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As a result of evidence uncovered during the coroner’s inquest into the fatal explosion at the Lakeland sawmill in Prince George, the inquest has been adjourned until next week. Presiding coroner Lisa Lapointe has ruled that the evidence - the results of a post-blast investigation undertaken by a forensic engineering firm on behalf of lawyers for Lakeland - is relevant to the inquiry. However, she also ruled that it is protected by privilege recognized under the...

It’s a long way from Mackenzie to the national high school wrestling championships, but Tristina Howse is set to do it in a three-year span. The Grade 10 student at Prince George Secondary only started wrestling when she moved to Prince George from Mackenzie three years ago. “My gym teacher was also the wrestling coach, and he thought I should join the team. “I’d never thought about wrestling before, but I decided to try it. It seemed to come sort of naturally, which made me like it even...

When you don’t give up any goals, it’s a safe bet you’re going to win hockey games. That was the way the Cariboo Cougars did it in the B.C. Major Midget League semifinals on the weekend at Kin 1, as they downed the South Island Royals 5-0 and 4-0. Griffen Outhouse got both shutouts for the Cougars, but coach Trevor Sprague said it was a team effort. “We’ve been working on blocking shots and being a unit of five on defence, and the guys did a great job of it on the weekend.” The Cougars also...

McLeod Stadium in Langley will host some of the top graduating Grade 12 players from the BC High School Football Association and the BC Community Football Association in the annual Senior Bowl game on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. Pacific Time. The game will feature one team led by Coach Brad Yamaoka (Kamloops Broncos) and another squad led by the Coach Shane Beatty (Okanagan Sun). The players were split during a draft held on Wednesday. The Yamaoka team features two players...

Last year, the Rated PG RollerGirls hosted their first tournament, with five teams on the track. This year, they’re hosting two tournaments, including one this weekend with seven teams. “We had to split it up because of how many teams were interested,” says team member Ruthless Red. “And we had to split our team because of how many skaters we have this year.” So this weekend it will be Red and the rest of her Northstar teammates on the track at the Roll-a-Dome, with their first match...

Zakery Simpson is a piano prodigy and that accomplishment alone would set him apart from many young people. But the 17-year-old Kelly Road Grade 12 student has composed his own music, a piece called Sunset Song. He was one of four musicians chosen to perform their original compositions just before the Prince George Symphony Orchestra performed their Messiah concert. There was also a CD made of their live music. Today (March 20) Simpson will perform in the annual Prince George and...

Forecasting the future is never easy. Regardless of the information we have, there are many other factors which can impact the accuracy of our view of what our world will be like five, ten and twenty years down the road. A healthy amount of imagination or vision is also needed. In many large organizations, as with individuals, thoughtful visioning endeavouring to take into account what may change in the coming years from today and the past is sadly lacking in planning for the future. The...

It was quite astounding to hear that the Prince George fire department had been after Lakeland Mills to develop a fire safety plan as far back as 2006. The mill simply ignored the repeated violation pegged in successive fire inspections. While that may seem astounding, even more incredulous was the revelation that no major industrial operation in the city has a fire safety plan, even though they are mandated by legislation. Companies big and small simply ignore the fact that they need a...

More of Highway 97 south of Prince George will be four-laned this summer. Work will begin on four-laning three kilometres of the highway this summer. Transportation Minister Todd Stone made the announcement Thursday in Prince George. The $45 million project is located approximately 29 kilometres south of Prince George and will see three kilometres of Highway 97 between Stone Creek Bridge and the Red Rock Weigh Station widened from two to four lanes. The work also includes replacing the...

It was just too tempting. For the first time in one year, bodybuilder Amber Gage got to eat a plate of poutines, and a slice of pizza – and six cupcakes. She had been in training for a figure bodybuilding show in Vancouver last week and on the weekend she had her first chance to eat “real food.” Diet, discipline and determination had gotten her where she wanted to be – on stage, pumped up and showing off her 129-pound body with muscles gleaming and – thanks to coach Cara Roberts –...