Rupert schools was a similar Kitimat incident that dates back to 2012.

When a teacher in Kitimat noticed that the salmon eggs in her class aquar-ium kept dying, she asked a parent who works for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to test the water coming out of the classroom sink.

Tests showed lead and copper levels above Canadas drinking-water guide-lines.

After alerting the Northern Health Authority, public health officers did further tests and found metal leaching throughout that school and several others in town.

The amount of lead in the water varied from school to school, and also among different outlets.

All the school drinking fountains were covered up until the issue was resolved, and the schools switched to bottled water.

According to a 2014 report published in Environmental Health Review, test-ing showed the water was fine before it reached the schools.

The trouble is that drinking water sat in the schools old pipes overnight or for long periods during the day.

Without running the water first, anyone taking a first drink would be at higher risk of exposure.

At some taps, it took a full 10 minutes of flushing to bring the levels down.

The study authors urge the B.C. government to adopt routine testing and, given the daily time and effort that flushing the pipes requires, they recommend other long-term solutions.

Besides replacing plumbing mate-rials, schools could install lead filters

on faucets and fountains Rice said four Prince Rupert schools are doing that now.

Another option is to have munici-palities lower the acidity of the source water.

Whatever the answer, Rice is hoping the issue will not fall off the radar again.

Theres a lot of this, Well, whos going to pay for this problem? she said.

In Prince Rupert, many residents are buying $30 test kits to check the lead levels of their water at home.

Rice found the levels were high in her own home, but the cost of tearing out her old plumbing was so high she installed a lead filter instead.

There are so many people here that are living in old, war-time homes that do not have the means to change out their pipes, she said.

Even the B.C. legislature has a lead-in-the-water problem, she said, as MLA Vicki Huntington found out after order-ing a test last week.

It just goes to show that this is probably a much broader issue, but we dont know if we dont test, she said, noting again that children are at the highest risk.

When I ask why arent we testing the daycares or the mom-and-tot groups, you know, I just get a pause on the phone.

LEAD from Page 1

However, councillor Doug Daugert said he found it interesting that the meters causing the most discussion are in the rural subdivision. These are farther from the road for [crews] to go read. And it seems that this might not be a coincidence; it might be geography related, he said in council.

The letter from BC Hydro went on to exp la in tha t d e p e n d i n g o n fer ry schedules and weather they dont always get 100 per cent of the readings on the islands. The m e t e r r e a d e r s are supposed to ensure they are reading ones that were e s t ima ted two months ago, Mosure explained.

He continued to say that BC Hydro suggests anyone with concerns to contact the cus-tomer care team at 1-800-224-9376. If this shows a pat tern indicat -ing accounts are i n d e e d b e i n g missed for more than one estimated billing we can review to see where it is hap-pening and follow up accordingly, Mosure said in the letter.

According to BC Hydro there is approx-imately 3,000 smart metres installed on Haida Gwaii and the vast majority (85 per cent) are communicating with their network.

The remaining smart meters that arent able to communicate with the network are in low density areas that have no cellular network coverage, like the Port Clements area . These remaining meters have to be continue to be read manually.

BC Hydro told the Observer that there are about 30 residential customers on Haida Gwaii that elected to keep an old meter and those meters will also continue to be manually read.

Village Council decided to receive and file the letter from BC Hydro. We could complain but it doesnt mean that they will change...The problem is that they used the smart meters to make the system worse, Councilor Daugert said.

BC Hydro installed 1.9 million smart metres across the province between 2011 and 2013.

The smart meter system is intended to not require a meter reader once all is in place. The meters are only part of the system and includes repeaters mounted on the utility poles to receive and pass the data along.

Community questions the smartness of smart meters

The problem is, that they used smart metres to make the

system worse

- Doug Daugert

METERS from Page 1

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 3Friday, March 18, 2016

818-3rd Avenue WestPrince Rupert, B.C. V8J 1M6

1-866-624-7734fax: 250-624-7737

jennifer.rice.mla@leg.bc.cawww.jenniferrice.ca

North Coast ConstituencyJennifer Rice, MLA

LEGIS

LATIVE ASSEMBLY

Fn2.13

Seamus Allen Corym Chatelaine

Birth announcementYippie! Is shouted out on top of

Hippy Hill for the new parents. James Chemko and Bobbi-Lee Chatelaine

on their arrival of a precious baby boy.

Born Feb. 23, 2016 at 10:40 am Weighing in at 8 lbs. 5 ozs and

20.5 inches in length.

CongratuLatIons & HappY parentIng! Love, nana, granny, family & friends Xo

Bridge work to start at White CreekBy Andrew HudsonHaida Gwaii Observer

Crews are replacing the wood bridge supports with steel piles.

A temporary, single-lane detour bridge will keep the road open during the repairs, and that temporary bridge has a load limit of 4,000 kg.

Dennis Reindl, operations manager for OBrien Road & Bridge Maintenance, said barring any delivery problems, the work should be done by early April.

Reindl also said notices will be posted once the temporary bridge is in place. The bridge is likely to see more traffic now that the commercial clam

fishery has opened on North Beach.

On the Tow Hill Road Facebook page, a few resi-dents reacted to the construc-tion notice with mock outrage.

Doncha know how busy we are up here on Tow Hill Road? joked Stephen Reid.

And what about rush hour during wash-ups?

Overall, the motorists on the islands are very

good.

- Sgt. Scott Hromadnik

Fines to increase for passing school busesBy Quinn BenderHaida Gwaii Observer

The B.C. government is preparing to increase pen-alties for drivers who pass school buses while chil-dren get on and off. Weve had 14 children injured, thankfully none killed, in the last five years, said Transportat ion Minister Todd Stone. There are still far too many motorists who are not getting the message of just how important it is to slow down in school zones and certainly not pass a school bus when the lights are flashing.

Queen Charlotte RCMPs Sgt. Scott Hromadnik says hes not at all opposed to a penalty hike, as child safety is a top priority, but adds such offences are rare on Haida Gwaii.

I do my patrols every morning as do my members and I have watched many school busses stop and load/unload kids, he said. Note that no vehicle, in the three

years I have been doing this, have went through the lights.

Overall the motorists on the island are very good

other than a bit of speed here and there so I dont feel an increase in fines for the community residents will really be an issue on island.

According to the province school districts and local governments have been call-ing for these increased pen-alties. Across the province, police have issued 1,100 tickets for failing to stop for a school bus for the past five years, with 14 injuries during that time.

The current B.C. penalty is $167 fine and three demerit points, the same as disobey-ing a school crossing guard.

In Ontario, a first offence of passing a school bus results in a fine of $400 to $2,000 and six demerit points, and a second within five years can result in a fine of up to $4,000 and up to six months in jail.

New Brunswick has a $1,000 fine and loss of driv-ers licence for every school bus offence.

-with files from Tom Fletcher

Forest fire offenders face higher penaltiesThe pilot of a recreational

drone that forced water-bombers from smoke-filled skies around Oliver last summer was never located, but future offenders who impede forest firefighters will face higher fines.

Fines for 19 offences under the Wildfire Act, including interfering with wildfire protection efforts, are being increased to among the highest in Canada, Forests Minister Steve Thomson said Thursday.

The fine for failing to comply with fire restric-tions such as campfire bans will increase from $345 to $1,150. A new penalty of failing to comply with a stop-work order made because of fire risk will

carry a maximum penalty of $100,000 and one year in prison.

Thomson said there are constitutional issues with a proposal to seize vehicles from people who toss ciga-rette butts out the window while driving, but the prov-ince is still considering its options.

A proposal to ban people from B.C. parks if they vio-late campfire restrictions is also being considered, but is not included in the current changes.

Thomson said the legis-lation will redefine inter-ference with firefighters so it doesnt mean inten-tional interference. That would apply to boaters who blocked air tankers from fill-

ing with water on Okanagan Lake, as well as the drone pilot who caused aircraft to land as vineyards, homes and a school around Oliver were threatened by fire.

O l i v e r M a y o r R o n Hovanes the battle against two fires threatening the community last August were likely due to a recreational drone flown because some-body just wanted a closer look.

It was very hard to drive by the airport and see heli-copters quiet on the ground, no bombers in the air, all the while people were clinging to the hope that the fire wouldnt reach their homes, their businesses, Hovanes said.

Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust PO Box 588

Masset BC V0T 1M0 Phone: 1-250-626-3654/ Fax: 1-250-626-3261 (Masset Office)

Phone: 1-250-559-8883/ Fax: 1-250-559-8876 (Skidegate Office)

Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust (AGLT) Public Notice

As required under section 35, subsection b of the AGLT Deed of Trust, the following required documents that must be made available for public viewing are:

AGLT Operations Report for the year ending December 31st, 2015, and AGLT Annual Statement of Financial Position for the year ending December 31st 2015.

Links for both reports may be found at: http://www.aglt.ca.

Hard copies of both reports may be obtained through either of the two local Gwaii Trust Society/Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust offices.

For questions regarding either of these two reports, or any other information regarding AGLT please do not hesitate to contact Carla Lutner, Chief Operations Officer Gwaii Trust Society/Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust at carla.lutner@gwaiitrust.com .

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i4 Friday,March 18, 2016

By Quinn BenderHaida Gwaii Observer

A group of proactive students from the Living and Learning School presented council with a proposition in hopes of lessening the need for bylaws governing activities at the Haydn Turner Park area. Following an increase of youth parties at the camp-ground earlier this year, coun-cil is in the midst of com-munity consul-tations for the Public Places Bylaw, aimed at curbing youth partying, and the dangers that have arisen from it.

The Living and Learning students had their say on the matter last week, stating they would be willing to volunteer their time to clean the beach area near the graveyard one Friday per month until the end of the school year. Our class would like to provide this ser-vice to the community to prove all youth are not trouble makers who contribute to the mess, they wrote.

We would like to give back to society and be good citizens. We would like to keep the beach clean because its a fun place. We also hope this prevents the need for a bylaw. We would like the freedom to enjoy the beach without a whole bunch of rules.

In return they asked only that council arrange to pick up the garbage the receiver from the beach.

The area in question falls outside munic-ipal boundaries, but nonetheless Council unanimously accepted the students offer of good citizenry, and will arrange for the garbage pick ups.

In addition to the bylaw consultations, the village is also undertaking commu-nity dialogue sessions with stakeholders, through which a number of preventative programs targeting alcohol and substance abuse have been identified to potentially bring into island schools.

At the regular school board meeting Feb. 23 Queen Charlotte Mayor Greg Martin asked trustees for their support in bringing such early intervention and prevention pro-grams into all schools. Billy Yovanovich, Chief Councillor for the Skidegate Band Council, spoke in support of the idea, for which the board passed a resolution to seek funding and work to identify the most suit-able program.

Andrew Hudson photo Dr. Peter Ross, a marine toxicologist with the Vancouver Acquarium, talks about ocean contaminants at the Dixon Entrance Marine Museum in Masset on Sunday, March 13. Dr. Ross joined several other presenters at the seventh annual Coast Watch workshop hosted by the Haida Gwaii Marine Stewardship Group in Masset and Skidegate this weekend. Dr. Ross also gathered samples in Haida Gwaii waters for the acquariums ocean pollution research program.

RCMP release quarterly reportsBy Quinn Bender and Andrew HudsonHaida Gwaii Observer

QUEEN CHARLOTTEThe detachment reported a slight drop

of 11 calls from the previous quarter. Of the 204 calls for service between Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, police dealt with several high profile files where charges of domestic assault, dangerous use of a weapon, trafficking in cocaine and assault charges were laid in three unrelated cases, but noted all individuals charged have attended court and are currently in custody.

Traffic remains a priority with the detachment, which issued 66 warning and tickets this past quarter, compared to 87 in the first and 51 in the second.

Over the holidays police completed several roadblocks for drinking and driving and driving licence and insurance checks, issuing three 24-hour roadside suspensions, and four 30-day vehicle impounds and 90-day driving prohibi-tions.

The police continue to make commu-nity outreach a priority with elementary and high school students, assisting and participating in both regular school-re-lated activities and other special events.

Of the 215 calls made to police 77 came from Queen Charlotte, 57 from Skidegate, 25 from Sandspit, 17 for administration and assistance and 28 from all other locations including highway and water.

In terms of offences, nine calls were received regarding liquor, and of those two individuals were charged and placed in cells for their well being, the report read. In four other offences the RCMP located the individuals and simply gave them a ride to their residencies.

A total of four files were created fro drug-related offices. In once case cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms and ammunition were seized. One man was arrested and transported to Prince George Correctional Centre and later released on several conditions, including a no-go order for Haida Gwaii.

MASSETA review of annual crime statistics by

Masset RCMP shows a focus on repeat thieves is helping to keep property crime at bay.

Officers at the nine-member detach-ment responded to nearly 1,600 calls in 2015, 306 of which resulted in Criminal Code investigations a nearly 10 per cent drop from 2014.

Reviewing the numbers, Corporal Peter Dionne noted that in an area of roughly 2,500 people, crime statistics can be easily skewed by a few prolific offenders.

For example, said Dionne, the north end saw a single robbery in 2014, and none at all last year a decrease of 100 per cent.

An enforcement blitz, such as the dis-tracted-driving crackdown announced across B.C. last week, can also skew the numbers.

But there was one significant trend over the last two years: a few spikes in property crime.

The largest dates to a spree of burglaries in the fall of 2014, which quickly fell after police charged a small group of repeat offenders.

Police saw similar, but smaller rises-and-falls in property crimes last year, with one blip in June and another in September.

These offences were being committed by a very small group of people, said Dionne.

When they were identified and

addressed, the offences dropped off.Dionne noted that, for the most part, it

is very rare for Haida Gwaii to see a true break and enter, where windows and doors are damaged to gain access.

They tend to be crimes of oppor-tunity, he added, advising home and business owners to lock their doors and otherwise secure their property to deter thieves.

The Masset RCMP, who cover Masset, Old Massett and Port Clements as well as northern coastal and marine areas, recently met with village councillors to review the trends and hear community concerns.

As always, persons offences, such as assault, sexual assault, or threats, are the top police concern.

Property can be replaced or repaired, said Dionne.

Public safety is our primary focus, and other considerations are secondary.

Besides a dip in overall reported crimes, the Masset RCMP saw another welcome change last year new officers are now assigned to the detachment for a three-year rather than a two-year term, as they are in Queen Charlotte.

Besides getting to know the community better, and having more experience when new officers join, the three-year rotation means the Masset detachment will have fewer vacancies, said Sergeant Stephan Drouin.

Four officers who were already at the detachment when the change came in last February were given the option of stick-ing with their original two-year posting, or increasing it to three. Most decided to take the extra year.

It speaks positively about the level of morale for our members, and how much theyre enjoying working here, said Drouin.

Students give lesson on good citizenry

We would like to enjoy the

beach without a whole bunch of

rules.

- Living and Learning students

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 5Friday,March 18, 2016Council Briefs

Camp supportPort Clements Village Council

released a letter on their position regarding the recent logging activities around Mount Moresby Adventure Camp. Councillors say in the letter that they support Mount Moresby Adventure Camps efforts to stop the logging in the vicinity of the camp. The Village feels that the value received from logging is not compa-rable to the value the camp offers in perpetuity for guests and residents of Haida Gwaii, especially the children who use it as part of the school cur-riculum. The letter also states that the village will be bringing their concerns to the attention of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.

The village is also looking for a more robust reporting system that allows people to view logging plans more easily for the next three to five years, ensuring consultations and debates can occur in a timely manner, rather than as a last-minute reaction prior to the commencement of logging.

Playground upgradeFollowing a failed Gwaii Trust grant

application to upgrade the villages playground equipment, staff asked councillors how they would like to proceed. The village has managed to raise $14,000 for the equipment and was seeking another $14,000 from Gwaii Trust. Councillors felt the upgrade is worth pursuing, and decided to use $14,000 of the villages own Vibrant Community fund to com-plete it.

Phone billVillage councillors raised questions

last year about how much the village pays for telephone services. The vil-lage has 11 separate phone lines, each of which costs $105 per month. Staff found the rate comparable with what the islands other two municipalities are paying, and identified potential savings of $15 a month by changing two of the phone plans.

Lease renewedAs the lease agreement for the

ambulance bay in Port Clements is set to expire in May, Accommodation Management BC has asked that the village put forward a proposal for a five-year renewal. The lease for the medical clinic, also in the same building, was also recently renewed. Village staff negotiated a 2.5 per cent increase on their lease and felt it was fair to raise the ambulance bay lease by the same amount, which council

Port Clements | By Stacey Marple

Dozens of scientists say LNG report is flawedBy Andrew HudsonHaida Gwaii Observer

Over 130 scientists have signed a letter calling a draft report on the Pacific NorthWest LNG project sci-entifically flawed.

Sent last week to Canadas Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the letter questions a draft environmen-tal report that concluded the project proposed for Lelu Island would not severely impact fish in the Skeena River estuary.

The draft report was published Feb. 10 by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA).

Otto Langer, a long-time salmon biologist who signed the letter, said in a release that the CEAA report is full of speculation and wishful thinking.

Now retired, Langer is the former chief of habitat assessment for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and the former director of marine science conservation for the David Suzuki Foundation.

In 1970, Langer assessed a proposed shipping port in the Skeena River estuary, and concluded then that the area was too important a fish habitat for such development.

If built, the current Pacific NorthWest LNG proposal would include a gas liquefaction plant, a storage facility and an on-site power plant on Lelu, a wooded island at the north end of the estuary and about 15 km south of Prince Rupert.

The facility would also include a shipping terminal connected by a 2.7-kilometre trestle bridge leading to deep water off Flora Bank.

Flora Bank is shallow, sandy area off the west shore of Lelu Island with about 40 acres of eelgrass beds a nearshore habitat for salmon, herring, halibut and other fish, as well as inver-tebrates such as crab and shrimp.

Langer said he is concerned that the Flora Bank eelgrass wont survive the pile driving, dredging, light, noise, or possible spills associated with the LNG shipping terminal.

We must keep industry out of this area, he said.

In the letter, Langer and other scien-tists highlight five major issues they see in the CEAA report.

First, the scientists say the CEAA report downplays the unique value of Flora Bank as a nursery habitat for salmon and other fish.

Other issues listed by the scientists include a lack of local data on marine species such as eulachon, a down-playing of research from the Skein Fisheries Commission, a lack of study of cumulative effects, and an over-re-liance on mitigation measures.

In a release, CEAA defended its draft report.

The government of Canada is committed to conducting high-quality, thorough and science-based envi-ronmental assessments that are fair, transparent and that take into account the views of Canadians and indigenous

peoples, the agency said. Scientists from Fisheries and Oceans

Canada advised that with a long-term monitoring program and mitigation measures, there would be a low potential for significant adverse effects to fish and fish habitat resulting from the presence of the marine terminal.

That mitigation plan includes using silt and bubble curtains during con-struction, as well as the planting of new eelgrass beds, as well as reefs and gravel benches for fish.

Given those mitigation measures, the CEAA also concludes the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects to fish or fish habitat.

Regarding eulachon, the agency accepted a baseline study submitted by Pacific NorthWest that found no adult eulachon in the area, adding that a one-year study to identify any larval eulachon is underway.

CEAA also noted that it did not rely on Pacific NorthWests own threshold for what constitutes a significant harm.

While CEAA is less concerned about potential impacts to fish habitat, the draft report concluded that Pacific NorthWest LNG is likely to harm harbour porpoises and to significantly increase Canadas greenhouse gas emissions.

If built, the project would be the third-largest single source of GHGs in Canadas whole oil and gas sector.

A copy of the draft report is available at the CEAA website, and over 10,000 public comments on the report have been received.

After taking the comments into account, a final CEAA report will be delivered to Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate, who will make the final decision on whether the LNG project is likely to cause significant environmental harm.

Archie Stocker Sr. photo At a ceremony in Old Massetts Elders Centre, Chief Allan Wilson adopted film producer Charles Wilkinson as his brother last Sunday afternoon. The ceremony included a feast and Haida dancing. Mr. Wilkinson, with his wife Tina Schliessler, produced the acclaimed film: Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World. Pictured left to right are Chief Lonnie Young,(Skidegate), Chief Frank Collinson, Film Producer Charles Wilkinson, Chief Allan Wilson, Chief Kenny Edgars, and Chief Allan Davidson.

We must keep industry out of this

area.

- Otto Langer

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i6 Friday, March 18, 2016OPINIONS

Editorial

20Years Ago

Tides and weather

Queen Charlotte RCMP were warn-ing residents that fuel tank valves should be secured with locks, after several fuel thefts were repor ted over two months. A couple have definitely been siphoning jobs, said Sgt, Kerry Bennington. The thefts all occurred in the west end of Queen Charlotte in the Second and T h i r d Av e n u e areas. None of the reported fuel was properly secured.

Like many islanders, were a little groggy this morning. We have been since Monday, and will likely still be for a full week, or longer. Intuitive logic may tell you losing that hour of sleep as we move our clocks forward for daylight savings time isnt that big a deal. After all, its only an hour and its just a matter of getting to bed a little earlier on Saturday night. You wont even feel the difference, right?

Not so, according to a series of studies that link our spring forward into daylight savings time with everything from increases in suicides to goofing off at work.

Dr. Colleen Carney, an associate professor and director of the Sleep Deprivation Laboratory at Ryerson University, said losing that hour of sleep is particularly tough on an already sleep-deprived

nation.We have clocks (throughout) our bodylosing

an hour of sleep compounds an already difficult situation for some, she said.

And Dr. Stanley Coren, professor emeritus of UBC agrees: Very bad things happen when sleep deprivation is an issue, he said. He pointed to research that has shown a spike in traffic and workplace accidents in the three days following daylight savings time. Canadian statistics show an increase in accidents of about seven per cent. A sleep-deprived person will engage in whats called micro-sleeps, periods of about 10 seconds where the brain reverts to sleep mode. Do that while driving a car, and its very serious. Moreover, sleep deprivation has been blamed for some of humanitys greatest disasters, from the Exxon

Valdez to the Challenger explosion.The primary goal of Daylight Savings Time

is to reduce energy consumption, but there are a number of studies that contradict whether this actually works. And so, a number of movements are underway in many of the roughly 75 partici-pating countries to end this antiquated habit once and for all. In BC a petition on change.org is a few thousands signatures short of reaching its goal of 35,000. Its organizers claim BCs health and transportation ministers are aware of the petition, and will accept it once they pass 30,000.

The call to end Daylight Savings is nothing new. And, yes, there are bigger issues we can concern ourselves with, but why put up with anything so contrived as this, when it appears to affect us only negatively?

Teh error in this headline was caused by sleep deprivation

Associate Publisher/Editor - Quinn BenderReporters - Stacey Marple, Andrew HudsonContributors - Archie Stocker Sr., Rhonda McIsaac, Margo Hearne, Kris Leach, Elaine Nyeholt, Evelyn von Almassy, Elizabeth Condrotte, Gaetano HoustonPhone: 250-559-4680 1-888-529-4747 observer@haidagwaii.cawww.haidagwaiiobserver.comBlack Press 623 7th St., Box 205 Queen Charlotte, BC V0T 1S0SUBSCRIPTIONS on island $110/year $100 seniors Off-island (Can) $185/year

Haida Gwaii Observer

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the CANADA PERIODICAL FUND (CPF) for our publishing activities.

MONDAYTime M (ft)01:21 6 19.707:24 1.8 5.913:29 6.2 20.319:43 1.3 4.3

TUESDAYTime M (ft)01:54 6.2 20.307:59 1.6 5.214:07 6.3 20.720:16 1.3 4.3

WEDNESDAYTime M (ft)02:25 6.3 20.708:32 1.4 4.614:41 6.3 20.720:45 1.3 4.3

FRIDAYTime M (ft)04:52 2.8 9.210:58 5.7 18.717:32 1.7 5.623:58 5.5 18.0

SATURDAYTime M (ft)05:56 2.5 8.211:58 5.9 19.418:24 1.5 4.9

TIDESMarch 18 to 24

FridayCloudy. High 10 Low 6.

Saturday A mix of sun and cloud with 40 per cent

chance of showers. High 9Sunday

Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of showers. March Average Temperature 9C

Record High: 12.4 C (2005) Record Low -2.0 (2007)

THURSDAYTime M (ft)02:53 6.4 21.009:03 1.3 4.315:14 6.2 20.321:14 1.5 4.9

SUNDAYTime M (ft)00:44 5.8 19.006:44 2.1 6.912:47 6 19.719:07 1.4 4.6

Published by Black Press Ltd. 623 7th Street, Queen Charlotte BC V0T 1S0

March 14, 1996

5Years Ago

The Canadian C o a s t G u a r d A u x i l i a r y received news that they would be one of the char-itable organiza-tion that would receive money from donations accepted instead of gifts at the royal w e d d i n g . T h e Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary was one out of the chosen 26 charitable orga-nizations and the only Canadian organization to be chosen to receive money.

March 24, 2011

10Years Ago

The schools dis-tricts decision to shuffle around four principals a n d t e a c h e r s a f t e r a p p r o v -ing a eave for Queen Charlotte Secondary prin-cipal Elizabeth Condrotte would have a negative effect on hun-dred of students, Masset parents said. Concerned parents met at a emergency meet-ing in response to the staff changes, which was said to be disruptive and was poorly com-municated.

March 16, 2006

30Years Ago

The Wilderness A d v i s o r y Committee had r e c o m m e n d e d that most of South Moresby area to be turned into a national park, but that the log-ging continue on Lylee Island, with the exception of a strip along the west side, and around the eco-logically-sensitive Windy Bay area on the islands east coast. The report was handed over to the Ministry of Environment after several months of study.

March 13, 1986

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 7Friday, March 18 , 2016

Doug LouisQueen Charlotte

Everything! We get lots of potatoes, rad-ishes, beets, carrots,

tomatoes, chives, walking onions

and deer.

Expand climate action program

Dear Editor,On April 13, 2015, Premier Christy Clark chal-

lenged other jurisdictions to meet or exceed BC actions on climate change.

According to data from Environment Canada, National Inventory Report 2014, changes to pro-vincial GHG emissions since 2005, BC ranks No. 7 out of 10 (our 10 provinces). I am not a math expert, but if you are No. 7 out of 10 are you a leader?

The B.C. carbon tax brings in $1.2 billion per year but almost all of its goes to reducing other taxes with only about $50 million per year to carbon reduction, like the Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program and that program covers only reductions by municipal government operations.

Currently the province is looking for input from anybody, until noon March 25, 2016, on how to reduce emissions. On the provinces website it states: To lessen the severity of climate change, we must reduce our emissions. And We can continue to transition to communities that use less energy and to an economy more reliant on clean energy sources.

How about expanding the Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program so that anybody who reduces their emission receives the same mone-tary benefit as the local governments and give the municipalities were the reduction occurs the same amount of money. Our local governments have to balance their budgets by law and sure could use a bit of extra money for looking after their citizens.

Sincerely,Martin Holzbauer

Many alternatives topesticides

Dear Editor,Pesticides have been around for 70 years, yet

weeds, pests and diseases that attack plants have, if anything, become worse because they have become resistant to all these chemicals, much like the bacterial super bugs have become resistant to antibiotics. This means you have to spray more often, using more toxic chemicals every year.

Many pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are responsible for adding extra cause gene mutations or are neuro (brain) toxins.

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, once touted as safe because it kills bacteria, not humans, has been shown to be anything but. As a killer of bacteria, it is deadly to the bacteria in the soil and in our gut.

Bacteria in the soil keeps it free of pathogens such as e-coli and are necessary for the uptake of minerals into crops.

The bacteria that live in our gut keep us free of pathogens and facilitate uptake of our nutrients.

When you put these chemicals on your lawn, everyone, including pets, neighbors gathered for a barbecue and little children running around are exposing themselves to serious toxins. All it takes are minute amounts to disrupt the delicate balance of the body.

There are many non-toxic alternatives to pes-ticides and herbicides available and myriads of websites, books and farmers in the community that can teach us about them.

Sincerely,Jo Phillips

Grant LavoieSewall

It depends, there are microclimates, but root crops do well

if you balance your soil.

May RussMasset

Raspberries! These two were

transplanted from a friends garden.

Eve HansenMasset

I would say herbs. Ive got sage,

chives, thyme, miny, parsley and cilan-

tro.

Q Say, Seedy Saturday folks, what grows well in your garden?Question of the Week

Letters to the Editor

Please send your letters to the editor to editor@haidagwaiiobserver.com. We will always give preference to letters submitted by islands residents.

QC Thrift Shop embarks on much-needed expansion

By Carla lutnerChief Operating OffiCer

Exciting times are ahead for the Queen Charlotte Thrift Shop Society. Its application for a Major Contributions grant was ap-proved earlier this month, which means that after years of plan-ning, the society is about to start work on a major expansion that will make the shop much more accessible, secure, and energy-ef-ficient.

The Thrift Shop is located in one of the oldest buildings in Queen Charlotte, a 1909 schoolhouse that has been moved to its current location on 2nd Avenue, behind the former United Church build-ing. The popular shop has been running since the early 1970s, making donated second-hand items available at low prices. But as anyone who uses the

shop can see, the building is deteriorating and is too small to prop-erly display its goods.

The expansion project will see a 24 x 26 addition built onto the existing building, almost doubling the shops space. The addition will include a secure drop-off bin, a covered deck, and an enclosed storage space. But thats not all. The existing heritage building will also be renovated, with a cement foundation, new roof, and new racks and shelves for display. The old and inefficient oil furnace will be taken out and replaced with a heat pump, which should reduce the societys annual heating bills significantly and can also provide air conditioning on hot summer days. (We know theyre rare but it does happen!) All work will be done by local contractors.

Our directors were very impressed with the Societys ap-plication. It was easy to see that this project meets several of our goals and objectives, including promoting the cultural and eco-nomic health of the community, fostering a spirit of cooperation, and making the islands a better place to live through infrastruc-ture improvements. The Thrift Shop was also able to demonstrate that it has lots of community support: it has held successful fund-raisers, and submitted several letters of support from groups like Northern Healths Mental Health and Addictions Services, the Haida Gwaii Society for Community Peace and the Village of Queen Charlotte. In fact, the Society is contributing more than $60,000 of its own savings to help pay for the project, as well as volunteer hours. The Gwaii Trust grant of $166,426 will pay for about 70 percent of the total project cost.

The Thrift Shop Society is a non-profit group run entirely by volunteers, and the shop and its services have been an import-ant part of our community for decades. The shop promotes the re-cycling of second-hand items and provides a source of affordable clothing, housewares, toys, books, furniture and small applianc-es. It turns discarded cotton into rags for resale, and has donated bedding and pet items to the local SPCA. The society covers all its operational expenses through sales of second-hand items, and also manages to donate to other community groups like the Men-tal Health program, the Teen Centre, food banks and Hospital Day. The expansion will allow it to offer even more items for sale, increasing its revenues and creating an attractive and accessible space for volunteers and shoppers. Congratulations to the Thrift Shop as it embarks on this exciting new project!

The Gwaii Trust update is a collaborative promotional venture by the Gwaii Trust Society and the Haida Gwaii Observer.

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i8 Friday, March 18 2016

Andrew Hudson photo A worker near Lawn Hill Road hauls the bright green and orange conduit with a cable of 96 fibre-optic strands inside. Behind him, a drill crew was preparing to route the line below a road crossing and nearby Haida archaeological site.

Haida Gwaii Internet grows some backboneBy Andrew HudsonHaida Gwaii Observer

After years of work by the GwaiiTel Society, a $10-million upgrade is underway to bring islanders faster, more reliable, more widely available Internet.

Its an epic task.For one thing, until the islands can tap into a marine

cable a hugely expensive job that starts with renting a submarine every cat video, email, money transfer or Facebook like that isnt sent here by satellite has to zip 124.83 km over the Hecate Strait.

All that data is beamed precisely between a micro-wave radio tower on Mount Hayes and another above Old Massett.

Its got to go from dish to dish, says Mark Halwa, project manager for the GwaiiTel upgrade.

Thats a pretty small target over 125 kilometres.So far as Halwa knows, its the longest microwave

shot in North America.That wireless link remains the biggest bottleneck for

the islands network, but the GwaiiTel upgrade is making it much less of a squeeze.

Thanks to a second set of radios, the amour of data travelling over the Hecate will double, going from 366 to 722 megabits per second.

And thats the easy part.Anyone driving the Graham Island highway these

days can see what a challenge it is to install the back-bone of the on-island network a new fibre-optic line that stretches 114 km from Masset to Skidegate, with a connecting branch to the end of the paved section of Tow Hill Road.

Equipped with a micro-blade plow and a directional drill, crews have to be extremely careful as they go, drilling well below rivers, streams and Haida archae-

ological sites.And inside each spool of green or orange conduit is a

cable with 96 strands of fibre-optic glass inside.Its a big change. Until the new backbone lights up,

likely in May, GwaiiTels only fibre-optic lines are the much shorter, 12-strand links connecting Queen Charlotte to Skidegate and Masset to Old Massett (Another set of microwave radios keeps Sandspit in the loop).

Haida Gwaii has two Internet service providers, or ISPs, who will get to access the new fibre-optic backbone and begin connecting individual homes and businesses to it.

Really, all you need are two of the fibres in there to light up your whole island, said Dylan Griffiths, pres-ident of DSG Communications, which is carrying out the work as part of Lite Access Technologies.

There are only four lighting up all of Vancouver.Having a 96-strand backbone will help future-proof

the system leaving plenty of dark fibre to light up.

Also, a few major customers might pay for a dedicated line of their own.

But with so many scattered locations, especially mid-island where access is weakest today, it takes plan-ning to avoid using up even 96 strands as the network branches.

Griffiths recently gave a tour to several GwaiiTel direc-tors and the Observer to show how the upgrade is going.

Weve been using this product for 30 years, believe it or not, he said at the outset.

People think its new technology, but it really isnt.Born in Wales, Griffiths spliced copper phone lines for

his father, who he followed into a decades-long career at British Telecom before he and his brothers struck out on their own.

Griffiths has installed fibre-optics in London, England and across the West Kootenays, but he has never had a job quite like the one on Haida Gwaii.

In big cities, the task is usually to pull copper out of existing conduit and replace it with fibre-optics.

What Griffiths does differently is micro-trenching, which means digging an unusually narrow channel and using thinner conduit, all to lessen the disturbance when new lines are needed. His company is among the first to lay fibre-optic lines right inside city streets.

Micro-trenching is also proving useful here on Haida Gwaii.

Standard lines trap so much air that they slowly float to the surface wherever there is a high water table, Griffiths said, which it is on all but 20 km of the Masset to Skidegate route.

And as any gardener knows, earth tends to close nat-urally over a narrower trench.

People think its a new technology, but it really isnt.

- Dylan Griffiths

See INTERNET on next page

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 9Friday, March 18, 2016

By late February, Griffiths crew had buried just over half the main line, and laser-tested 40 km.

Its all testing perfectly, he said.

Stepping into a work trailer south of Masset, Griffiths showed one thing installers have to avoid.

Watch this now, he said, bending a short strand of fibre-optic glass in his fingers.

At the open end, the red laser light went dim.

Thats a big loss, he said, noting that the light should still be visible 7 or 8 km down the line, and is usually strong enough to carry data for 50 or 60 km.

Because its impossible to build or ship a single 114-km roll of fibre-optic cable, and because the main line needs several access boxes along the way, Griffiths crew has to build the main line by splicing several sections together.

At each splice, all 96 glass fibres have to be perfectly fused.

Surprisingly, Griffiths said thats not where signal losses happen the biggest risk of signal loss comes from how the fibres are curved in each splice case.

Just across the Chown River bridge, Griffiths caught up with his son Cai, who was splicing together glass fibres and tucking them into one of those cases.

Each time Cai welded the glass ends together, his fusing machine measured the likely signal loss on one strand it was just 0.01 per cent.

Working with such fine mate-rials makes it easy to pinpoint problems down the line.

On 114 kilometres, I can find

a fault to about 10 millimetres, said Griffiths.

Farther south, close to Lawn Hill, Griffiths checked on the drilling crew, who were just then routing conduit about three metres deep for a distance of 300 metres in order to clear a Haida archaeological site.

Owen Jones was there on behalf of the Haida Nation to monitor the work and alert the crew to other protected sites or plants along the way, a job he said was going well so far.

Along with those sites and watercourses, the drilling crew has had to negotiate tree roots, solid rock, and buried timbers leftover from the old plank road between Tlell and Port Clements.

In a few wet spots, his plow crew had to float planks just to keep the machine moving.

A short video Griffiths put together of the work so far has a booming orchestral back-ing track think fibre-optic installers working in a Haida Gwaii downpour, all to Ride of the Valkyries.But Griffiths was cheerful about the challenge.

Its a unique place to do this, he said, smiling.

Andrew Hudson photo Dylan Griffiths, president of DSG Communications, shows how the laser light at the open end of a fibre-optic line dims when the line is bent too much.

Its a unique place to do this

- Dylan Griffiths

Andrew Hudson photo A worker on a directional drill signals to a colleague using an above-ground locator to track it.

INTERNET from Page 8

A division of

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i10 Friday, March 18, 2016

-Hearing Testing -Hearing Aids & Accessories-Repairs & Adjustments-Custom Hearing Protection

-Industrial Hearing Testing

Rupert Hearing Clinic

Stephanie Curry, RHIPPart of WorkSafeBC provider network Veteran Affairs Canada & First Nation

health benefits accepted250-627-8663 or 1-844-568-4327

Unit 201-515 3rd Ave W, Prince Rupert (Capital Mall)

is accepting Quality, Clean, Current Clothing for Consignment!

250.559.4753

Funk It!Funk It!

AGM GwaiiTel Societys Annual General Meeting

March 23, 2016, 7:00 p.m.

Location: Village of Port Clements Council Chambers

The public is welcome to attend

Gwaii Taxi & Tours

Skidegate/Queen Charlotte 2 Taxis Plus a

15-Passenger Van Available for Tour or Charter

Web: gwaiitaxiandtours.ca Email: stratton@haidagwaii.net

250-559-2380Tours & Services

vehicle rentals custom tours

booking for island accommodation andmarine excursions

Reservations recommended.

250-637-1162Taxi

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 11Friday, March 18, 2016

Were having an OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY, APRIL 1ST FROM 3PM - 10PMThere is a number of small & large business owners we would like to get to know.

Come meet your fellow area business owners and share what you are doing and ways you may be able to help in and around your community. We are expecting a very busy tourist season. We want to be ready for our guests. We need the right information. If your business caters to tourism in an any way we would like to know about you.

Light hors doeuvres and drinks will be served beginning at 3pm. Come ready to meet new people, exchange ideas, business cards and socialize with some fun, interesting, like-minded folk.

COPPER BEECH HOUSE is hosting a Business

Please R.S.V.P Faustine at Copper Beech House 250-626-5441

There is a number of small & large business

ANDAND

Haida Gwaiis one-of-a-kind educational experienceAndrew Hudson photo

IDavid Douglas, a professor of rural planning and development, speaks with students in the Haida Gwaii Semester in Natura Resource Studies at the Kay Centre on Feb. 24.

Every year university exchange students come to Haida Gwaii for a one-of-a-kind educational experience. This, many islanders know. But what are the lessons theyre learning, and who are the students learning from? The Observer takes a closer look.

By Andrew Hudson

On a bright Thursday morn-ing at the Kay Centre, semester students Danika Hammond and Connor Cepella were in a class called Diversifying Resource-Dependent Communities.

Down the hall, the Council of the Haida Nation happened to be hosting its Winter Sessions, setting the agenda for the new year.

Its no coincidence that one of the big lessons taught in Hammond and Cepellas class that morning was about how todays community leaders help small places thrive.

Its not a question of who has coal or lumber or fish it used to be, we used to speak of com-parative advantage in only those

terms, says David Douglas, a professor of rural planning and development who was teaching the students class.

Increasingly, were seeing that its This communitys got the vision, got the leadership, got the champions.

Douglas class is one of five natural resource studies courses the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society is offering to visiting third-year university students this winter.

But speaking with Hammond and Cepella, it seems they learn as much or more outside the classroom.

A huge part of the value of this program is living somewhere remote and new, said Cepella, who came to Haida Gwaii from Halifax, where he studies sustain-ability and environmental science at Dalhousie University.

At 20, Cepella has spent time in small northern Ontario and Arctic towns as a tree planter and canoe guide, but this winter marks the Ottawa-born students first chance to really connect with people in a small place.

Ive had that rural experience, but its mostly been romanticized and I wasnt really immersed in the community, he said.

A day before they spoke with the Observer, Cepella and

Hammond had a fish-soup lunch with elders in the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program, or SHIP.

Both volunteer as part of the semester program, Cepella at the Hecate Strait Stream Keepers

hatchery and Hammond at Skaadgaa Naay Elementary.

Our Haida Gwaii branch hours are changingEffective March 21, 2016, our hours will be: Masset Branch:Monday Thursday: 10:00am - 3:00pmFriday: 10:00am - 5:00pmSaturday & Sunday: Closed

Queen Charlotte Branch:Monday Friday: 10:00am 5:00pmSaturday & Sunday: Closed

See SCHOOL on Page 12

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i12 Friday, March 18, 2016

1563 Main Street Masset250-626-3236 1-877-626-3236

101 Causeway Queen Charlotte250-559-0049 1-866-559-7909

Serving the North Coast and Haida Gwaii since 1995

CALL US FOR MORE INFORMATION

2 NEWLY FUNDED PROGRAMS for EMPLOYERS &

INDIVIDUALS

GET YOUTH WORKINGSUMMER WORK EXPERIENCE

Canada Summer Job, (CSJ) Summer work experience program.

SINGLE PARENT EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

Are you a SINGLE PARENT? Or know a single parent. If youre on income or disability assistance.

WE D

ELIV

ER

TO H

AIDA

GWA

II

Prince Rupert Home Hardware Building Centre101 - 500 2nd Avenue West Prince Rupert, BC

Toll-Free 1-855-604-4357www.homehardware.ca

Let us help you with your next project! Building Supplies Drywall Roofi ng Beaver Home and Cottage Packages

Windows & Doors Lumber and Plywood and more!

This is not happening anywhere else.

- Danika Hammond

A truly unique Haida Gwaii style of education

They meet several local guest speakers in their classes, some of which are taught by local instructors such as Chief Satsan (Herb George).

At home, thanks to their landlady in Skidegate, the two are nearly done weaving their first cedar baskets.

Hammond has joined a Ukul-ladies music group (Cepella wants to start the Ukul-laddies), and both made it up to Masset to take in this years Valentino Cabaret (A pretty crazy event, says Hammond).

Compared with her life at UBC a campus of 60,000 students that feels like a small city full of young people Hammond said she is struck by how easy it is on Haida Gwaii to connect with people older or younger than her.

Its one of the reasons Hammond hopes to find a career that will return her to a place like New Denver/Silverton the twin West Kootenay towns on Slocan Lake where she grew up.

Haida Gwaii, where she actually lived for a year at age seven, is the first place besides the Kootenays where she can imagine her future.

In class, Hammond said she learns a lot about the eco-nomic struggles faced by small places like Haida Gwaii resource dependence, lack of services, an ageing population and youth who move away.

But there is a flip side, too.When Im in a small town, all I see is the strength that

comes from it organizing strength and how committed, how involved people are.

Asked what makes Haida Gwaii stand out from other small B.C. communities, Hammond was quick to answer.

The Haida, she said. I think in other communities Ive been in, the First Nations presence is just not as strong.

Theres so much more cross-cultural sharing, more respect and willingness here, she said.

Part of that shows in the formal links Hammond and Cepella learned about in Chief Satsans class on First Nations governance things like the Gwaii Haanas agree-ment, or the Kunstaa guuKunstaayah protocol but it also shows in day-to-day life.

I kept thinking, This is not happening anywhere else, said Hammond.

I think theres a better relationship than Ive ever seen.

David Douglas agrees.The future in what we call the Canadian federation

is changing, he said, speaking of the many successes achieved here by island communities and the Council of the Haida Nation.

Now in his third year of teaching courses for the Haida Gwaii Semester in Natural Resource Studies, Douglas said despite its size, Haida Gwaii is increasingly looked to as a role model.

Its not well known, he said. But through conferences, through newsletters and websites and so on, it is increas-ingly being known.

Im hoping that Haida Gwaii itself will be increasingly involved in international conversations about develop-ment.

To learn more about HGHES, drop by their offices at the Haida Heritage Centre, the shared office at Community Futures in Masset, or visit www.hghes.ca.

SCHOOL from Page 11

The Queen Charlotte Harbour Authority

We are accepting applications for ASSIGNED MOORAGE no sooner than

March 15, 2016 and no later than March 30, 2016. As per the QCHA policy, Assigned Moorage is open for application for any

vessel 30 or less and will only be available from April 1st to October 1st. To apply,

please send an email to:

harbourmaster@qcislands.ca

Please include your name, the vessel name, and total vessel length (including outboards).

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 13Friday, March 18, 2016

The AGMs which were held in February have elected a number of Tlellians to various positions. Peter Vogen is now the secretary of the Port/Tlell Seniors. Ralph Leach has traded his presidency of the Graham Island East Coast farmers Institute for the vice presidency, Marylynn Hunt is treasurer, while Tammy Abbot, Dan Abbot, Veronika Higlister, Stevie-Lyn DeGroot and I volunteered as directors. Adolf Bitterlich was acclaimed as an auditor and the other auditor is Dominic Legault from Masset. The new president is Doug Louis from Queen Charlotte, while his wife Linda continues as secretary. The AGM considered a name change for the institute and formed a committee to bring forth recommendations for a new one. If you have any ideas, let me know as Im on the committee.

One of the major events sponsored by the Farmers institute is Saras Seedy Saturday, which was held in the Port Clements hall on March 12. It was the

best yet with produce, crafts, baking, seeds, bed-ding plants and garden supplies (there were even containers of earthworms) for sale from all over the islands. The vendors tell me that they did well and there was a steady stream of happy customers. A full table of free seeds and plants for exchanging took up the center of the hall and there were more than ever before. Ten new members signed up to join the Institute. Everyone there enjoyed the lunch provided by the Port Clements grade 7 class to raise money for their grad trip.

This was a wonderful start to what should prove to be a very productive year for local food. The Mennonite families displays were an inspirational example of what can be grown here. They even had frozen strawberries and blueberries from their last summers crops.

Jason Shaftos mother, Margaret has moved away to take care of her own mother. She will be missed. Jason himself was away for a vacation trip in the States but has returned. Dutes has also come back from his trip there with new treasures for the Crystal Cabin. The Crows Nest has reopened since Jason Fox, Anne Barnes and their family have all returned from Mexico. The store has been reconfigured and the coffee, sweets and savories are still available for snacks. The brunch crowd has followed Andre

to TheYakoun in Port along with the open Mics and dinners. I was there last Sunday for brunch with Mike and Kim and joined the birthday breakfast for Manzanita. Different ambience, same delicious fare.

Scout is back from the Yukon. She visited Riverworks where she worked last summer. There was a joyful reunion with Percy the farm dog but she is moving to Queen Charlotte and looking for a puppy of her own. Miranda has taken over the farming for this season. Wendy has returned to a renovated house and will resume instructing Tai Chi at the regular time.

March Madness is progressing with the annual cut-ting one end off the day and attaching it to the other end to make it longer, aka Daylight Savings. The school district budget meetings were held in all communities this past week encompassing Pi Day, the Ides of March and ending on St Patricks Day, when Spring Break started. Easter falls during the break so back to school on the day after Easter Monday. If you think there was a short spring break this year, contact the school board to have some input on next years calendar.

The March lion and lamb continue to battle it out with ferry-stopping windstorms and beautiful sunny days bringing the earliest spring ever. My lawn needs mowing, in March! By the time you read this I hope to have kid goats to join all the Tlellian lambs and calves already here. That would be March happiness.

A wonderful start to a productive year

by Elizabeth CondrotteTlellagraph

by Elizabeth CondrotteTlellagraph

I recently took an online quiz about identifying the most iconic women in history. You can probably still find it if you Google the words. I received 15 out of 15, and was a little surprised that I aced the quiz, as I have never taken a womens studies course, or a womens history course. What I have done is read many books, and kept up with current events, and of course there are photos, and shows about famous people. After I completed the quiz, I received the message: Youre a true feminist who understands the meaning of girl power. That may or may not be true, but it made me think, as we recently cele-brated International Womens Day on March 8, are things truly better for

women? Have we come a long way?

Last week I heard that women are now, on average, still making only 72 cents on the dollar compared with men.

I was shocked because for so long, it was 69 cents. That is only 3 cents more than it what it was for about 30 years.

Women are often still seen as objects. Take a look at any Victorias Secret ad or fashion show. Yet if a woman dares to breastfeed in public, there is often outrage.

Why should women have to cover up when they wish to feed their child? What is inappropriate about that? Kids have to eat.

That is normal. What is not normal is the obsession with womens breasts. No one appears to be obsessed by the breasts of men, as far as I know.

Progress is sometimes slow in our society. I was surprised to hear that Ms. Melanie Mark was the first First Nations woman to be elected to the provincial legislature.

She is one of the two NDP members

who won by-elections in February. (Ms. Carole James of the NDP is Metis.)

Ms. Marks heritage is Nisgaa, Gitxsan, Cree and Scottish. Women won the right to vote and run for office in B.C. in 1917, and since that time 102 women have been in the provincial legislature.

Laura Sample, of Sandspit, posted a beautiful shot of a Kermode, or Spirit bear, on Facebook that she entered into the BC Ferries West Coast Wildlife photo contest. Laura took the photo in the Great Bear Rainforest on the mainland, and she has been honing her photography skills for years.

Cohen Isberg and his mom Waneeta Richardson of Skidegate were at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure Travel Trade Show, partnering with the Misty Isles Economic Development Society and Gwaii Haanas to represent Haida Gwaii.

It was great to see Cohen. I wasnt in the big smoke, but saw a wonderful photo of both of them. Cohen is a young man now.

The big date to put on your calendar (besides the Seniors Winter games, now running more than fifty years, in Old Massett on April 19), is July 16.

Yes, that is the date for this years Totem to Totem race, from the Haida Heritage Centre to St. Marys Spring.

This increasingly popular marathon is a qualifier for the Boston marathon. I did the shorter walk last year, and if I ever resume my training with my neighbour Eliza, I may even try to run (very slowly) the 10k part of the event.

Have a great Easter, with Palm Sunday this Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday after that.

For the students and school staff, spring break is happening as well, so everyone enjoy your vacation whether you are staying home or going off island.

In less than two weeks, it will be April. Time really does go faster the older you get.

Please send your news by Thursdays at 2 p.m. to almassy@qcislands.net

Have we come a long way?

by Evelyn von Almassy

Charlotte Communiqus

by Evelyn von AlmassyCharlotte Communiqus

Print & Online SolutionsThe Results are black and white!

Use e-commerce, the solution to get the employees you need./localwork-bc @localworkbc1-855-678-7833

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i14 Friday, March 18, 2016

Spring time is clean-up time. Clean the house and gutters, clean the yard and ditchesoh yeah, and the greenhouse too. Perhaps its time to take down that old dog house, or shed and clean away the debris! So, the Landfill hours are

useful to be know: - Monday to Friday 11am-3pm &- The first Saturday of the month 11am - 3pm.There are students around who are willing to do

yard work during spring break, if you watch for posters around town you will get their info.

The closing of the Credit Unions on Saturdays is seriously inconvenient to the working people who live outside of the major communities. As of March 21st the Credit Unions will be open on Mondays (which is not useful to working people) and closed on Saturdays. How is an 8-5r supposed to get any banking done.

We understand that there are many things that

can be processed on-line, but with NO ATM and no service on Saturdays, or Statuary holidays, what is the benefit to banking on-Island? The Mission Statement of the Credit Union used to say that their purpose is to provide service to the members they must have changed it. Okay, I am ranting again. Sorry, a little bit. The staff are happy, but thats all.

There will be a Village Council Meeting on Monday the 21st at 7pm.

Another Canadian Firearms Safety Course will begin on March 21st. This course is needed to buy or handle any firearms in B.C. Phone Ron Haralson to register - 250 557-4255.

Spring cleaning on your mind? Hire a student!

Odds n Sods

Odds n Sods

by Elaine Nyeholt

by Elaine Nyeholt

See ODDS on Page 15

I promised a friend that I would deliver a recipe concerning the remaining berries left in the freezer from last summer....but my yearning for fresh greens right now will have to take prece-dence this week. For those of you lucky to still have berries in your freezer, use them straight out of the freezer with your oatmeal in the morning, make some jam, or let them thaw, adding a little bit of sweetener using them for pancakes or a plain white cake (angel food is nice) with whipped cream. How about a Pavlova? Meringue and frozen thawed berries is decadent, different, and delightful! Stewed Rhubarb with a touch of cream added when serving helps mellow out the tartness of the rhubarb without overdo-ing it with the sugar. These are nice things to have on your

table on the blustery days of February....but my body and soul are craving fresh greens right now. This is the time of year to begin harvesting local wild greens. The chickweed is already start-ing to flower which makes it not quite as desirable because of the seeds, but is still a tasty free green which is prolific in my garden. Also the dandelion greens, nettles and

the sour grass are up and ready for pick-ing. I have written about wild harvesting before, and if you keep an open mind, and are mindful of washing the sand and salt off your food before you use it, these wild offerings are available for all of us to use even when the ferry doesnt arrive with our fresh spinach aboard! Even better, they are healthier because

they are fresher (read more nutrients) just picked, and they are free. If you have a friend who has a garden, they would be delighted to have you pick any of their extra weeds, and nettles if you dont already have a favorite patch to pick your own, and are sometimes available at the farmers markets. When picking wild greens, try to find an area away from highway traffic, as the roadside tends to

be dusty and laden with chemicals from vehicles and salt.

Spanakopita a la Haida Gwaii2c. Feta cheese, crumbled5 eggs2 T. flour2 c. cottage cheese1 tsp. oregano1 tsp. basilSalt and pepper to taste4 cups fresh wild greens (dandelion,

stinging nettles, chickweed, sour grass)1c. fresh spinach, chard or kale1 onion, chopped6 garlic cloves chopped3 T. butter1 box Phyllo pastry, thawed1 c. butter (or a mixture of butter

and olive oil) meltedBegin by thoroughly washing the

greens, stemming and chopping then sauting over medium heat for about five minutes until everything is nicely wilted. I dont add any extra water, as

there is enough juice in the greens to keep from sticking to the pan. Add to the greens the feta, eggs, flour, cottage cheese and spices, set aside. Saute the garlic and onion in 1 T. butter until soft, add to feta and greens and mix well.

Assembling the pie you can use a buttered 9x13 pan, placing a Phyllo leaf in the pan brushing generously with the melted butter or butter olive oil combo until you have 8 layers. Spread with half the filling. Continue with another stack of 8 layers, spread on the other half of the filling. Place the remaining Phyllo in buttered layers . Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden.

I also like to make Spanakopita tri-angles, they are a bit more work, but are really nice for appetizers. Begin by cutting the entire stack of Phyllo layers in 3 strips lengthwise (theyll be approximately 3inches wide by S11 inches long). Cover the other

two stacks with a damp towel so they dont dry out while youre working with the first stack of strips. Brush one strip with melted butter down the entire length. Place a Tbsp. of filling at the bottom of the first strip then fold into a triangular shape,(like folding a flag) placing the completed Spanakopita triangles onto a baking sheet. Continue shaping until all of the filling and Phyllo is used up. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 25 minutes.

These can be frozen unbaked for later use by layering them between sheets of parchment or waxed paper and wrapped well before placing in the freezer. To bake, place frozen in a single layer at 350 degrees and add about 10 minutes longer to the baking time.

And there you have it...when the frost burns off this morning Ill be heading out to shop local; as in heads down, bums up picking for my dinner!

Spanokopita A La Haida GwaiiCooking on the

Rising Tideby Kris Leach

ObserverHaidaGwai iwww.haidagwaiiobserver.com 15Friday, March 18, 2016

We need to switch off power in your area for about three hours while we conduct

system maintenance. To keep our crews and the public safe, power must be switched

off while we complete this important work.

Where: All of Queen Charlotte City - Skidgate to Tlell, including Alliford Bay. This includes all side roads between these locations.

When: Sunday, March 20, 2016

Time: 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

To protect your equipment from damage during the outage, please turn off all lights,

electrical heaters, major appliances and unplug all electronics. Well restore power as

soon as we can.

Visit bchydro.com/outages or call 1 888 POWERON (1 888 769 3766) for more information.

Power outage notice: planned maintenanceQueen Charlotte City

4945

Publication: Haida Gwaii Observer (BCNG)Size: 5.8125 x 89 linesInsertion date: March 11 & 18Deadline: March 4 Noon

Sit back and watch the grass grownot on our watch!

This was the plea last November that resounded loud and clear in our small community (and island wide) via word-of -mouth, fliers and bulletins: save the Willows!

Under a lease agreement with an island individual set to expire December 31, the future of the Willows Golf Course was uncertain for 2016. With no off-island/off-shore buyers waiting to tee off, the rumour was the course was destined to revert back to a sheep farm, or a dairy farm, or even a potato farm!

Yep, a potato farm. The empty paddock with its mobile

trailers and junk equipment across from the golf course was once row upon row of russet potatoes, stretching from the boundary of the Sandspit Airfield down to as far as the No. 3 hole and the Coast Guard Towers. Those organic spuds served up at the tea table and local markets survived roaming deer because of their toxic leaves but did not survive progress. Willows was born.

On November 3 we saw approxi-mately 30 community members rally at a 13th hour town hall meeting

under the guidance of MIMC to find out, firstly, what the potential loss of the Willows would mean to our small logging community who, like every other small single-resource community in British Columbia, has suffered high rates of attrition.

And secondly, we wanted to find out if there were enough community members in our small town willing to commit volunteering to yet another group. Do we as a community value Willows and its infrastructure enough to incorporate it into our community infrastructure? Can we as a community alone afford to keep the Willows open? Should we call upon Haida Gwaii to join together and support our juniors, our teenagers, our golden agers and of course our mainstream golfers through programs both on the course and in the schools? This is not only for the love of game, but for the love of health, fitness and all other recreational, economic possibili-ties open to us.

Yes, we should and we are! How do we do this? Volunteer, get our hands dirty, ask for support from local and off-island organizations, apply for funding available on and off island and share with and sup-port the many groups that have sprouted up with similar goals!

At its February meetings Moresby Island Management Committee (MIMC) presented the Vibrant Haida Gwaii Communities Initiatives, a program established for the purpose of provid-

ing Gwaii Trust Funds to community projects that support the creation, devel-opment, maintenance and support of necessary community infrastructure as determined by each individual commu-nity on Haida Gwaii. The Gwaii Trust defines infrastructure as: The basic physical systems of a community. Clean water, sewers, transportation, commu-nication, waste management, recreation facilities and community safety initia-tives; in essence all systems that are vital to a communitys economic development and prosperity.

Updates on the newly-formed Sandspit Golf Course Society has seen its board members hard at work, along with the enthusiasm of all gofers over the past three months getting the golf course back into shape. If you are one of those diehards, there are new score cards in the honesty box at the entrance along with a notice of golfing feeswe thank those who have braved wind and rain to golf, leaving their fees inside the honest box.

Greens fee memberships and day passes can be purchased at Supervalu. Keep golf alive and the course open. Sunday April 10 sees the first scheduled tournament at the Willows. This tournament is one of 12 planned for the 2016 Second Anniversary of the Haida Gwaii Golf Tour. The Sandspit Golf Course Society welcomes the donation of 400 litres of fuel for each tour date from Fast Fuels.

According to last years organizer the

greatest thing that happened with the 2015 tour was that the organisers were able to get golfers from the north to play at the Willows. There were golfers that had played for years at their own courses and had never golfed at the other until this tour. This year will see the junior division play free of charge, thus getting our youth out in the fresh ocean air with the potential of becoming one of Canadas great golfers of the future!

Plans are underway to have training sessions before each tour event, if you would like to hold your own company golf tournaments as weekends are filling fast. Send your details to the Sandspit Golf Course Society email: golf@haid-agwaii.ca.

Is it true about global warming? Will the winds and rain ever quit! Many stranded ferry passengers here and in Rupert were not happy being kept prisoner because of gusting winds great for the local Rupert economy but not great for the prisoners pocket books!

Long faces and tearful kids are not the norm at ALM Elementary Sandspit but was the case for the remaining kids of the ALM School who had planned a ski trip to Smithers and Shames in Terrace last week. The winds huffed and puffed and kept that ferry docked in Rupert. Only the seventh graders made it across the Hecate the lucky few enjoyed the both ski hills immensely.

Funding from this edition to be donated to Sandspit Salmon Enhancement Society.

Keeping the Willows Golf Course aliveSandspits Shingle

by Gaetano

School is out for Spring Break and Easter from March 18th-28th. Watch out for chil-dren biking, roller blading or just being children...even more diligently please, during this period.

The Annual Rec Commission Easter Egg Activities and Hunt is on at the Community Park on March 26th from 10:30am to 11:30am. The Teen Youth group, sponsored by Conch and Ryan are eager to flesh out this Easter Celebration, so we will see what they come up with for fun.

Its a Spring Thing is the name of the Flea Market at the Port Clements Community Hall, on Saturday, March 26th from 11am-4pm. The Grade 7 Class is fund raising with the lunch counter, and will appreciate your support. Tables are to be booked by March 22nd.

The Gwaii Tel AGM on Saturday the 26th of March in the Council Chambers, from 6pm-9, will help if you are won-dering whats going on there.

The Book Club meets for literary discussion on the 28th

of March from 7-9pm in the Sr. Room. This is a lively group of readers to join in with.

There is a Movie Night for the youngsters on April 1st at 7pm. The name of the movie is Hotel Transylvania 2, watch for the posters around town. The children always know what is playing, and at least one child usually will tell us what is going to happen during the movie! I often ponder- why is it that they remember TV and Movies so well, but they cannot find their coat?

Old Massett is hosting the Seniors Al l - Is land-Winter-Games, in the gym, on April 9th. They are requesting a donation to the Food Bank for our regis-tration, which strikes me as a great idea. We all have a little we can share! Games and Lunch will be from 9 until 2pm and the Loonie Auction and Awards will be from 2-4pm. More help is needed, please call Chris (250-626-7517). You do not have to be a Senior Citizens Group member to attend, you only need to be 50 years old!

A Happy Birthday goes out to Ann Mintenko in April.

I wish you all a Happy Easter. We will be back refreshed and

Odds n sods Continued from Page 14

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwai i16 Friday,March 18, 2016

www.haidagwaiiobserver.comObserverHaidaGwaii4 Friday, September 26, 2014

Sun StudioYoga + Art

250-637-1571sunstudiohaidagwaii.com

Quadra Travel1-800-663-4597For all your travel needs

fn

Toll Free: 1-888-624-2577www.inlandair.bc.ca

DavesBackhoe Services

Redi-Mix ConcreteGravel and Sand Sales

TRUCKING - EXCAVATING

Fn7.1

3

Dave Ellis250-559-4747 drellis@qcislands.net

www.davesbackhoeservices.ca

HIGHLANDER MARINE SERVICES LTD.

Islands-wide 24 hrs a day 7 days a weekwww.highlandermarine.ca

250-637-1111 hms@haidagwaii.ca

Its a moving experience

For all your marine cargo & logistical support needs, big or small.

Fast, efficient service.

is accepting Quality, Clean, Current Clothing for Consignment!

Funk It!Funk It!

250.559.4753

Support the Class of 2015

GRADFIREWOOD

Split and delivered $150/cord250-559-8822

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.Please include name, address, quantity,

phone no. & street address

Ngystle SocietyAnnual General MeetingThurs. Oct. 2 7:30 p.m.

162 Second Ave., Skidegate

Parks Canada photo University of Victoria researchers may have discovered one of Canadas oldest archaeological sites on Haida Gwaii.

In Brief

A Celebration of Life for Port Clements mayor Wally Cheer is being organized for Saturday, Oct. 4.

The ceremony will be held at 2 pm at the community hall, the village office said in an emailed invitation.

Mr. Cheer died in mid-August after serv-ing almost three years as mayor. He was first elected as a councillor in 2005 and again in 2008, before running successfully for the mayors seat in 2011.

14,000-year-old fishing weir discovered

on Haida GwaiiUniversity of Victoria research-

ers may have found one of Canadas oldest archaeological sites on Haida Gwaii, after their autonomous underwa