Local news from Fort St. John, Taylor, Fort Nelson, Dawson Creek and the rest of Northeast B.C. Energeticcity.ca is your source for news and events! We are the only local news source with full-time staff working in Fort St. John.
With the start of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge just over five weeks away, tickets are continuing to sell at a brisk pace. The latest update on the availability of tickets has packages at 90 per cent sold. Co-chair of the Dawson Creek event Barry Reynard said organizers are pleased with the response in both […]
CALGARY — RCMP in Alberta have laid terrorism charges in absentia against a Calgary man they believe has gone overseas to fight with the Islamic State. Here's a look as some other absentia charges the RCMP have laid this year.
Ahma Waseem: The 27-year-old from Windsor, Ont., was charged in June with facilitating a terrorist activity, participating in terrorist activity and leaving Canada to participate in the activities of a terrorist group. RCMP allege he used a reported lost passport to travel to Syria in November 2013 to fight for the Islamic State. There have been reports he died while fighting in Syria, but the RCMP have been unable to confirm the information.
George Salloum: The former Syrian military intelligence officer believed to be in his mid fifties, was charged in February with the torture of Canadian Maher Arar. Arar gave false confessions under torture in Syria about supposed involvement with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. A federal inquiry later concluded that the faulty information the RCMP passed to the United States very probably led to Arar's ordeal.
Khadar Khalib: The 23-year-old from Ottawa was charged in February with leaving Canada to participate in a terrorist group, participating in terrorist activity and counselling a person to participate in terrorist activity. RCMP allege he travelled to Syria in March 2014 to join the Islamic State.
John Douglas Maguire: The 24-year-old from Ottawa was also charged in February with the same offences, as well as with facilitating an activity for a terrorist group. RCMP allege he travelled to Turkey in December 2012. There have been reports of his death, but RCMP say they can't confirm it. Maguire gained notoriety last year when he appeared in an extremist recruiting video that urged Muslims to launch attacks against Canadians.
The Canadian Press
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — British Columbia's representative for children says her trust in the provincial government has been shaken after she claims she was misled into believing that no children in care were being housed in hotels.
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond issued a sharp rebuke following the death of 18-year-old Alex Gervais, a First Nations teen in care who was killed after falling from the fourth-floor window of an Abbotsford hotel last Friday.
Turpel-Lafond says Gervais had been living in a hotel for about two months after the province shut down the group home where he was living over safety concerns.
She says Gervais moved 16 times before taking up residence in the hotel.
Turpel-Lafond says the young man was in distress and may have taken his own life.
Abbotsford police say they don't suspect foul play in the death.
Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux has issued a statement saying information recently brought to light has caused her great concern but she declined to comment on specific cases.
The Canadian Press
PORTLAND, Maine — Final approval of a massive settlement for victims of the 2013 train derailment in Lac-Megantic, Que., has been delayed.
The delay is to provide time for the only party that's opposed to the fund to either join in the settlement or negotiate terms to withdraw its objection.
A U.S. bankruptcy judge ordered the parties Thursday to reconvene Oct. 5, and Robert Keach, the court-appointed monitor for Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway's bankruptcy proceedings in the United States, is confident the settlement will be confirmed.
MMA is the railway that was at the heart of the disaster that killed 47 people when a runaway train with 72 oil tankers derailed on July 6, 2013 and wiped out much of downtown Lac-Megantic.
Keach said the settlement was worth $450 million as of Wednesday but that the figure would fluctuate over the next few weeks.
The agreement was the issue of negotiations with about two dozen companies.
The only party with potential liability that declined to participate is Canadian Pacific, which contends it wasn't treated fairly under the deal.
At a court hearing in Canada earlier this year, a lawyer for CP said the disaster did not involve the company's tracks, rail cars, products or employees.
MMA, train driver Tom Harding, railway traffic controller Richard Labrie and Jean Demaitre, the manager of train operations, have all been charged with 47 counts of criminal negligence causing death.
Harding's lawyer has said he doesn't expect a trial to begin before the fall of 2016.
The case is proceeding under a preferred indictment, with no preliminary hearing.
A charge of criminal negligence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison upon conviction.
The charges were laid in May 2014 following a Quebec provincial police investigation into the derailment.
The Associated Press
CALGARY — Alberta's premier says she wants at least one new "drama-free" pipeline built that will carry the province's oil to new markets.
Rachel Notley told delegates to an Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention on Thursday that she plans to achieve that through ongoing discussions with British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
It is essential for Alberta, with its reliance on resource revenue, to get access to overseas customers, she said.
Canada's premiers signed a Canadian Energy Strategy in July to get energy products to global buyers.
"This ... strategy will also help ... as we address a key challenge facing the energy industry in this province, which is the need to improve our access to new world markets, which means essentially getting at least one new pipeline built to tidewater," Notley told the association.
She later told reporters she has never suggested she is opposed to pipelines as a general rule, but has never advocated for the Keystone XL line through the United States, because there was little chance of influencing American decision-makers.
It also goes against the NDP's goal to keep domestic jobs.
"Keystone is about providing massive capacity to get bitumen to a competing refinery hub ... a refining hub that competes with any potential development that we could hope for here in Alberta or in Canada."
During a campaign stop in Iowa this week, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she opposed the controversial pipeline project.
The former secretary of state said she wanted to outline her position now after deciding the debate over the pipeline had become a distraction to larger efforts to fight climate change.
Notley said Alberta needs to prepare for renewed growth in the energy industry as prices improve, but only in tandem with greater efforts on the environment.
"It's long past due for the government of Alberta to clean up its environmental act.
"If we don't get it right on this issue, quite frankly, a solution is going to be imposed upon us sooner or later by others — by a federal government and/or our markets, which will increasingly insist that energy products that they buy be mined and processed responsibly."
With oil prices currently under US$50 a barrel, the Alberta government has faced criticism for moving forward with a royalty review even though rates wouldn't be affected until the end of next year.
Notley defended the move in her speech as necessary for the government to collect and save an "appropriate share" of Alberta's resource wealth.
"The royalty review is about modernizing and updating our system, so it fits our future energy industry instead of its past," she said.
"This review is about ensuring that as prices recover, we collect and begin to save an appropriate share of our own resource wealth in the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund for the future of our children and our grandchildren."
Notley expects to have the review completed by the end of the year.
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Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
TORONTO — UFC lightweight (Ragin') Kajan Johnson is a walking, talking advertisement for modern medicine. And perseverance.
The charismatic 31-year-old from Burns Lake, B.C., who fights out of Montreal, has survived a longterm shoulder problem, broken orbital bones and a shattered jaw among other injuries.
"My whole career has kind of like been up and down, and up and down. But I think that's how life is," said Johnson.
On Saturday, a healthy Johnson (20-12-1) takes on Japan's Naoyuki Kotani (33-12-7) at the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Josh (The Warmaster) Barnett, ranked eighth among heavyweight contenders, faces No. 11 Roy (Big Country) Nelson in the main event of the televised card.
Johnson is coming off a unanimous decision over Zhang (The Warrior) Lipeng in May in Manila. Prior to that he was knocked out by Tae Hyun Bang at UFC 174 in June 2014 after appearing on "The Ultimate Fighter Nations" where fellow Canadian Chad Laprise broke his jaw in three places in the welterweight semifinal.
Johnson, who trains with Laprise at the renowned Tristar Gym, admits to being in "a really dark place" in 2012 after surgery to repair a second orbital injury. His facial injuries meant he couldn't be a doorman at a club or teach martial arts.
"I wasn't really able to sustain life," he said.
His mother begged him to come back to B.C. "But I knew if I left and I went to Burns Lake, I would probably never make it back here.
"I did what I had to do. Not all of it was good but I did what I had to do and I was able to stay in Montreal and continue learning and continue on my path."
Johnson did not fight for 11 months after UFC 174, his return to action slowed in part by a severe concussion. He would get headaches when he returned to training. He says he used the time to study his sport, to see who was doing what and what was working.
"I think it all happened for a reason," he said. "It all helped me to evolve at a very very very fast pace. So it's not like I changed my style, it's not like I changed the way I fought. It was like I grew very very fast in that year. And now I'm continuing to grow."
He was able to survive financially thanks to a US$50,000 fight of the night bonus.
The Zhang win that followed was vindication. "It definitely was. It felt amazing," he said.
While he continues to train at Tristar, Johnson has added to his routine. That includes spending time in a chamber that simulates the oxygen deprivation at 10,000 feet.
It's a far cry from when he began his pro fighting career in February 2002.
He also looks to meditation. And Johnson, who is one-eighth Blackfoot, has gone back to his native roots, taking part in traditional fasts in 2008 and in 2014 after the 2-14 loss to Bang.
The fasts are in the bush, with a small shelter called a hogan. "You sit there four days, four nights, no food, no water, no talking ... It's a very difficult experience."
The most challenging aspect, he says, is "being alone with your thoughts."
Johnson, who has also helped elders co-ordinate fasts for others, says he is in a good place these days.
"I'm in the light and I'm not going back to the dark."
In an interesting twist, Johnson and Kotani both excel in the kitchen as well as the cage. Johnson has a culinary school diploma while Kotani has studied to be a pastry chef.
"That's really cool," said Johnson who normally walks around at 180 pounds before cutting down to fight at 155.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
BROSSARD, Que. — When the Montreal Canadiens announced that Alex Galchenyuk will play centre this season, most assumed David Desharnais would be the one moved to left wing.
Not so. It was Lars Eller, the team's dependable third line pivot who has been a centre for nearly all his five seasons in Montreal, who was bumped to the wing on what coach Michel Therrien hopes will be a strong second line with Galchenyuk and new right-winger Alex Semin.
For the 26-year-old Dane, it must have felt like a promotion and a setback at the same time.
"I'm not going to go into what my feelings were at the time," Eller said Thursday. "All I'm going to say is I'm excited to be in this position and I think it can be really good.
"I've played wing before. The majority of time I've played centre but it's not unfamiliar territory for me."
The line that has been lighting it up in training camp scrimmages was scheduled to see its first pre-season action Thursday night against Washington.
The move makes sense all around and, if it works, the Canadiens may end up with a second consistent scoring threat behind the top unit of wingers Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher, with either with veteran Tomas Plekanec or Desharnais.
The Canadiens feel they are getting close to Stanley Cup contention with Hart and Vezina trophy winner Carey Price in goal and a solid defence led by P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry.
A weak spot was the attack, where they were 20th in the 30-team NHL in goals scored with 214 and 23rd on the power play at 16.5 per cent last season.
They addressed the power play by putting assistant coach Jean-Jacques Daigneault in charge, with help from new consultant Craig Ramsay, and moving Dan Lacroix to handle penalty killing.
Boosting the attack meant Galchenyuk moving to centre after spending most of his three NHL campaigns on left wing. The 21-year-old drafted third overall in 2012 has the skills to be a top point producer, and now he's been put in the hotseat as centre of one of the top two lines.
"Each day I'm learning the position more," he said. "I'm really focused on it and I'm really enjoying it."
The Canadiens signed Semin to a one-year contract worth US$1.1 million in hope he can rediscover the touch he used to produce 40 goals and 84 points with Washington in 2009-10. The 31-year-old had an awful 2014-15 season with Carolina, scoring just six goals in 57 games, although he was coming off wrist surgery.
"He brings so much skill and he's so dangerous in the offensive zone," said Galchenyuk. "We're trying to make room for him because he'll make sure he's open and ready for the shot.
"We all have skill and we're pretty good skaters, but we still have to go out and compete and not just rely on our skill. Still, it's a pretty exciting line."
All three were first-round draft picks, with Eller going 13th overall to St. Louis in 2007 and Semin 13th overall to the Capitals in 2002.
Eller has never scored more than 16 goals in a season, but he is strong in the corners and on the defensive side. He can also move back to centre should Galchenyuk falter.
"We can all pass and we can all finish," Eller said. "We're all three good skaters. Semin has shown in the past he can shoot. One of his strongest assets is his ability to finish and to do unexpected things that few players can."
Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press
CALGARY — An oilsands environmental monitoring group has voted not to disband despite having no secure source of revenue next year.
The Fort McMurray, Alta.,-based Cumulative Environmental Management Association learned this past summer that the province would make industry funding of the group optional next year.
The organization relies on industry funding for almost all of its $5-million budget.
CEMA spokeswoman Carol Christian confirmed the vote to dissolve was defeated, but she declined to release the voting results citing confidentiality rules.
In recent years industry has argued against funding the group, saying other initiatives like the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring program and the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance fulfil a similar role.
CEMA has argued it is the only independent monitoring group and better represents aboriginal stakeholders.
The Canadian Press
SAINT-JEROME, Que. — Jurors at Guy Turcotte's first-degree murder trial have been shown two knives that were found near where his two slain children were discovered.
The former cardiologist is charged in the deaths of Olivier, 5, and Anne-Sophie, 3, in a residence north of Montreal in February 2009.
He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
One of the knives displayed today by Quebec provincial police investigator Sylvain Harvey was found underneath Olivier, while the other was located on the side of a bathtub in a bathroom adjacent to Turcotte's bedroom.
He testified that both children were in their beds and covered in wounds to the stomach and abdomen.
The Crown has said it intends to prove that Olivier was stabbed 27 times and Anne-Sophie 19 times.
Quebec Superior Court Justice Andre Vincent has ordered that witnesses not be allowed in the courtroom before they testify. They will after they have taken the stand.
The Crown has said the children's mother, Isabelle Gaston, will testify early in the trial.
The Canadian Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A group of media outlets is asking a Florida judge to make records in the Hulk Hogan sex video case public.
Hogan, a former WWE wrestler whose real name is Terry Bollea, is suing the news
Gawker and its owner, Nick Denton, maintain that the New York-based company had the right to publish the sex video of Hogan because the wrestler lost any expectation of privacy after making sexually explicit comments during media appearances. Hogan is suing for $100 million.
The trial is scheduled for March 2016 in Pinellas County Court in St. Petersburg.
The video was delivered to Gawker anonymously in 2012, and the FBI investigated the leak. Gawker filed a public records request in federal court for more information about the investigation, and the judge ordered it released. But when it was put into public record in the civil suit, the judge sealed the records.
Media companies, including the Associated Press, asked Thursday to open those records.
"It's highly unusual for this much secrecy to surround a civil proceeding," said Charles Tobin, a lawyer for Holland and Knight who is representing the media companies. "Ordinarily, whether it's a celebrity or an average citizen, once you ask the court to help solve a dispute you open the proceedings up to public review. What's going on in Hulk Hogan's case certainly is not the norm when it comes to public transparency of the courts."
Hogan, perhaps the biggest star in WWE's five-decade history, was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years in its signature event, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
He won six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
But he was able to transcend his "Hulkamania" fan base to become a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, "Hogan Knows Best."
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Tamara Lush, The Associated Press
TORONTO — Justin Palardy is back in the CFL.
The Toronto Argonauts added the veteran kicker/punter to their practice roster Thursday.
The five-year veteran has spent time in the CFL with Hamilton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Saskatchewan, making 114-of-139 career field goals (82 per cent).
Palardy also sports a 42.1-yard career punting average.
With veteran kicker/punter Swayze Waters (groin) injured, Toronto (6-5) is looking for options heading into a crucial game Saturday against the Ottawa Redblacks (7-4).
The Argos also have punter/kicker Michael Palardy — no relation to Justin — on their roster.
The Canadian Press
TORONTO — On the ice at the junior level, Mitch Marner is an electrifying talent who can put up points seemingly at will. Off the ice at his first NHL training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he's far more subdued.
"When I came in here I was really shy," Marner said. "I didn't really know how to talk to anyone. You're kind of scared to talk to the older guys, the vets."
So one of those older vets took it upon himself to make a connection to Marner. On the Leafs' flight to Halifax at the start of camp, captain Dion Phaneuf invited Marner to sit next to him and spent more than an hour talking to the 18-year-old about his family, his draft experience and his time with the OHL's London Knights.
"For him to come up right away and introduce himself to me was kind of special," Marner said. "He said he's always going to be there for me and help me out whenever I need it. It's special having that kind of bond with a captain of an NHL team."
Phaneuf is often maligned for his leadership style, but new coach Mike Babcock spelled out in no uncertain terms that even though he's an easy target, the 30-year-old was his captain.
"I think he's got great intentions," Babcock said. "He's our leader right now and we can really help him with the leadership side of things and we'll help him be the best he can be just like everyone else."
Reaching out to Marner was a peek into Phaneuf's behind-the-scenes approach with teammates that fans don't ever get to see and rarely hear about.
"I've been in his shoes, and that's why I do it," Phaneuf said. "I know coming into camp at a young age, it can be intimidating. ... For a new guy coming into his first camp, there could be some nerves. I just wanted to get to know him a little bit better, and I did that."
Phaneuf, who's going into his sixth season wearing the "C" for Toronto, doesn't consider what he did for Marner anything special. He said he does it all the time.
"For me, it's nothing to do with being the captain," Phaneuf said. "It's about trying to welcome him into our group and make him feel as comfortable as possible to allow him to have a really good camp."
Marner has high expectations as the fourth pick in the draft, even though he'll likely go back to the Knights for at least another season. The Leafs want their top prospects to develop before they reach the NHL, and the six-foot, 170-pound Marner has some growing to do before he should be physically ready.
Mentally, Marner took a big step thanks to Phaneuf's gesture.
"It kind of opened my eyes that if I go back to junior that's the kind of leader I want to be, introducing guys around and kind of taking them under my wing," Marner said.
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Stephen Whyno, The Canadian Press
