West Nile expected to arrive shortly
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 7, 2003
West Nile virus will definitely arrive in the Lower Mainland this summer, but it's less deadly than many people imagine, and there are easy steps you can take to reduce your risk of contracting the disease.
So says Larry Percival, the manager of communicable disease control in the Fraser Health Authority and the man responsible for keeping tabs on the virus that is spread by common mosquitoes.
"Yes, West Nile virus is a concern," Percival said this week. "Based on the experience we've seen in Eastern Canada and the U.S.A., over the next three years we can anticipate between six and 25 deaths (from the virus) in the Fraser Health Authority.
"And yes, that's significant, when a lot of it can be prevented."
Percival, who works out of FHA offices in Chilliwack, said the best way to avoid the disease is to use the bug repellent Deet, wear long sleeves when out early in the morning or at dusk, keep your screen doors and windows closed and remove any pools of stagnant water, such as unused garden pots.
Percival admits the chances of getting West Nile are quite small, but the health region wants to make sure that everyone knows how to battle the disease.
"In Ontario last year, people felt the government did not tell them adequately what the risks were. There, a number of people did advance to severe neurological problems and several of them died," he says.
"This is the first time in Canada we've had mosquitoes carrying a disease."
In terms of fighting the disease, Percival said mosquito control programs have been strengthened in virtually all of the 22 member municipalities of the FHA, which stretches from Boston Bar to Burnaby.
The region is actively trapping mosquitoes to test them for the virus and is collecting dead crows because those birds are far more susceptible to the disease than people.
The health region has also sent information on the disease out to local doctors so they can keep their eyes open for the symptoms and diagnose any cases as quickly as possible.
The health authority will inform the public as soon as the first confirmed case of the disease is discovered in the region, Percival said.
One common misconception is that West Nile virus is spread by crows. It's not, said Percival.
Instead, crows are more at risk from the disease than people are and, in fact, statistics indicate more than 60 per cent of crows who contract the disease will die, substantially more than the estimated 0.01 per cent mortality rate among humans.
And while the health authority does collect and test crows for the virus, they do not need the public to call whenever a dead crow is found, he added.
"We don't need people to bring in dead crows. We have a network of people who normally pick up dead animals who are trained to do so properly," he said. "So, if the public spots a dead crow, simply dispose of it."
However, if a person finds a group of dead crows in one spot, then call the local health office. In Burnaby, that number is 604- 918-7605.
Do not take injured crows to the Wildlife Rescue Association. It will not treat them for fear of spreading the virus to other animals.
The last warning is for horse owners, who are advised to inoculate their animals with the only known vaccine against West Nile.
Scientists are still working on a similar vaccination for people.
And, remember, don't overdo the Deet. Last year, Health Canada advised manufacturers of insect repellent that after December 2004 they would no longer be able to sell products that contain greater than 30 per cent Deet, the insect repellent invented by the U.S. military in the 1940s.
In addition, sunscreens combined with Deet will be banned after next year.
Monday, February 25, 2008
MacPhail lauded for selflessness
MacPhail lauded for selflessness
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published in the New West Record, June 7, 2003
Tuesday's surprise announcement that NDP leader Joy MacPhail will step down before the next election was greeted with a mixture of sadness and relief in the former party strongholds of New Westminster and Burnaby.
Some of kindest words for MacPhail came from former NDP attorney general Graeme Bowbrick, who said the outgoing party leader did an admirable job, both in the final days of the Clark/Dosanjh governments and as party leader.
"Joy served in a principled and selfless way," said Bowbrick, who supported MacPhail in the leadership campaign prior to the last election. "She took on the worst jobs - the Social Services Ministry just before the Matthew Vaudreuil report was made public and the Health Ministry when the regional system was brought in. She took on crappy jobs from the premier and did it without any public complaint, and people forget that."
Bowbrick also applauded MacPhail for resigning during the "darkest days" of the Clark government. "That was not a career- enhancing move," he said. "But it's people who have the guts to do those things who you want in a leadership position, not the people who make everyone happy.
He also noted that some of the strongest opponents of MacPhail are her own party colleagues. "The only people who are critical of Joy's performance, ironically enough, are a certain segment within the NDP," he said. "Vaughn Palmer (the provincial affairs political columnist for the Vancouver Sun) said her performance in the past two years may go down in political history as the most outstanding performance of an MLA in the history of the province, and that wouldn't be too far off the mark. And she did it all selflessly, And I think she did it for the party."
Bowbrick dismissed rumours that he might be interested in running for the leadership, and said may not even run for MLA because of obligations to his young family.
"Unless you're independently wealthy you can't afford to be jumping in and out of politics. You have to pick something and build a base, and that's what I'm doing now," he said.
In her announcement, MacPhail called for a party leadership convention this November, after which she will stay on as an MLA only until the following election, which must take place in 2005.
Depite the party's current poor showing in the legisalture, where they have only two of 75 MLAs,
MacPahil sounded a note of optimism in her announcement.
"New members are joining every day, from every part of this province," she said. "There's a renewed sense of purpose - outrage over what is happening to the British Columbia we love, but also hope that we can and will make things better. ... I'm proud that we've learned from our past mistakes, and just as importantly, from our successes."
But MacPhail's stated sense of optimism is not shared by everyone in the party.
At Burnaby city council, where the NDP holds a strong majority of seats, there was a sense of resignation that the party is facing a tough road ahead for the next few years, and a sense that MacPhail played a fairly large role in those troubles.
"I think Joy MacPhail is making the right choice in the best interest of the party," said Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan, who continues to be seen as a possible contender for the NDP leader's job, despite his repeated denials.
"She recognizes she carries a lot of baggage from the previous NDP government, and it would be highly unlikely she could unload that before another election," Corrigan said. "I also think she's recognized the desire from within the party to see new faces and new approaches."
But when it comes to picking a new leader, other than dismissing his own name, Corrigan believes the party may be best served it if looks outside its existing membership.
"I think we need someone who will be a consensus builder. Someone who will be able to bring together diverse elements of the community together. Someone who can bridge the gap between people interested in the environment and labour."
At least one other Burnaby council member was more terse in his comments.
Former NDP MLA Pietro Calendino, who has never hidden his dislike for MacPhail's role in ousting former party leader Glen Clark, said he's glad to hear she'll step down the from the post before the next election.
"I think she's made a wise decision. We need fresh blood there," said Calendino, who admitted he might be interested in running for provincial politics again, given the right circumstances.
But past candidate Bart Healey, who ran in the Burquitlam riding in 2001, said MacPhail was a superb leader, and that he would love to run again, regardless of who takes the helm of the party.
"I think she's done a pretty good job and we owe her a debt of gratitude for her courage and compassion," said Healey, a Teamster who has already started knocking on doors in anticipation of running again in 2005. "I think politics is a little like Hollywood. It eats up good people and spits them out and throws them away."
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published in the New West Record, June 7, 2003
Tuesday's surprise announcement that NDP leader Joy MacPhail will step down before the next election was greeted with a mixture of sadness and relief in the former party strongholds of New Westminster and Burnaby.
Some of kindest words for MacPhail came from former NDP attorney general Graeme Bowbrick, who said the outgoing party leader did an admirable job, both in the final days of the Clark/Dosanjh governments and as party leader.
"Joy served in a principled and selfless way," said Bowbrick, who supported MacPhail in the leadership campaign prior to the last election. "She took on the worst jobs - the Social Services Ministry just before the Matthew Vaudreuil report was made public and the Health Ministry when the regional system was brought in. She took on crappy jobs from the premier and did it without any public complaint, and people forget that."
Bowbrick also applauded MacPhail for resigning during the "darkest days" of the Clark government. "That was not a career- enhancing move," he said. "But it's people who have the guts to do those things who you want in a leadership position, not the people who make everyone happy.
He also noted that some of the strongest opponents of MacPhail are her own party colleagues. "The only people who are critical of Joy's performance, ironically enough, are a certain segment within the NDP," he said. "Vaughn Palmer (the provincial affairs political columnist for the Vancouver Sun) said her performance in the past two years may go down in political history as the most outstanding performance of an MLA in the history of the province, and that wouldn't be too far off the mark. And she did it all selflessly, And I think she did it for the party."
Bowbrick dismissed rumours that he might be interested in running for the leadership, and said may not even run for MLA because of obligations to his young family.
"Unless you're independently wealthy you can't afford to be jumping in and out of politics. You have to pick something and build a base, and that's what I'm doing now," he said.
In her announcement, MacPhail called for a party leadership convention this November, after which she will stay on as an MLA only until the following election, which must take place in 2005.
Depite the party's current poor showing in the legisalture, where they have only two of 75 MLAs,
MacPahil sounded a note of optimism in her announcement.
"New members are joining every day, from every part of this province," she said. "There's a renewed sense of purpose - outrage over what is happening to the British Columbia we love, but also hope that we can and will make things better. ... I'm proud that we've learned from our past mistakes, and just as importantly, from our successes."
But MacPhail's stated sense of optimism is not shared by everyone in the party.
At Burnaby city council, where the NDP holds a strong majority of seats, there was a sense of resignation that the party is facing a tough road ahead for the next few years, and a sense that MacPhail played a fairly large role in those troubles.
"I think Joy MacPhail is making the right choice in the best interest of the party," said Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan, who continues to be seen as a possible contender for the NDP leader's job, despite his repeated denials.
"She recognizes she carries a lot of baggage from the previous NDP government, and it would be highly unlikely she could unload that before another election," Corrigan said. "I also think she's recognized the desire from within the party to see new faces and new approaches."
But when it comes to picking a new leader, other than dismissing his own name, Corrigan believes the party may be best served it if looks outside its existing membership.
"I think we need someone who will be a consensus builder. Someone who will be able to bring together diverse elements of the community together. Someone who can bridge the gap between people interested in the environment and labour."
At least one other Burnaby council member was more terse in his comments.
Former NDP MLA Pietro Calendino, who has never hidden his dislike for MacPhail's role in ousting former party leader Glen Clark, said he's glad to hear she'll step down the from the post before the next election.
"I think she's made a wise decision. We need fresh blood there," said Calendino, who admitted he might be interested in running for provincial politics again, given the right circumstances.
But past candidate Bart Healey, who ran in the Burquitlam riding in 2001, said MacPhail was a superb leader, and that he would love to run again, regardless of who takes the helm of the party.
"I think she's done a pretty good job and we owe her a debt of gratitude for her courage and compassion," said Healey, a Teamster who has already started knocking on doors in anticipation of running again in 2005. "I think politics is a little like Hollywood. It eats up good people and spits them out and throws them away."
Making dreams come true
Making dreams come true
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4, 2003
The sun will be out at Burnaby Lake this weekend _ and that's a guarantee, regardless of the weather.
The Sunshine Foundation for Children's Dreams is holding its annual Sunshine Walk for Dreams to help make life more enjoyable for children with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illness.
"The walk is great," says Tracy Cruden, the manager of the Pennington's Store on North Road who is hoping to be able to join Sunday's 10-kilometre Walk for Children's Dreams.
"With my schedule, it's really difficult to volunteer for good causes, but I really wanted to get involved in something that was worthwhile," says the 25-year-old Vancouver resident.
Last year, in her first venture on the Walk for Children's Dreams, Tracy, her friends and co-workers raised almost $2,000 for the foundation that sends children on 'Dreamlift Vacations' or buys special equipment to make their young lives more enjoyable.
"It's a lot of fun," Tracy says. "My friends and I are on this health kick, so the walk is really good for us, too."
She also says raising money for a good cause is easy. "Most of the people in our group raised $100 or more by getting all the people who weren't walking to sponsor us," she says. "All I had to do was explain what the walk is about and that it's for kids and as soon as you say it's for kids, most people say 'here you go.'
"Even if they couldn't afford to give a lot, most people gave something."
Over the past several years, the Sunshine Foundation for Children's Dreams has assisted young children from Burnaby in a variety of ways.
In 2001, the Foundation sent 70 young children from across Canada, including two from Burnaby, on a day-long Dreamlift to Disneyland with an escort of police officers, sheriffs, parents and Burnaby NOW reporter John Knox.
The local children who made that trip were Brian Daniels-Scott, who has Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, and Sayna Rahbari, who has neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects her adrenal glands.
This year, the Sunshine Foundation bought a wheelchair specially designed to play basketball for Cariboo Hill student Sunera Samarakoon.
Some of many Lower Mainland children who benefit directly from the foundation's work will be at Sunday's walk, where they will also take part in the post-walk carnival.
In addition to a barbecue that will be serving hot dogs and hamburgers to the registered walkers, the carnival will include games and activities for the kids, the White Spot Pipe Band and mascots from the corporate sponsors, which include Radio Shack and the Burnaby NOW.
While the walk has been held across Canada for many years, it had been a relatively small affair in British Columbia until three years ago, when responsiblity for organziing the event fell to the new chapter president, Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Daryl Stone, the officer in charge of the northeast community police station, located at Lougheed Mall.
Advance registration is possible by calling the Sunshine Foundation offices at 1-800-461-7935 or by visiting the Web site at www.sunshine.ca.
It's also possible to join in simply by showing up on the morning of the walk. Registration tables will be open at the Burnaby Lake Pavilion, at the foot of Roberts Street, just northeast of the intersection of Sperling and Sprott.
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4, 2003
The sun will be out at Burnaby Lake this weekend _ and that's a guarantee, regardless of the weather.
The Sunshine Foundation for Children's Dreams is holding its annual Sunshine Walk for Dreams to help make life more enjoyable for children with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illness.
"The walk is great," says Tracy Cruden, the manager of the Pennington's Store on North Road who is hoping to be able to join Sunday's 10-kilometre Walk for Children's Dreams.
"With my schedule, it's really difficult to volunteer for good causes, but I really wanted to get involved in something that was worthwhile," says the 25-year-old Vancouver resident.
Last year, in her first venture on the Walk for Children's Dreams, Tracy, her friends and co-workers raised almost $2,000 for the foundation that sends children on 'Dreamlift Vacations' or buys special equipment to make their young lives more enjoyable.
"It's a lot of fun," Tracy says. "My friends and I are on this health kick, so the walk is really good for us, too."
She also says raising money for a good cause is easy. "Most of the people in our group raised $100 or more by getting all the people who weren't walking to sponsor us," she says. "All I had to do was explain what the walk is about and that it's for kids and as soon as you say it's for kids, most people say 'here you go.'
"Even if they couldn't afford to give a lot, most people gave something."
Over the past several years, the Sunshine Foundation for Children's Dreams has assisted young children from Burnaby in a variety of ways.
In 2001, the Foundation sent 70 young children from across Canada, including two from Burnaby, on a day-long Dreamlift to Disneyland with an escort of police officers, sheriffs, parents and Burnaby NOW reporter John Knox.
The local children who made that trip were Brian Daniels-Scott, who has Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, and Sayna Rahbari, who has neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects her adrenal glands.
This year, the Sunshine Foundation bought a wheelchair specially designed to play basketball for Cariboo Hill student Sunera Samarakoon.
Some of many Lower Mainland children who benefit directly from the foundation's work will be at Sunday's walk, where they will also take part in the post-walk carnival.
In addition to a barbecue that will be serving hot dogs and hamburgers to the registered walkers, the carnival will include games and activities for the kids, the White Spot Pipe Band and mascots from the corporate sponsors, which include Radio Shack and the Burnaby NOW.
While the walk has been held across Canada for many years, it had been a relatively small affair in British Columbia until three years ago, when responsiblity for organziing the event fell to the new chapter president, Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Daryl Stone, the officer in charge of the northeast community police station, located at Lougheed Mall.
Advance registration is possible by calling the Sunshine Foundation offices at 1-800-461-7935 or by visiting the Web site at www.sunshine.ca.
It's also possible to join in simply by showing up on the morning of the walk. Registration tables will be open at the Burnaby Lake Pavilion, at the foot of Roberts Street, just northeast of the intersection of Sperling and Sprott.
Weed removal leads to house destruction
Weed removal leads to house destruction
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4 ,2003
Burnaby firefighters were kept hopping on Saturday afternoon when two homes on opposite sides of the city were hit by devastating fires just one minute apart from each other.
The first call at 3:47 p.m. was to a home in the 800 block of Alpha Avenue where a fire that started in a parked vehicle spread to the inside of the home.
While fire damage was limited to the garage and laundry room, much of the interior of the house suffered smoke and heat damage. Investigators are still trying to determine why the vehicle caught fire.
The second, more serious, fire occurred in the 7000 block of 19th Avenue, near Griffiths, when a homeowner was trying to remove weeds from his yard using a 'tiger tail' blowtorch.
Flames from the propane-powered torch spread up the side of the backyard shed onto the carport and then quickly engulfed the two- storey, wood-frame home.
The damage was extensive, and the fire chief's report indicates the home may have to be totally demolished.
Firefighters were hampered in their ability to fight the blaze when cans of flammable materials, likely gasoline and paint thinners that were stored in the work shed, started to explode. Luckily, nobody was injured during the incident.
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4 ,2003
Burnaby firefighters were kept hopping on Saturday afternoon when two homes on opposite sides of the city were hit by devastating fires just one minute apart from each other.
The first call at 3:47 p.m. was to a home in the 800 block of Alpha Avenue where a fire that started in a parked vehicle spread to the inside of the home.
While fire damage was limited to the garage and laundry room, much of the interior of the house suffered smoke and heat damage. Investigators are still trying to determine why the vehicle caught fire.
The second, more serious, fire occurred in the 7000 block of 19th Avenue, near Griffiths, when a homeowner was trying to remove weeds from his yard using a 'tiger tail' blowtorch.
Flames from the propane-powered torch spread up the side of the backyard shed onto the carport and then quickly engulfed the two- storey, wood-frame home.
The damage was extensive, and the fire chief's report indicates the home may have to be totally demolished.
Firefighters were hampered in their ability to fight the blaze when cans of flammable materials, likely gasoline and paint thinners that were stored in the work shed, started to explode. Luckily, nobody was injured during the incident.
Work for fish, rivers recognized
Work for fish, rivers, recognized
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4, 2003
A pair of environmentalists from Burnaby were honoured by the federal fisheries minister this week, as part of the lead-up to Canada Rivers Day, this Sunday, June 8.
Jennifer Atchison of the Stoney Creek environment committee and Elmer Rudolph of the Sapperton Fish and Game Club are two of only five people in the country to receive the prestigious 2003 Recreational Fisheries Awards.
The honour comes with a sterling silver commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint and a certificate of merit. The other recipients are former B.C. Wildlife Federation executive director Bill Otway, the late Bill Chinnick of Sechelt and the Big Rideau Lake Association in Ontario.
"The work you've done shows that the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in Canada," minister Robert Thibault told the Burnaby volunteers Monday during the presentation ceremony at the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa.
"There was nothing in this for any of you, in the way of personal gain," Thibault said in the press release making the announcement. "Your incentives came from within. I hope as many Canadians as possible will hear about what you've achieved and look to it as an example. It's one more demonstration of how much can be accomplished when people direct a strong passion at a good cause."
Atchison has spent seven years volunteering for local waterways, serving as chair of the Stoney Creek committee and helping to found the Stewardship Action Network in B.C.
Rudolph has been with the Sapperton Fish and Game Club on the Brunette River since 1984 and is credited with much of the success in bringing back coho, cutthroat and steelhead runs to the urban waterway.
"Canada has always been known for its recreational fishery, but keeping up our reputation and the habitat on which it depends comes at the cost of hard work by imaginative people," Thibault said. "Our recreational fishery is a resource every Canadian has a stake in. All of us understand that, but we don't all act on it."
And the awards were not the only accolades offered to Burnaby Streamkeepers in the week leading up to the Canada Rivers Day.
On Wednesday, Byrne Creek Streamkeepers and Stream of Dream organizers Joan Carne and Louise Towell were heading off to the nation's capital to transplant portions of the local 'dreamfish mural' to central Canada.
The Stream of Dreams is the colourful mural made of painted plywood fish that was originally installed at Edmonds and Kingsway and has since been repeated at nine other Burnaby schools, plus in Mission, Langley and White Rock. After this week, portions of those murals will now be seen in Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, too.
"When we heard that Rivers Day was going national, I thought that B.C. needs to give the rest of the country a Stream of Dreams," Carne said Tuesday morning. "So we spent nine months getting permission to do this in Ottawa."
But despite all the accolades, Carne agrees with recent comments made by Rudolph and other local Streamkeepers that the honours and awards are nice, but what is really needed is a little bit of professional help - preferably of the kind formerly offered by the full-time stewardship coordinator whose job was lost due to federal funding cuts last month.
"As volunteers, it is very easy to get burned out, so having a person act as a bridge between the agencies and volunteers was really, really valuable," Carne said. "That was just one professional position to support all the work the volunteers do. It would be nice if we could maintain that support."
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4, 2003
A pair of environmentalists from Burnaby were honoured by the federal fisheries minister this week, as part of the lead-up to Canada Rivers Day, this Sunday, June 8.
Jennifer Atchison of the Stoney Creek environment committee and Elmer Rudolph of the Sapperton Fish and Game Club are two of only five people in the country to receive the prestigious 2003 Recreational Fisheries Awards.
The honour comes with a sterling silver commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint and a certificate of merit. The other recipients are former B.C. Wildlife Federation executive director Bill Otway, the late Bill Chinnick of Sechelt and the Big Rideau Lake Association in Ontario.
"The work you've done shows that the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in Canada," minister Robert Thibault told the Burnaby volunteers Monday during the presentation ceremony at the Lord Elgin Hotel in Ottawa.
"There was nothing in this for any of you, in the way of personal gain," Thibault said in the press release making the announcement. "Your incentives came from within. I hope as many Canadians as possible will hear about what you've achieved and look to it as an example. It's one more demonstration of how much can be accomplished when people direct a strong passion at a good cause."
Atchison has spent seven years volunteering for local waterways, serving as chair of the Stoney Creek committee and helping to found the Stewardship Action Network in B.C.
Rudolph has been with the Sapperton Fish and Game Club on the Brunette River since 1984 and is credited with much of the success in bringing back coho, cutthroat and steelhead runs to the urban waterway.
"Canada has always been known for its recreational fishery, but keeping up our reputation and the habitat on which it depends comes at the cost of hard work by imaginative people," Thibault said. "Our recreational fishery is a resource every Canadian has a stake in. All of us understand that, but we don't all act on it."
And the awards were not the only accolades offered to Burnaby Streamkeepers in the week leading up to the Canada Rivers Day.
On Wednesday, Byrne Creek Streamkeepers and Stream of Dream organizers Joan Carne and Louise Towell were heading off to the nation's capital to transplant portions of the local 'dreamfish mural' to central Canada.
The Stream of Dreams is the colourful mural made of painted plywood fish that was originally installed at Edmonds and Kingsway and has since been repeated at nine other Burnaby schools, plus in Mission, Langley and White Rock. After this week, portions of those murals will now be seen in Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, too.
"When we heard that Rivers Day was going national, I thought that B.C. needs to give the rest of the country a Stream of Dreams," Carne said Tuesday morning. "So we spent nine months getting permission to do this in Ottawa."
But despite all the accolades, Carne agrees with recent comments made by Rudolph and other local Streamkeepers that the honours and awards are nice, but what is really needed is a little bit of professional help - preferably of the kind formerly offered by the full-time stewardship coordinator whose job was lost due to federal funding cuts last month.
"As volunteers, it is very easy to get burned out, so having a person act as a bridge between the agencies and volunteers was really, really valuable," Carne said. "That was just one professional position to support all the work the volunteers do. It would be nice if we could maintain that support."
Rule change puts Griffins up for sale
Rule change puts Griffins up for sale
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4, 203, in the New West Record
The Vancouver Griffins women's senior AAA hockey team was put up for sale Tuesday as a protest against recent import player rule changes enacted by Hockey Canada.
And unless the rule changes are reversed there is a high likelihood that the team that features a strong mix of local players and some of the top Olympians from around the world, could fold before play begins in the team's fourth season.
"Diane (Nelson, the Griffin's owner) is not prepared to continue to put her financial resources into a team that basically, for all intents and purposes, is a development team under the instruction of Hockey Canada," said Philip DeGrandpre, the Griffin's president and general manager. "The new import rule changes placed sanctions on American players."
The Griffins' administrators believe the changes, which limit the number of new American players on the team to one per year, are arbitrary and unnecessarily vindictive. The Griffins' roster boasts several U.S. Olympians, including the former American captain Cammi Granato, plus stars Shelley Looney and Courtney Kennedy.
In addition to the American players, the Griffins also feature a strong core of local players such as former Canadian national team member Nancy Drolet and 18-year-old Burnaby resident Natashia Pellatt. The club plays its home games in both New Westminster's Queens Park Arena and Abbotsford's MSA Arena.
DeGrandpre said the rule changes do not affect other teams in the National Women's Hockey League as much they will affect the Griffins, because those other teams already have a strong base of Canadian players.
The problem lies in the conflict between Hockey Canada's desire to make the NWHL a development league for Canadian hockey players, and Nelson's vision of producing the top level of women's hockey possible, DeGrandpre said.
"My argument is that the Griffins are not a development team," DeGrandpre said.
"There are already enough developmental teams in this province. The Griffins were put here to be part of a professional league. That was the intent of this team and the management of this organization.
"This sets women's hockey back 20 years in this province."
But the changes were heartily defended by Julie Healey, the director of female hockey at Hockey Canada's national office in Calgary.
"They'll be the third team that's folded in the past three or four years," Healey said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. "It's unfortunate they're folding, I'm sure it's quite expensive for them."
While Healey acknowledged the new rules make it more difficult for American players to join the NWHL, she said they also loosen up the rules for European players or for Canadian players to cross provincial boundaries.
One major change is that American players now retain their import status even after they've played in the league for a full season.
"We are Hockey Canada and our responsibility is to the development of hockey in Canada," Healey said.
"So we looked at helping other countries by increasing the non- North American imports," she said. "Now we've got two (non-North American imports), which is more than it was. That's part of our wanting to help other countries.
Healey also noted that while the entire NWHL was allowed 10 international players on its 10-team circuit last year, only one or two of those spots were filled.
"It's difficult for us to rationalize opening those doors wide open when they didn't use what they had available in the past."
Healey also said the teams that have the greatest success in the league are those that have the highest Canadian content.
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 4, 203, in the New West Record
The Vancouver Griffins women's senior AAA hockey team was put up for sale Tuesday as a protest against recent import player rule changes enacted by Hockey Canada.
And unless the rule changes are reversed there is a high likelihood that the team that features a strong mix of local players and some of the top Olympians from around the world, could fold before play begins in the team's fourth season.
"Diane (Nelson, the Griffin's owner) is not prepared to continue to put her financial resources into a team that basically, for all intents and purposes, is a development team under the instruction of Hockey Canada," said Philip DeGrandpre, the Griffin's president and general manager. "The new import rule changes placed sanctions on American players."
The Griffins' administrators believe the changes, which limit the number of new American players on the team to one per year, are arbitrary and unnecessarily vindictive. The Griffins' roster boasts several U.S. Olympians, including the former American captain Cammi Granato, plus stars Shelley Looney and Courtney Kennedy.
In addition to the American players, the Griffins also feature a strong core of local players such as former Canadian national team member Nancy Drolet and 18-year-old Burnaby resident Natashia Pellatt. The club plays its home games in both New Westminster's Queens Park Arena and Abbotsford's MSA Arena.
DeGrandpre said the rule changes do not affect other teams in the National Women's Hockey League as much they will affect the Griffins, because those other teams already have a strong base of Canadian players.
The problem lies in the conflict between Hockey Canada's desire to make the NWHL a development league for Canadian hockey players, and Nelson's vision of producing the top level of women's hockey possible, DeGrandpre said.
"My argument is that the Griffins are not a development team," DeGrandpre said.
"There are already enough developmental teams in this province. The Griffins were put here to be part of a professional league. That was the intent of this team and the management of this organization.
"This sets women's hockey back 20 years in this province."
But the changes were heartily defended by Julie Healey, the director of female hockey at Hockey Canada's national office in Calgary.
"They'll be the third team that's folded in the past three or four years," Healey said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. "It's unfortunate they're folding, I'm sure it's quite expensive for them."
While Healey acknowledged the new rules make it more difficult for American players to join the NWHL, she said they also loosen up the rules for European players or for Canadian players to cross provincial boundaries.
One major change is that American players now retain their import status even after they've played in the league for a full season.
"We are Hockey Canada and our responsibility is to the development of hockey in Canada," Healey said.
"So we looked at helping other countries by increasing the non- North American imports," she said. "Now we've got two (non-North American imports), which is more than it was. That's part of our wanting to help other countries.
Healey also noted that while the entire NWHL was allowed 10 international players on its 10-team circuit last year, only one or two of those spots were filled.
"It's difficult for us to rationalize opening those doors wide open when they didn't use what they had available in the past."
Healey also said the teams that have the greatest success in the league are those that have the highest Canadian content.
Judge rips health boards
Judge rips health board
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 3, 2003 in the Pitt Meadows/Male Ridge Times
The head of the Fraser Health Authority is downplaying the impact of a scathing B.C. Supreme Court judgment that criticizes local health boards for their failure to hold public meetings.
Barry Forbes, CEO of the region, said staff will review the judgment. However, he doubts that much will change because, unlike some of the other five health boards in British Columbia, the FHA does hold public meetings.
"I'm here to acknowledge we probably made some mistakes in the early days, but we've been changing our practices," Forbes told a small group of reporters on a teleconference call late last Friday afternoon. "I think we've made efforts to be more open."
While Forbes confirmed that the FHA will hold a minimum of four public meetings this year -- two have already been held -- he faced a barrage of questions about which items are discussed behind closed doors.
"There are matters that are brought to our attention that we are asked to keep in confidence," Forbes said. "If it's a broader issue across the province, we may be asked to keep it in confidence. On others, such as commercial transactions, release could be detrimental to the position of the health authority."
When asked if only matters pertaining to legal, land or labour issues are discussed behind closed doors, Forbes said: "I can't make that commitment because there are other matters that we are given direction on."
The judgment, which was handed down last Wednesday, was especially critical of the large number of closed-door meetings of local health authorities.
"The board either misunderstood or ignored their obligation to hold public meetings except in limited circumstances," B.C. Supreme Court justice M.D. Macaulay said in his reasons for judgment.
The judge also took the unusual step of refuting comments from one Vancouver Coastal health board representative who said the premature release of 'controversial' information can discourage innovative planning.
"That statement shows a cynical favouring of the interest of the bureaucracy over that of the public, as well as a stunning disregard for the legislative intent" of the bill that created the health boards, said the judge.
Forbes refused to distance himself from the statement that the release of 'controversial' information can be detrimental. "I can't speak to what the person intended in their comments," he said. "I can't speak to that at all, but it's not valid for us. We are interacting in many ways with the public and we've increased the number of public meetings."
The new health board has held two public board meetings -- one each in Abbotsford and Pitt Meadows.
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published June 3, 2003 in the Pitt Meadows/Male Ridge Times
The head of the Fraser Health Authority is downplaying the impact of a scathing B.C. Supreme Court judgment that criticizes local health boards for their failure to hold public meetings.
Barry Forbes, CEO of the region, said staff will review the judgment. However, he doubts that much will change because, unlike some of the other five health boards in British Columbia, the FHA does hold public meetings.
"I'm here to acknowledge we probably made some mistakes in the early days, but we've been changing our practices," Forbes told a small group of reporters on a teleconference call late last Friday afternoon. "I think we've made efforts to be more open."
While Forbes confirmed that the FHA will hold a minimum of four public meetings this year -- two have already been held -- he faced a barrage of questions about which items are discussed behind closed doors.
"There are matters that are brought to our attention that we are asked to keep in confidence," Forbes said. "If it's a broader issue across the province, we may be asked to keep it in confidence. On others, such as commercial transactions, release could be detrimental to the position of the health authority."
When asked if only matters pertaining to legal, land or labour issues are discussed behind closed doors, Forbes said: "I can't make that commitment because there are other matters that we are given direction on."
The judgment, which was handed down last Wednesday, was especially critical of the large number of closed-door meetings of local health authorities.
"The board either misunderstood or ignored their obligation to hold public meetings except in limited circumstances," B.C. Supreme Court justice M.D. Macaulay said in his reasons for judgment.
The judge also took the unusual step of refuting comments from one Vancouver Coastal health board representative who said the premature release of 'controversial' information can discourage innovative planning.
"That statement shows a cynical favouring of the interest of the bureaucracy over that of the public, as well as a stunning disregard for the legislative intent" of the bill that created the health boards, said the judge.
Forbes refused to distance himself from the statement that the release of 'controversial' information can be detrimental. "I can't speak to what the person intended in their comments," he said. "I can't speak to that at all, but it's not valid for us. We are interacting in many ways with the public and we've increased the number of public meetings."
The new health board has held two public board meetings -- one each in Abbotsford and Pitt Meadows.
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