The lighter side of news. A little bit for everyone. Positive, fun, light reading! August 2012

Park project expands as Canadians give back to the environment(NC) Last year, hundreds of Canadians rolled up their sleeves planting, weeding, and cleaning to rejuvenate their community – and in 2012 that number is poised to triple. Year one of Molson Canadian’s Red Leaf Project concluded with the planting of over 110,000 trees, the removal of 2,000 bags of litter, and the cleanup of hundreds of miles of shorelines. Due to the overwhelming amount of passion and excitement by Canadians to pitch in and help in their own community, the program will expand from 10 events to 100 events this summer.Since May, thousands of individuals across the country have registered for this environmental cause, and

more than 50 of this year’s park projects have been completed thus far. Parks from British Columbia through to Nova Scotia have benefit-ed, with dozens more planned through August and into September. Spots for the remaining events are filling up fast and new volunteers can easily sign up on the Molson Canadian Facebook page.The concept for the Red Leaf Project is pretty simple: Canadians who show up to do some good in their community are rewarded by Molson Canadian as a thank you for taking part. This collaborative program was started last summer in partnership with Evergreen Canada, a national charity which works to create and

preserve dynamic green spaces.“We’re so thrilled to be a part of the Red Leaf Project again, which engages and inspires us to make a positive difference in our local parks and neighborhoods,” says Evergreen CEO, Geoff Cape.And just what do these volunteers get in return? Aside from a great sense of pride and accomplishment after spending some time helping to better the environment, they are rewarded with an after party, plus each participant receives a free tick-et to a music festival or a proprietary concert that takes place in their region.

2 The Flipside August 2012

EditorKim Lowder

ContributorsSandy BakerJoyce Lee (Tourism Dawson Creek)

Ad Sales - (250) 262-9107sales@flipsidenews.caKara 250-261-4731Charli 250-783-0629

Mailing address#4, 1913 - 96 Ave., Dawson Creek, BC V1G 1M2 250-262-9107email: info@flipsidenews.cawww.flipsidenews.cawww.facebook.com/FlipsideNews

Interesting Words

fug (fugg) n. an odorous ema-nation, especially, the stuffy atmosphere of a poorly venti-lated space. gat (gat) n. a natural or artifi-cial channel or passage.irenic (eye-reen’-ick) adj. favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, mod-eration, or conciliation.kerf (kerf) n. 1: a slit or notch made by a saw or cutting torch. 2: the width of cut made by a saw or cutting torch.legerity (le-jehr’-it-ee) n. alert, facile quickness of mind or body.marmoreal (mar-more’-ee-al) adj. of, relating to, or sug-gestive of marble or a marble statue, especially in coldness or aloofness.recondite (ree’-kon-dite, ri-kon’-dite) adj. 1: not easily understood, incomprehensible to one of ordinary understand-ing or knowledge; abstruse. 2: concerned with or treating something abstruse or obscure. 3: concealed; hidden.ullage (ull’-ij) n. 1: the amount that a container (as a cask or tank) lacks being full; want-age; deficiancy, for example, as might be lost by leakage in shipment or storage. 2: appar-ently, in the UK, ullage is also the amount left in the keg con-sidered undrinkable; dregs.

(NC) Study after study shows that immigrants bring increased levels of innovation and productivity to the Canadian companies that employ them. Yet despite impressive creden-tials and relevant experience, new-comers to Canada continue to expe-rience significantly higher unem-ployment rates and wage gaps com-pared to Canadian-born residents.This situation persists despite a shrinking population of working-age adults and growing critical labour and skill shortages in the country:

• Statistics Canada estimates by 2056, more than a quarter of the population will be 65 or older.• Current fertility rates are below replacement levels.• Canada’s economies will increas-ingly rely on the support of new Canadians to address these skill shortages in key job sectors.• For the past 20 years, immigration levels have remained constant with about 250,000 permanent residents entering Canada a year. Many argue we need to double this level of immigration to meet current and future labour force needs.• Significant barriers to employment include the difficulty immigrants face in having foreign credentials and work experience recognized, in addition to their lack of a profes-sional network here.• Job applicants with English-sounding names and Canadian expe-rience are more than three times more likely to be considered for an interview than those with Chinese,

Indian or Pakistani names and for-eign education and work experience. The exception was applicants from Britain.“The net effect of the hiring bias is a less globally competitive Canada,” said Sonya Kunkel, the director of diversity and inclusion at BMO.“There is a tremendous wealth of talent and experience that is being underutilized in our workforce. Businesses need to combat higher levels of immigrant unemployment and wage gaps with better strategies to increase their integration into the Canadian workforce. One such strat-egy is speed mentoring,” she said.Speed mentoring provides newcom-ers with a unique opportunity to build their professional network in a series of rapid-fire interviews and mentoring sessions from prospective employers.BMO is a national sponsor of ACCES Employment’s speed men-toring program, and an enthusiastic participant in the mentoring ses-sions. BMO employees volunteer as speed mentors and the company has made many successful hires through the program. The bank was also rec-ognized, for the fourth year in a row, as one of Canada’s best employers for new Canadians.“We strongly believe a diverse work-force that reflects the communities where we work and do business is critical to attracting and retaining top talent,” continued Ms. Kunkel.

More information is available in the careers section of www.bmo.com.

Hiring bias hurts Canada’s productivity, according to BMO Financial Group

August 2012 The Flipside 3

“I'm never too busy for your referrals"

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Charlotte Kimmie

101, 9711 - 100th AveFort St John

250-785-5520

charlotte@remaxaction.ca

250-262-4481

It’s your road. No one can

walk it for you.Enjoy the journey!

Keeping Up with August at the Dawson Creek Visitor CentreSubmitted by Joyce LeeManager, Visitor ServicesTourism Dawson Creek

August is an awesome month to be traveling, and a great time to come to Dawson

Creek! The landscape is beautiful, the weather is great and there is a lot going on! What a fun month! This is a big year of anniversary events and a “hopping-busy” time at the Dawson Creek Visitor Centre.2012 is the 100th Anniversary of the Town of Rolla (minutes out of Dawson Creek) and there is a big community homecoming party planned for the weekend of August 3rd, 4th and 5th. Rolla was a boom-ing community in the early 1920′s, boasting several stores, hotels, banks, livery stables, blacksmith shops and a school. In 1930 the rail-road came to Dawson Creek, a much smaller community at the time and as Dawson Creek expanded, Rolla grew smaller.The celebration includes a weekend full of entertainment and fun activi-ties. Of special note is a historic wagon train coming in from Spirit River Alberta, over a 4-day period, arriving in Rolla on Thursday August 2. Dawson Creek’s own famous local singer/songwriter Roy Forbes, one of Canada’s best-loved acoustic artists, will be performing on Sunday, August 5th at the Rolla Hall. This year is also the 70th Anniversary of the Construction of the Alaska Highway 1942).The Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) convoy is mus-

tering here in Dawson Creek with almost 100 military vehicles before heading up the Alaska Highway for a 27 day, 4,100-mile (6,600-km) adventure. They will be returning to Dawson Creek on August 30. If you are on the road at the same time, be prepared to see some great historic vehicles!There will be an official launch of the MVPA convoy on Friday, August 3rd at 6pm at the N.A.R. Park, right outside the Visitor Centre. (How awesome is that?!)Also this month, Dawson Creek is celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Exhibition and Stampede on August 7th – 12th. Aptly named “The Greatest Show in the Peace!” this is one of the biggest professional rodeos in Canada. There

is a lot to take in: Kiddies’ Parade, the Fall Fair Parade, the Professional Rodeo and the Midway. Be sure to check out the pro chuck wagons, pro rodeo, agriculture exhibits & live entertainment. The fun goes on into the night with fireworks, great food & if you are so inclined, some fun at the Waterin’ Hole (beer gardens).Wow! That’s a lot of action! Of course, the friendly and knowledge-able staff at Visitor Center will be participating and enjoying all the events while serving you. Make sure you stop in! We have a lot of resources to help you enjoy your stay in our community and region and will help plan your trips to all points beyond!

Happy August!

(NC) Did you know that the average North American child spends from one to three hours per day with his or her eyes on a computer screen? The startling increase of nearsight-edness (myopia) in children world-wide may be a direct consequence of this activity, pediatric eye doctors say.“In fact, children using computers before their visual systems are fully developed are at the very heart of the public health problem called ‘com-puter vision syndrome’,” says Bijan Minbashion, vice president of opera-tions for Hakim Optical, a national

leader in retail eye care. “A study at the University of California reports that 25% to 30% of computer-using children need corrective eyewear to work with the equipment comfort-ably and safely – and similar studies in Asia report that first-graders with myopia has increased from 12.1% to 20.4% since 1995. In the last three years, myopia is reported to have doubled to 34% in seven to nine year olds.”To guard against early damage to your child’s eyes, consider these Hakim Optical tips:• Schedule a comprehensive eye

exam as your child enters kindergar-ten, including near-point (computer and reading) and distance testing.• Schedule an eye exam before school begins every year.• The recommended distance for children between the monitor and the eye is 18-28 inches. Any closer risks eye strain.• Be aware of behaviour that indi-cates problems such as eye redness, frequent rubbing of the eyes, unusu-al posture, or complaints of blurri-ness or eye fatigue.

Guard your child from computer eye damage

4 The FlipSide August 2012

July Answers

TV Trivia

Do you remember this weekly sitcom?If you are stumped on this we’ll tell you in the next issue.

Last Issue: Welcome Back Kotter

Music Trivia1. Which famous musician inspired

the Deep Purple song, Smoke On The Water?

2. Which Jimi Hendrix song was the first one to use the famous wah-wah pedal?

3. What inspired John Pasche to create the famous “lips and tongue” logo for Rolling Stones?

4. Which of the following bands/musicians does NOT belong to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame - Deep Purple, AC/DC or Ma-donna?

5. Which Rush album featured the Starman logo for the first time?

1. Frank Zappa2. Voodoo Child3. Jagger’s mouth4. Deep Purple5. 2112

Music Trivia Answers

An old farmer had owned a large farm for several years. He had a

large pond in the back forty, had it fixed up nice; picnic tables, horse-shoe courts, basketball court, etc. The pond was fixed for swimming when it was built. One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn’t been there for a while, and look it over. As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end of the pond.One of the women shouted to him, “We’re not coming out until you leave!” The old man replied, “I didn’t come down here to watch you ladies swim or make you get out of the pond, I only came to feed my alligators.” Old age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill every time!

“I have heard there are trou-bles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my trou-bles are going to have trou-bles with me!”

― Dr. Seuss

Across1. Misinterpret5. “Thy word is -__ unto my feet”10. Loses luster14. Unshut, perhaps15. Bill who hosts HBO’s ‘RealTime’16. Prefix with lateral and distant17. Engendered19. Vital thing20. Solzhenitsyn, in the ‘70s21. Milk, facetiously23. Hippie’s “Understood, man”26. Former justice Abe27. “What Kind of Fool Am I” singer32. Baseball hit just beyond the infield33. Chair man Charles34. Hops kilns

38. Gallup specialty40. French assembly42. Style43. In one fell___45. Clog kin47. Day after Thu.48. Put through the ringer51. Horses’ home54. “____ we forget...”55. Question after a spill58. “___ forget anyone...”62. Horse-racing track63. ‘60s musical phenomenon66. Main character in the musical “Xanadu”67. Newsman Roger68. Hagar’s daughter69. “Jezebel” actress on TV: 1950’s70. Nobelist Sachs

71. Has the rights toDown1. Minimum ___ (low pay rate)2. He rescued Achilles’ body3. Jazz saxophonist Coltrane4. Early game in a tourna-ment5. Bon ___ (Comet rival)6. Before Vegas7. Affected cough to gain attention.8. ‘Take ___ your leader’9. Test prints10. Objection on the groundsof scruples11. Phrase of resignation12. Fly in the sky13. Locations18. Change back to brunette22. Skater Starbuck24. Mrs. William McKinley andothers25. Most spunky27. Soaks up28. Say openly29. Venus de___30. Open to a bribe31. Juan Peron’s third wife35. Flaccid36. Raced (through)37. Slide on ice39. Argue in favour of41. Small carry-on44. ___ Alto, California46. Rock group49. Germanic tribesman50. Chest: prefix51. Paige, informally52. Really53. Home on high56. Without: Ger.57. Nautical spine59. Reduce the speed of60. Volunteers’ home: Abbr.61. Oxfords’s river64. Cartoonist Keane whodraws “The Family Circus”65. TV Tarzan, Ron

August 2012 The Flipside 5

In Fort St. JohnA & W Angelic Light B & M Glass Burgers & Brews (Northgate Inn)BMO Cecil Lake Store Credit Union Esquires Coffee House Fort St. John Hospital Waiting AreasFort St. John Medical Clinic WaitingFort City Chrysler Humpty’s Family RestaurantLone Wolf (Taylor) Mondos Mama Panda Restaurant Mile 54 Cafe Masterpiece Framing Northern Grand Northern Star On the Rocks PubOn the Rocks LiquorRazors EdgeRedwood Esso (Taylor) Rogers Trucking Royal Bank Rudy’s Car & Truck Wash Systems Secure Stonebridge Hotel TD BankThe Shed (Taylor) Tim Hortons (North & South) Quiznos Urban Thredz Whole Wheat & Honey

Places to findThe Flipside

In Dawson CreekAurora InnCIBCDawson Creek Visitor CenterDays Inn Lobby Dr. Fletcher’s OfficeEljen ClinicFarmington Store George Dawson LobbyGeorge Dawson CaféHospital MainHuskyLees RestaurantRockwells Stuie’s DinerSubwayThe LodgeTD Bank White SpotTubby’s Car Wash

A friendly look, a kindly smile,

one good act, and life’s worthwhile.

Always hold your head up, but be care-ful to keep your nose at a friendly level.

- Max L. Forman

AbackAdverbAmuseAwaitBannersBringsBuddyCameoClinksClockCoexist

DecryDietsDragsDrawnEditsEraseFivesGiddinessGrantGrowthHeavenly

HerniaIndiscretionsLeechMessyMistiestMitesParentsPecanPerilsPerseveresProfusely

PurredRemissRequiresShredSimplesSmokyTaughtTingeWantsWinched

In this life I’m a woman.In my next life, I’d like to come back as a bear. When you’re a bear, you get to hibernate.You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that. Be-fore you hibernate, you’re supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that, too.When you’re a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you’re sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute cud-dly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.If you’re a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.If you’re a bear, your mate EX-PECTS you to wake up growling. He EX-PECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.Yup... gonna be a bear.

Two brothers jointly owned a busi-ness and both were wise in worldly ways. While dying, one brother in-structed his sibling to put half of their combined wealth into the grave with the casket. The brother reluc-tantly agreed. In time his brother died. At the graveside ceremony the living brother wrote a check for half of their assets and placed it in the casket.

“What time does the library open?” the man on the phone asked. “Nine A.M.” came the reply. “And what’s the idea of calling me at home in the middle of the night to ask a question like that?”“Not until nine A.M.?” the man asked in a disappointed voice.“No, not till nine A.M.!” the librar-ian said. “Why do you want to get in before nine A.M.?”“Who said I wanted to get in?” the man sighed sadly. “I want to get out.”

My aunt died, God bless her, at a ripe old age of 104.We called her Aunt Tique.

6 The FlipSide August 2012

(NC) With a stash of strawberries and a ripe banana you can jump-start your day with this nutritious, tasty smoothie in just minutes. It provides vitamin C, fibre, potassium and soy protein thanks to its main ingredient - Sunrise peach mango tofu dessert.

“Smoothies are one of the most popular uses of our tofu desserts,” said Michael P. Clive, the chef for Sunrise Soya Foods. He notes that tofu smoothies are gaining in popu-larity with health-conscious con-sumers looking for low-fat, choles-terol-free and dairy-free health snacks. Most will have it as a fast and easy breakfast smoothie. An ideal choice for those who are lac-tose intolerant and looking for dairy alternatives, these different tofu des-sert flavours can be combined with other fruits and juices to create sig-nature smoothies.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 package (300g) Sunrise peach mango tofu dessert (pre-frozen)

4 strawberries

1 medium ripe banana

1½ cups orange juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Serve immediately.

Calories: 150 Fat: 1.5g (Saturated Fat: 0.2g) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 10mg Carbohydrates: 25g Fibre: 1g Protein: 3g Calcium: 6% Iron:4%

Tip: pre-freeze your package of tofu dessert prior to blending to replace ice and to make it a slushy smoothie

More recipe ideas and tips for pre-paring tofu are available online at www.sunrise-soya.com.

Ice and dairy-free Strawberry Banana Smoothie

(NC) Whether it’s to soak up the sun while laying poolside, hiking in the woods, or sitting on a patio to enjoy a cool drink with friends when the days get longer, our first instinct is to move outside to absorb the day-light and fresh air we naturally crave. In fact, natural daylight has been associated with improved mood, enhanced morale, reduced fatigue and reduced eyestrain.

Natural light and fresh air are quite essential to healthy living, so it’s important to realize that most people spend the majority of their time indoors. Between home and the office or workplace, up to 90 per cent of our time can be spent inside buildings.

Since there is no electrical light source that matches exactly the qual-ities of daylight, the amount of natu-ral light provided through windows, doors and skylights has a direct impact on your overall well-being. Consider a modest investment in

your home that will pay back through improved mood, productivity and general happiness. Skylights provide up to twice as much light as win-dows on vertical wall surfaces. Today’s best skylights feature a no-leak guarantee when installed cor-rectly, and are made from high-per-formance materials that block out the sun’s damaging UV-B rays which can lead to sunburns, skin aging and skin cancer.

To maximize health benefits, install a Velux venting skylight which lets in just as much sunlight as a typical skylight but also opens for improved air circulation in your home. Increasing fresh air helps to improve energy levels and may decrease asthma and allergy triggers, which have been conclusively linked to humid buildings. Skylight accessory options include remote controlled blinds for added control over the amount of light entering your home. More information is available online at www.velux.ca.

A brighter home is a healthier home

(NC) Putting together a comprehen-sive, realistic budget before, or while pursuing your postsecondary educa-tion, will help you avoid headaches and concentrate on your studies. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (@FCACan) provides a number of tools and practical tips for students and their parents in its new online guide, Paying for Post-Secondary Education.

One tip is to determine what you actually need and what you would like to have, to avoid going over your monthly budget. Once you have determined your needs, take some time to identify sources of income and ways to save to cover your future expenses. The Student Budget Calculator will give you a clear snapshot of your finances. It is available at itpaystoknow.gc.ca.

New tool available to help students budget

Call250-262-9107

for ad info

August 2012 The Flipside 7

One day my housework-challenged hus-band decided to wash his Sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laun-dry room, he shouted to me, ‘What set-ting do I use on the washing machine?’ ‘It depends,’ I replied. ‘What does it say on your shirt?’ He yelled back, ‘OHIO STATE!’ And they say blondes are dumb!

(NC) Students and parents have a million things on their mind at the beginning of a new school year. Perhaps this is why most people spend less than one day researching the purchase of a laptop, according to a new survey conducted on behalf of Toshiba of Canada.

With such a wide availability of product choices, selecting a laptop can be a daunting experience. The national survey also polled 1,000 Canadians to determine what fea-tures are considered the most impor-tant when making a laptop purchase.

While price topped the list of crite-ria, hard drive space came in as a close second with 62 per cent of students agreeing that this is a cru-cial requirement in a school laptop. Experts suggest looking for a unit equipped with a hard drive impact sensor which detects sudden movements and protects valuable

files, like essays and research from damage.

Durability, battery life and the abili-ty to connect to other devices round-ed out the top five requirements. Perhaps pointing to a generation gap, 23 per cent of students consid-ered support for gaming a priority in a laptop, compared to only 10 per cent of parents.

When researching a laptop, experts suggest first determining how you primarily plan to use your laptop. Will you be taking it everywhere with you? Will it mostly be used for word processing and web surfing or will you require a machine that will be an entertainment hub for stream-ing movies and can handle graphics intensive processing like gaming?

Once you know how you›re going to use your laptop, it is easier to sift through the information at your dis-

posal and begin comparing models. Be informed and simplify the selec-tion process. Here are the top five questions to ask before purchasing a new laptop, courtesy of Toshiba of Canada:

1. What size do I need and how por-table do I want my laptop to be?

2. How fast should a processor be and how much memory do I need?

3. Do I need a dedicated graphics card for multimedia content and games?

4. What ports do I need and will I be able to connect my smartphone, TV, speakers and printer to the laptop?

5. What kind of software and acces-sories come with the laptop and are there any back-to-school bundles that I can take advantage of?

Tips for selecting your back-to-school laptop

(NC) Many parents want their chil-dren to learn the principles of sound money management so that they can make the best financial decisions later on. But parents don’t always have the knowledge they need to guide their children. Parents will be happy to learn that there are tools available to help their kids learn the basics of personal finance.Financial Basics is an interactive, hands-on workshop developed by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (@FCACan), in collabora-tion with the Investor Education Fund of Ontario and journalist and author Ellen Roseman. Its objective content is provided at no cost and deals with expenses, credit and debt

management, savings and invest-ments, and fraud prevention. The workshop covers all key aspects of personal money management.Designed by subject matter experts, this basic, easy-to-use workshop can also be used by post-secondary edu-cational institutions, community organizations and employers. Financial Basics includes compre-hensive and varied workshop mate-rials (for example, participants’ handbooks and slides), making the content easy to teach and tailor for different audiences.Financial Basics workshop materials can be downloaded or ordered at no cost from itpaystoknow.gc.ca.

Teaching financial basics has never been easier

8 The Flipside August 2012

Gold Panning The 40th Ruby Anniversary Celebrat ion Peace Is land Park, Taylor , BC. , August 3 -5 , 2012

Friday, August 3rd, 2012

6:00pm Parade Judging 6:30pm Gold Panning Parade

7:30pm Family Campfire & Entertainment

Children & Family Activi t ies Include: Balloon Stomp / Cherry Pi t Spit t ing / Claimstaking / Face Painting / Loll ipop Guess / Rootbeer Chugging

Saturday, August 4th, 2012

11am Arts & Crafts Fair 11am Registration & Information Opens

12 noon Opening Ceremonies 12-5pm Beginner Demonstrations

12-5pm Children & Family Activities 12-5pm Class “C” Panning Adult & Juvenile

12 noon Media / Mayor Panning 1:30pm Juvenile Open Competition

3pm Class “B” Competition 6pm Barbeque

7pm Bannock Baking Competition 8pm Family Campfire & Movie Night

Sunday, August 5th, 2012

8am Pancake Breakfast 9am Adult Metal Detecting

9-11:30am Class “C” Gold Panning 9:30am Juvenile Metal Detecting

10am-2pm Arts & Crafts Fair 12 noon Official Class “A” Welcome 12pm World Invitational Class “A”

Gold Panning Championships

Gold Panning in Taylor BC, is the place to be!