Facing their first true test of the 2024 WHL Playoffs, the Prince George Cougars passed with flying colours.

A three-goal second period from Bauer Dumanski, Hudson Thornton and Ondrej Becher paced the Cougars to a dominant 5-0 victory over the Portland Winterhawks in front of another standing-room only crowd of 6, 011 fans at CN Centre.

Prince George leads the best-of-seven Western Conference Final 1-0.

The Cougars dictated the terms of the series opener less than two minutes into the opening period.

An errant pass by Nate Danielson outside the Winterhawks blueline led to a quick transition play by Riley Heidt who found Terik Parascak.

The 17-year-old made no mistake as his quick slap shot blew past the glove of Portland goaltender Jan Spunar giving the hosts a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The Cougars transition game proved lethal once again in the middle period as a 3-on-2 rush lead by Zac Funk, found a streaking Dumanski as his quick wrister bleat the glove hand of Spunar.

Less than six minutes later, Thornton activated his offensive instinct from inside the Winterhawks blueline as his wrist shot fluttered off a pair of the shoulder of Spunar sending the crowd into another frenzy.

“It feels good to come out like that. When you hear the crowd roaring like that right before O’Canada it is pretty easy to play a good game like that. Game One’s are very important when setting the tone for the series and our group did that tonight – it is the easiest game so far in my opinion but it only gets harder from here as they will re-group and give us a good game tomorrow,” added Thornton post-game.

.@PGCougars blueliner Hudson Thornton speaks with the media after scoring once in a 5-0 victory over @pdxwinterhawks to kick off @TheWHL Western Conference Final #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc #sports #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/923huoQFQT

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 27, 2024

Prior to the intermission, Koehn Ziemmer sprung Becher on a 2-on-2 rush inside the Portland blueline – the 19-year-old import from Czechia drove to the middle of the ice and flicked a wrist shot past Spunar for a commanding 4-0 edge.

Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb told the media post-game the score line wasn’t indicative of the play and that a big push is anticipated by the Winterhawks for Game Two.

“When you get to the final four, there are only four teams left in the league and it’s usually the best teams – you are going to get some good hockey. I was really happy with how we handled ourselves against a high-powered team we haven not seen in a while, we stuck to our game plan, the guys bought in and it was a really strong game.”

“Nothing really struck me at all with their team. They have four really good lines with six defence and a good goaltender – nothing surprised me, but I was happy with how we played against them.”

PART 1: @PGCougars head coach Mark Lamb on their 5-0 Game One victory over the @pdxwinterhawks to kick off the @TheWHL Western Conference Final #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc #sports #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Ze2wBPLWUV

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 27, 2024

Ziemmer added the exclamation point on the power-play – off a strong feed from Carlin Dezainde, the 19-year-old from Mayerthorpe, Alberta found himself alone in front and pounced on his golden opportunity.

The Cougars outshot the Winterhawks 35-32. Portland went 0-for-1 while PG was 1-for-3.

Josh Ravensbergen continued his stellar play in the PG crease turning aside 33 Portland attempts, improving to 8-0-0 this postseason all while netting his third playoff shutout to along with the six others he complied in the regular season.

The 17-year-old from North Vancouver, was named the game's first star and now sits with a 1.62 goals against average and .941 save percentage.

Thornton continues to marvel over Ravensbergen's calm demeanor in the crease at this critical juncture of the season.

“You don’t really explain it but it is a credit to him as he works so hard and is one of the hardest working guys I know – he is always trying to get better and is doing all the little things that are paying off for him and he deserves everything he is getting. He has been our back bone this season and we are lucky to have him.”

Thornton also talks about Josh Ravensbergen's third shutout of the playoffs and not taking @pdxwinterhawks lightly heading into Game 2 Saturday night @PGCougars #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc #WHLPlayoffs #sports pic.twitter.com/yrodkHglMz

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 27, 2024

Spunar allowed four goals on 28 shots in defeat.

It was a rare off night at the office for Portland as it was their first defeat of the 2024 postseason after running the table in the first two rounds against the Everett Silvertips and Victoria Royals.

Overage forward Jack O’Brien said it was tough sledding against a Cougars team that did a good job suffocating them every time they reached the PG blueline.

“This time of the year the games are going to be tough. You have to fight for every inch – I do not think it was a 5-0 game. We are going to look at the positives and learn from our mistakes tonight.”

“Time and space is limited out there. I think we need to play a little bit simpler and chip the puck in. I think we will be in a good spot if we do that tomorrow night.”

.@pdxwinterhawks overage forward Jack O'Brien chats with the media after falling 5-0 to @PGCougars in Game 1 of @TheWHL Western Conference Final #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc #sports #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/mRH5LBFcbc

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 27, 2024

Winterhawks bench boss Mike Johnston grew visibly frustrated with the rabid Cougar fans getting into a verbal jousting match with a couple of them directly behind the Portland bench, which led to an ejection.

Johnston addressed the fans behavior earlier in the game, but the issue didn’t get resolved until much later.

“During the game there was no security behind our bench and I was asking for security and for some reason it was not provided. The fans kept walking over from the stands and leaning over the bench from the glass and the referee finally took charge of it.”

As for the game, Johnston believes both teams did a good job of clogging up the offensive zones but it was the Cougars transition game that proved advantageous.

“I thought PG got a couple of good looks off the rush. We need to be better there, but I thought the offensive zone play saw both teams shut themselves down at times, there was not a lot of possession time in the offensive zone.”

.@pdxwinterhawks bench boss Mike Johnston chats with the media after 5-0 loss to @pgcougars in Game 1 of Western Conference Final @TheWHL #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc #sports #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/LVQOExrHPm

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) April 27, 2024

“The second chances are the key thing, I thought we had some good looks and good shots – there were a few rebounds to be had but their defenceman did a good job of getting sticks in and boxing us out. We need to converge on those rebounds.”

In the Eastern Conference Final, Brayden Yager’s eighth of the post season led the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Saskatoon Blades.

Moose Jaw battled back from a 2-0 deficit to stun the top-seeded Blades in front of 8,973 fans at Sasktel Centre.

The Warriors lead the series 1-0 with Game Two also set for Saturday.

Game Two is set for tomorrow (Saturday) at 6pm from CN Centre.

THE BERGER. 8 WINS, 3 SHUTOUTS. pic.twitter.com/4L1y7zPVj5

— xy - Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) April 27, 2024

The post Cougars pounce early and often to blank Winterhawks appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Guilty of manslaughter !

That was the sentence handed down today (Friday) in Supreme Court in Williams Lake for 26-year old Waylon Darian Harry.

He originally went on trial for second degree murder.

Madame Justice Marguerite Church reserved her decision following a trial that lasted almost three weeks back in January.

Harry is due back in court on May 27th to fix a date for sentencing.

Williams Lake RCMP were called out to the community of Esk'etemc, about 50 kilometres southwest of the city, in December of 2021 for a report of a suspicious death.

Upon arrival, police discovered the body of 19-year old Kendra Samson.

A suspect was arrested at the scene.

The post Esk’etemc man found guilty in suspicious death of 19 year old woman appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

The Quesnel Community Foundation held its annual awards night on Wednesday (April 24) in the Billy Barker Casino showroom.

President Bob Salmons says it was a very successful night.

"We were pleased to be able to fund 24 different organizations within the Quesnel area and it went very well.  Everybody was very appreciative and we handed out just over 108 thousand dollars in grants."

The post Quesnel Community Foundation presents grants to several local organizations appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Public illicit drug use will soon be banned in the province, and police will be given more power to enforce the ban.

This ban includes within hospitals, on transit, and at parks and beaches.

“Keeping people safe is our highest priority. While we are caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction, we do not accept street disorder that makes communities feel unsafe,” said Premier David Eby. “We’re taking action to make sure police have the tools they need to ensure safe and comfortable communities for everyone as we expand treatment options so people can stay alive and get better.”

The province and federal government are collaborating to make changes to “the legality of possessing drugs in B.C.,” which will allow police to enforce against public drug use.

The post Province to ban public drug use appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

BC Wildfire Service continues to action the Burgess Creek Wildfire that was discovered last Saturday afternoon (April 20)

Fire Information Officer at the Cariboo Fire Centre Jeromy Corrigan said crews of over 125 remain on site as well as heavy equipment and air support, and had this update.

“There has been minimal growth on the fire yesterday (Thursday) and the fire behaviour has decreased due to favourable weather. Now the primary goal moving forward is to continue to secure the perimetre of the fire and prevent further spread.”

Corrigan said crews will continue to work on the Burgess Creek Wildfire all weekend and if they get favourable weather that will definitely help.

The Burgess Creek Wildfire is roughly 1800 hecatres in size and is located approximately 20 kilometres east of Alexandria, 45 kilometres southeast of Quesnel and 50 kilometres north of Williams Lake.

The post A Crew Of Over 125 On Site At The Burgess Creek Wildfire appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

The District of 100 Mile House received the Community Tourism Plan at the Committee of the Whole Meeting.

Back on Tuesday, April 23rd, Council was given a strategic plan for continued investments in tourism initiatives, and support the long-term and sustainable growth of tourism.

Mayor Maureen Pinkney says the goal is to have a strong visitor economy for one of their main economic drivers.

"Tourism is a very important sector of our local economy. The district always looks to actively seek and support that, and this plan will help identify some actions to not only support it, but also to hopefully help it grow." says Pinkney.

"The tourism sector has been bigger in the past, and maybe we can get it back to that."

Four main goals were given, including increased stakeholder collaboration and capacity, more market-ready experiences and diverse accommodation, expanding tourism marketing activities, and enhanced capacity of operators and communities to develop tourism.

Pinkney says there's a ten year plan to reach the goals, and have already planned a tourism forum in the fall.

She says a lot of this wouldn't have happened without grant money from Destination BC and Pacific Economic Development Canada.

The next steps are for Council to review the action items and prioritize those to move ahead.

More information on the District's Community Tourism Plan can be found on their website here.

The post Community Tourism Plan gets completion for 100 Mile House appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

The CRD is hosting a public meeting with Bouchie Lake residents on a proposed concept for a community sewer system.

A survey and backgrounder were sent to the proposed service area, allowing the regional district to work with affected residents to understand their feedback on the lake's health.

They said a study from BC Ministry of Environment in 2009 showed high levels of nitrogen and phosphate enter Bouchie lake from areas in the watershed, contributing to large algae blooms during the summer, which poses a health risk.

The largest sources of nutrient loading come from agricultural uses of lands in the watershed and sewage disposal systems for lakeshore properties which are in various stages of repair.

A community sewer system would provide one workable option to reduce the amount of nutrient inflow into Bouchie Lake from nearby residential properties.

If approved, a feasibility study would be done, identifying the look, cost, and identify the area any taxation would apply to if a service establishment bylaw is approved among other actions.

Residents can attend the Bouchie Lake Community Hall on April 30 from 4pm to 7pm to speak about what they would like to see, preferences, and address any questions they may have.

More information and the full release can be found on the CRD's website here.

The post Bouchie Lake residents to give their say on sewer system study appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Efforts are underway to bring the Witness Blanket to Quesnel.

Amy Robertson, Cultural Instructor at the Native Friendship Centre, says the first step was to gauge community support for the project.

"I've put the letter of support out there to see if we want this in our community, and what I've gotten back is yes we do.  So now my job is to get back to the representative for the Witness Blanket and say here we go, what's our next step."

Robertson says the Witness Blanket is basically a series of artifacts that have been brought together.

"They call it a witness blanket because it kind of looks like a patchwork quilt and it is made of artifacts that come from actual residential schools right across Canada.  There was a team that traveled to all of the residential school sites in Canada and they picked up at least one relic from each, some standing and some not standing."

Robertson says each artifact tells a bit of a story.

She says they put them into shadow boxes and pieced them together into a wall hanging that is phenomenal.

Robertson says the original is in a museum in Manitoba and they have two replicas, one for the west coast and one for the east coast and they travel around from community to community as an educational tool for truth and reconciliation.

She says it will mean a lot to survivors of residential schools, and she hopes people that didn't go can learn from the exhibit.

"I think to our survivors it will bring a sense of wow, we're actually being heard.  Our story is being told and the truth is coming out.  To the people that haven't attended residential school I am hoping it will bring awareness, and will help people to understand some of the travesties and horrific things that happened to some of the survivors.

The post The Witness Blanket could be coming to Quesnel appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Nine new pieces of artwork were unveiled yesterday (Thursday) afternoon at the Deni House in Williams Lake.

Following a prayer and drumming Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars said he was very proud to be able to be a part of the opening ceremony for this Sacred Space.

“And very, very proud to be honouring the Scewepemc artist Autumn Christopher and the works he has been able to create to make this a safer place for not only our Secwepemc people but our Indigenous people throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin, and really throughout Turtle Island. Williams Lake is located in Secwepemc Territory, it's Williams Lake First Nation, but it's a hub for numerous different Nations that use it for their services.”

Artist Autumn Christopher said the nine images are suppose to represent the Secwepemc culture and what we did in our day to day life.

[caption id="attachment_96823" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo-P Matthews staff[/caption]

“One of them is the lake night divisions painting where it pictures our people fishing at night time. Another is a woman gathering during the Summer season while our men are out hunting, and another one with the animals local to our region and the significance roles they play in our day to day lives.”

[caption id="attachment_96824" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo-P Matthews staff[/caption]

Autumn said it took about one month to create the pieces along with the help of the Elders Committee who gave him advice and gave him suggestions that he could use.

He also explained how he got involved in this project.

“I happened upon Ervine Johnson and we luckily met together when I did a sketch of him when he was a guest speaker. I just done a random sketch and he really liked it so much that he brought me onto this project for the Sacred Space.”

The post Deni House Sacred Space Welcomes New Artwork With A Ceremony appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

SPCA's across the Cariboo will be hosting an open house on Saturday, April 27th.

The event is a great way for anyone wanting to learn more about the SPCA, but also to meet new furry friends.

Williams Lake and District Community Animal Centre Manager, Elizabeth Dighton talks about the event.

"We just want to encourage people to come up and stop by," says Dighton

"maybe spend a few minutes with some of the cats we have that are looking for homes, get a tour of the shelter, learn more of what we do up here, so we can hopefully dispel a few myths because they're still out there."

Starting today (April 25th) until May 5th, adoption fees will be 50 percent off, which Dighton says is a great opportunity for anyone interested.

At the same time, she says they're also looking for various volunteers to help with animal care, such as having one on one time with shy animals.

Quesnel SPCA will have their open house from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at 1000 Carson Pit Road, and Williams Lake and District from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at 709 Bond Lake Road.

The post Cariboo SPCA’s having half off adoption fees and open house appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Quesnel RCMP are seeking the public's help in locating a missing woman.

35-year old Haley Reimer was reported missing on April 18th.

Haley was last believed to be seen in early April but here family hasn't heard from her in many months.

She is described as a Caucasian female who is about 5 feet 7 inches tall, around 135 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Quesnel RCMP (250) 992-9211 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The post Quesnel RCMP looking for missing person appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

The Indigenous Sports Gallery at the BC Sports Hall of Fame in Vancouver can now be experienced by fans throughout the Province and around the world without ever having to leave their homes.

Earlier this month they opened the door to the world's first fully immersive digital Indigenous Sports Gallery.

Project Lead Shelby McCannel said they really wanted people to learn more about Indigenous sport and to see the amazing contributions Indigenous athletes have made.

“Over the last two to three years we've been in the process of figuring out what the digital Indigenous Sport Gallery looks like and within the last year it's been our fully development process. Going through our physical gallery and coming up with the ideas of what we wanted to include in this space and how best to make this as accessible as possible. Not everyone has the same learning styles or access to high speed internet so we wanted to make sure that every Canadian could be able to interact with this content online.”

A key feature includes a 360-degree virtual tour of the gallery with additional content not found in the physical gallery like video profiles of 14 featured athletes and honoured members as well as 3D interactive artifacts.

[caption id="attachment_96807" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo Search & Rescue Marketing Agency[/caption]

McCannel said more than 40 past and active Indigenous are featured in the Gallery including Anahim Lake's Carey Price.

“Carey is one of our featured athletes in our hockey section of our gallery so we do talk about him growing up and learning how to skate on a frozen lake behind his home and how he ended up making it to the NHL playing with the Montreal Canadiens.” McCannel said, “ We do have a few artifacts on display from him, a jersey, sticks and pads, but through the digital Indigenous Sport Gallery, we actually digitized one of his items, his goalie mask so fans on the site will be able to fully interact with that behind the glass feeling and interact digitally with the item. Turn it around, see the back, see the top, and get a different view than what you would typically be able to see in our physical space.”

The Indigenous Sports Gallery opened in 2018 at the BC Sports Hall Hall of Fame and is the largest known permanent gallery in the world containing more 1,500 square feet of exhibit space celebrating the rich history and contributions to sport by First Nations and Metis athletes, teams, coaches, builders and volunteers.

In 2019 it won Best New Exhibit in the world by the International Sports Heritage Association.

The post Carey Price Fans Can Now See His Exhibit In The Indigenous Sports Gallery Online appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Repairs to the Horse Lake Water System is prompting a water service disruption and boil water notice.

The Cariboo Regional District said that on Wednesday, May 1st, repairs will be made to a damaged blowoff along a section of Mulligan Drive east of Granberg.

Water supply to those properties will be turned off from around 8:00am to 2:00pm while the repair is being completed, with the boil water notice in effect after the repairs.

They said the notice will continue until two successive water samples with acceptable results are returned.

During the notice, residents are asked to bring their water to a rolling boil for at least a minute before consuming, cooking, brushing teeth, washing food, dishes and animals.

It's recommended to use hand sanitizer after hand washing with water from the system.

A system-wide flushing will also occur after the repairs until Friday, May 3rd, to remove any built up sediment and other materials in the water, and residents are asked to run their water until clear when sedimentation is observed.

The full release can be found on the CRD's website here.

The post CRD issues water service disruption and boil water notice for Horse Lake appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

By all accounts the Lhtako Quesnel BC Winter Games in February were a success.

A report to that effect was presented to Quesnel City Council on Tuesday (Apr 23) night.

Amy Reid, the Manager of Economic Development & Tourism, noted that there up to 3,000 people in Quesnel for the Games.

Leading up to the event, there were a number of improvements to local facilities.

"Including Troll Ski Resort, Hallis Lake with their permanent biathlon range and other trail improvements, the Quesnel Gymnastics Club, the Curling Club, the Arts and Rec Centre, Trolls Freestyle Club which was a new club established with support from Freestyle BC, and the Nechako Karate Club and Kororo Judo Club, they both received mats."

Reid also reported that the community could also benefit financially.

"The Winter Games Society anticipates there will be a legacy fund as the result of generous cash and in kind donations which will stay in the community.  In total, there were about 263 thousand in kind donations and over 270 thousand in cash donations."

Reid noted that the actual amount of a legacy fund has not been tallied yes, but will be soon.

She also talked about a survey that visitors completed.

"55 percent of visitors who came to Quesnel indicated that they were visiting for the first time, 68.6 percent indicated that Quesnel was better than they expected or they were pleasantly surprised by the community, and 39.2 percent said they would definitely visit again, and 44.3 percent said they would consider another visit in the summer or with more snow in the winter."

The post All signs indicate that it was a very successful Lhtako Quesnel BC Winter Games appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

A cyclist is making the trek to Vancouver, raising money for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Mark Camps' journey began in Prince George on Sunday, April 21st, and has continued riding south, making his way through the Cariboo.

[caption id="attachment_96791" align="alignright" width="204"] Photo - provided by Mark Camps[/caption]

Camps says he doesn't just have one person in mind when he's riding.

"There's been parents of good friends, there's been personal relatives of mine, very good neighbours at home." says Camps.

"It's not specifically for one individual, but it's kind of for everybody that's had a bit of a struggle."

While Camps had done some preparation, the consecutive longer days has put a bit of miles on the body, but goes alright once the ride starts.

From Prince George, he's gone to Quesnel, then Williams Lake, made his way to Clinton yesterday, and will now be making his way to Lillooet, Pemberton, and finally Vancouver by Friday.

Donations can be done on Camp's personal fundraising page on the BC Cancer Foundation's website here.

The post Cyclist riding across the province raising funds against cancer appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

An event to bring people together through dialogue and artwork to explore diverse notions of resilience in the context of Climate Change will take place early next month in Williams Lake.

Stories of Resilience Voices from across British Columbia's Interior will showcase artworks and stories of resilience reflecting on the 2017 Wildfire season.

“This has been in the making for quite sometime,” Tina Elliott, Project Lead for the Resilience Institute said, “it's a partnership between the Institute and the Canadian Red Cross. As we know there have been wildfires since 2017 that have had quite an impact on people across the Interior of BC so we certainly aimed at reflecting on the 2017 wildfire season. We asked people to reflect on all kinds of experiences and hardships that draw one to be resilient.”

Elliott said especially as we head into the summer and look to the future they want to have those opportunities for people to share what they've learned through their experiences and to learn from each other.

“For those who will be attending this event May 4^th at the Tourism Discovery Centre, they will see one of a kind artwork that compliments the stories that will be told. There will be 8 story tellers, that includes one from Williams Lake, John Dell, they all worked one on one with the Project artist to come up with these creations. We're also creating Podcasts, books, and other creative outputs so that we can share these stories, these ideas, and inspire other people.”

Elliott noted that she didn't think it was easy for the storytellers to share their stories and that she has a deep, profound respect for them.

“I did hear reflections from them over the many months we've been working on this initiative together that they were challenged to think about what story they wanted to tell and what they wanted to communicate from their experiences. Sometimes they had to pause and take a break and reflect because it is very personal. I think it takes a lot of courage for people to share their their story and that's incredibly meaningful,” Elliott said.

“Stories of Resilience” goes from noon until 5 at the Tourism Discovery Centre in Williams Lake.

It is a free event but those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP

The post Stories And Artwork Of Resilience Coming May 4th To The Tourism Discovery Centre appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

The Burgess Creek Wildfire 20 kilometres east of Alexandria between Quesnel and Williams Lake has grown.

Fire Information Officer at the Cariboo Fire Centre, Madison Dahl said it grew 200 hectares yesterday (Tuesday) and is now 1800 hectares in size.

Dahl said they are expecting the possibility of a few showers or at least a decrease in the temperature today (Wednesday) and the winds that came through yesterday are expected to die down for a few days.

“Despite cloud cover and the cooler conditions there is still a high chance of any open flame escaping and growing. Just because it's a bit cooler we still are seeing very dry conditions out there.”

Dahl noted that they have an increase in resources, today we have over 110 firefighters on site, we also have 16 pieces of heavy equipment and additional air support.

The post Burgess Creek Wildfire Now 1800 Hectares In Size appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Kids in Williams Lake will have help to communicate with a new board at Kiwanis Park.

The communication board gives the English and Shuswap version of different key words that would be used when at the park.

Teacher with School District 27, Ashley Merth says this came about after having one in 150 Mile.

[caption id="attachment_96774" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo - provided by the City of Williams Lake[/caption]

"After our school got one, I kept thinking how we were missing this in our one major park, Kiwanis Park." says Merth.

"I just felt like it is the main park for our community where lots of families and toddlers go, and I just kept seeing the benefits this board could have for other toddlers and young children who need communication help in the community."

Merth added this was put together with SD-27 Speech and Language Therapist, Charlotte Lundeen, the City of Williams Lake, Williams Lake First Nation, Early Childhood Development Network, and the Cariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy Society, and others.

She says it would be great to have similar boards in other parks and communities to make communication more accessible to children and learners.

Merth also gave thanks to Williams Lake First Nation for providing the Shuswap words to the board to make it accessible.

The post Communication board at Kiwanis Park to help youth in the community appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

The Independent Investigations Officer of B.C. (IIO) has cleared police officers in Quesnel of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with an incident that left a suspect with a broken arm.

The IIO says RCMP were attempting to stop a pickup truck driven by a man who was a prohibited driver.

It says they attempted to stop the vehicle at around 5:20 p.m. back on March 10th, 2023 but it fled the scene.

Officers did not pursue as the suspect was seen driving dangerously, including driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding through a school zone.

The IIO says the pickup was eventually seen turning into a Y-shaped cul-de-sac with only two exits.

The report indicates that police then approached in both directions and the suspect then attempted to leave.

One of the police vehicles then "rammed" the pickup on the driver's side causing it to spin into the snow bank.

[caption id="attachment_96777" align="alignright" width="300"] (Drawing of the man pinned between the two vehicles-photo provided by IIO)[/caption]

A second officer, driving behind the first officer, then approached the vehicle and despite attempting to stop, it slid in the snow into the right side of the pickup.

The IIO says the suspect's arm was then pinned against his pickup and the first police cruiser.

The IIO says the suspect told them that the first impact came as a surprise and caused him to be thrown out of the pickup and onto the ground.

It says he then reached up with his right hand to pull himself up when there was a second impact. and his arm was pinched between the door and the truck body.

In terms of legal issues, the IIO noted that the actions of the first officer, had the potential to be viewed both as dangerous driving and assault with a weapon (the police vehicle).

It determined however, that the officer's actions were justified as there was no pedestrian or other vehicle traffic, and therefore no obvious danger to the general public, and that the suspect driver was enclosed in a pickup and not in a small car or on a motorcycle.

As for the second police officer that appeared to cause the injury, the IIO determined that the contact was not intentional and called it "an unfortunate accident."

The IIO says their investigation was based on statements from the suspect, a paramedic and two witness police officers, as well as from police dispatch, audio recordings of police radio transmissions, data downloads from the police vehicles, and from a collision reconstructionist.

The two officers involved, who were not compelled to submit notes, reports and data, chose not to.

This did not impact the IIO's investigation, but it says it did limit what charges could be laid against the suspect.

Police forward several driving-related offences to the crown for approval but also charges related to firearms and narcotics, based on items found in a search of the pickup.

The IIO says on August 16, 2023 Crown counsel wrote to RCMP advising that it would not be able to proceed with any of the firearm or drug charges because both 'subject officers' had refused to provide any evidence regarding the incident.

The post Quesnel Police officers cleared of wrongdoing in arrest that left man with broken arm appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

Through many years of co-creation with Tsilhqot'in Knowledge Keepers, Leaders, Matriarchs and Community members, the first public offering of this cultural awareness training will take place on May 7th in Williams Lake for organizations and individuals that work with Tsilhqot'in communities and/or members.

In a release TNG Chief Joe Alphonse stated “We know that many of the organizations and businesses that work with our people lack an understanding of our history and who we are today. there is a lot of training out there but this is the first one that outlines the lived histories and realities of the Tsilhqot'in people. If you are working with the Tsilhqot'in, this course will provide you with the insight needed to do your work in a respectful and compassionate manner.”

In the summer the TNG plans to conduct 2-day training sessions with the inclusion of an on-the-land-component.

An online training component will also be available later this year.

The Tsilhqot'in National Government said funding for this program was provided by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs in the wake of the devastating 2017 wildfires and tensions experienced between agencies operating in Tsilqot'in communities.

The post Tsilhqot’in National Government launching Cultural Awareness Training appeared first on My Cariboo Now.