The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory.

B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan


Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George


This photo was posted to the City of Victoria's Twitter feed Thursday night around 8:30 p.m.
A reclusive reptile that has been living in a storm drain below the streets of Victoria now has a new home.
A tweet posted Thursday night by the City of Victoria shows a city worker holding the snake.
Officials haven't said how it was coaxed out of the drain, but the tweet said it would be turned over to animal control officers.
When it was spotted in the drain during routine maintenance last week, experts said it appeared to be a nearly two-metre long harmless corn snake, but a closer look at the photo released Thursday night shows it may be a boa constrictor.
It originally rebuffed all efforts at capture, including a heated tube and offerings of dead mice, because it was shedding its skin.
Officials didn't want to harm it or tear up the street, so the pipe was sealed until the moulting was complete and the snake was more co-operative.
(CFAX)
The Canadian Press

Elusive snake finally coaxed out of drain pipe under Victoria street


Officials don't say how they captured the snake, which will be turned over to animal control.


Premier Christy Clark and Environment Minister Mary Polak plug in an electric car at an announcement of the government's latest climate change plan in Richmond Aug. 19.
A B.C. Liberal operative was out with the online spin hours before Premier Christy Clark confirmed the much-leaked news in a Friday afternoon announcement at an obscure location in Richmond.
The, er, freeze is continuing for B.C.’s ground-breaking, world-saving carbon tax, which hasn’t changed since before Clark was elected in 2013.
The spin was Olympic-themed, with a picture labeled to show B.C. as a swimmer far out in the lead in the pool, to symbolize that it’s the other provinces that need to catch up in the race to save the planet.
Clark has been saying that for years, and there is merit to it. Even without a tax on “process emissions” such as from cement kilns, B.C.’s carbon tax encourages imports of non-taxed cement from the U.S. and China.
Alberta business professor Andrew Leach, who advised the Stephen Harper and then Rachel Notley governments on greenhouse gas policies, summed up the problem this way.
“Until the rest of the world has policies that impose similar cost, you’re not actually reducing emissions to the extent you think,” Leach said. “You’re just displacing the emissions and the economic activity to other jurisdictions.”
Alberta is moving to join B.C. with a modest carbon tax, but the NDP government plans to spend the proceeds rather than return them in income tax as B.C. has done. And Washington state and most of the rest of the world have no carbon tax as such, so their businesses benefit from B.C.’s “climate leadership.”
B.C.’s foreign-funded eco-radical community was, needless to say, appalled. The Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne and career protesters Tzeporah Berman and Merran Smith were named to the premier’s advisory committee last year, along with business, academic and aboriginal representatives.
They concluded that increases to B.C.’s broad-based tax on carbon fuels should resume its upward march in 2018.
Other committee members, including the mayors of Surrey, Comox and Burns Lake, were not heard from. Public discussion on this issue is now reduced to a staged conflict between those who demand a holy war on deadly carbon dioxide “pollution,” and those who don’t care if their grandchildren perish in a hell-fire of fossil fuel use.
We’ve just come off another El Nino year, like the hot year of 1998. Regular readers will recall the last time I discussed this topic was this spring, where I questioned the premier’s dire warnings of another horrendous forest fire season.
What followed has been one of the slowest forest fire seasons in the last decade, although dry conditions have finally emerged this month. Climate predictions, like next week’s weather forecast, are less than consistent.
I am regularly sent messages calling me a “climate change denier,” the nonsense term that continues to be used by federal Environment Minister Catharine McKenna among many others. I know of no one who denies that climate is always changing, at times dramatically.
If you wish to believe that paying an extra seven cents a litre for gasoline in B.C. is helping to slow the very gradual increase in temperatures we’re seeing in the northern hemisphere, you are free to do so.
You may even be persuaded to take a government subsidy and buy an expensive, short-range electric car. Me, I’m off to Prince Rupert and Revelstoke pretty soon, so I’ll stick with my little four-cylinder gas sipper for now.
Hydro-powered B.C. represents a small fraction of the less than two per cent Canada contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. We’re not the problem, and no, the world is not looking to us for guidance.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc


Premier Christy Clark isn't going into next year's election with a promise to jack up Canada's only significant carbon tax


BC Ferries sailings have been busier this year, thanks in part to strong tourist traffic and no net fare increase.
BC Ferries plans to continue its campaign of price promotions this fall and next spring in an effort to maintain increased passenger and vehicle traffic.
First-quarter results for the Crown corporation show passenger traffic up 2.5 per cent and vehicle loads up 5.1 per cent for the three months ended June 30, compared with the same period in 2015.
Buoyed by a strong tourist year for B.C. and no net fare increase, BC Ferries carried 5.3 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles in April, May and June. The 1.9 per cent average fare hike was erased by a reduced fuel surcharge due to long-term contracts for cheaper diesel fuel.
Helped by reduced operating costs and higher retail sales from terminals and on-board gift shops, net earnings were $27 million for the quarter, up from $18.8 million in the same period last year. Revenues were up 4.9 per cent to $219 million, while costs for the quarter went up 1.5 per cent to $178.6 million.
BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan released the first-quarter results at the corporation's annual meeting in Victoria, where he also announced that unspecified pricing promotions will be offered this fall and next spring. This year BC Ferries has been offering discounts on over-length vehicles pulling boats or travel trailers.
Corrigan also announced he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the fiscal year next March. He was promoted in 2012 to replace former CEO David Hahn, and presided over a controversial service review that saw sailings reduced on money-losing routes.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone praised Corrigan for reducing operating costs and embracing new technology, including three new medium-sized ferries using liquefied natural gas fuel that have been built in Poland.
LNG retrofits are also scheduled for the Spirit of B.C. and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, the workhorses of the main Tswassen-to-Vancouver Island route.
Corrigan's term also saw the first cable ferry in the BC Ferries fleet, the Baynes Sound Connector to Denman Island. Stone said the cable ferry cut fuel costs by half.

More discounts coming as BC Ferries traffic rises


Vehicle traffic up 5% with no net fare increase and discounts offered for vehicles pulling boats and travel trailers


Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers — most of whom are women — and urban letter carriers had been at the forefront of protracted contract talks between the two sides.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers
The Canadian Press

Canada Post, postal union reach tentative deals


Two sides avert job action that has loomed for months


Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.
Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly (www.woodprices.com).
The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.'s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.
Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011. The B.C. and federal governments promote wood construction in China and Japan, and B.C.'s forest minister is required to conduct an annual trade mission to China, Japan and other Asian countries.
The shift in demand provides extra urgency for talks to renew the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement that expired last year. B.C. sales are booming without the export cap that both Ottawa and Washington have agreed will be required.

Lumber exports shift to U.S. as China sales slump


Asian demand for B.C. wood products peaked in 2013, analyst says China sales on pace for 50 per cent drop


OTTAWA – Contract talks continue between Canada Post and its largest union, but neither side is hinting as to whether any progress has been made.
A federally appointed mediator has been meeting with the two sides since Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says if there is no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refusing to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
A CUPW news release says the initial job action will cause little disruption to Canada Post customers and that its members will still be delivering mail every day.
The Canadian Press

Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday


Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday


Modified versions of the 1969 Camaro SS and other popular vehicles will soon be eligible for B.C. collector plates, allowing occasional use for parades and car shows.
The B.C. government is expanding its collector vehicle licence system to include eligible modified cars made between 1958 and 1974, to capture the popular "muscle car" era of the 1960s.
The ICBC collector plate program gives car enthusiasts a lower-cost licence plate that allows occasional use for parades and classic car shows. ICBC plans to take applications starting in 2017 for eligible modified vehicles up to 1974, and replica cars resembling North American production cars from 1942 and earlier.
With strict rules that the cars must be in "collectible condition," changes will take in modified popular cars from the Dodge Duster to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as well as replicas of the popular Ford "deuce coupe" from the 1930s.
Premier Christy Clark announced a break for older cars this spring, allowing vehicles from 1940 or earlier and their replicas to run without fenders or mud flaps when the highway is dry and paved.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said the collector car industry is significant for B.C., with registered collector vehicles having doubled to 26,000 in the past 10 years.
"We want to see this specialty vehicle program remain viable, preserve vehicle history and evolve with the times," Stone said. "That's why we are opening up the opportunity to owners of specialty cars within the 'muscle car' era."
Currently, the standard collector plate is available to cars 25 years or older, as well as discontinued or limited production vehicles 15 years or older. It requires a stock engine with no performance enhancements, no rust, dents or "significant wear and tear" of the interior.
Modified vehicles from 1958 or older are currently eligible for collector plates, if they retain the shell of the original body but have parts replaced or modified in the chassis, engine, suspension, steering or brakes.
Owners have to apply for a collector or modified collector plate, with purchase and parts bills, photos and inspection reports.
Applications for collector and modified collector programs are available on ICBC's website, www.icbc.com, and can be dropped off at Autoplan brokers.

Collector program expanding to 'muscle cars'


Collector plates will be available next year for modified as well as stock cars made between 1958 and 1974


A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said.

VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected


Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly.


ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts

ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb


$60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included


The B.C. government's plan B for income assistance cheques and other time-sensitive documents could be re-activated as the long-running Canada Post labour dispute reaches another deadline.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is in a legal position to strike as of Monday, but postponed threatened rotating strike action after weekend talks with a federal mediator. Its initial action would be an overtime ban rather than a full-scale walkout that would disrupt mail delivery.
Canada Post served lockout notice in July, with the two sides far apart on issues including pension changes for future employees and pay for rural carriers.
Income assistance, rent subsidy and other B.C. government payments are not affected if they are direct deposit. For mailed cheques and information, updates on possible postal strike effects to the Ministry of Social Development will be available as necessary at this website or at 1-866-866-0800.
Phone and online contacts are set up for questions about affected provincial departments:
• Ministry of Advanced Education and StudentAidBC online here.
• Ministry of Children and Family Development 1-877-387-7027
• Medical Services Plan payments online here or 1-877-405-4909
• ICBC inquiries 1-800-663-3051
• Family Maintenance and Enforcement program 604-660-2528
• Public Guardian and Trustee online here or 604-660-4444
• Vital Statistics 1-888-876-1633
• WorkSafe BC online here or 1-888-967-5377

B.C. prepares for possible postal disruption


Province has alternatives if Canada Post employees begin strike action


Water bombers soar over Okanagan Lake as they tackle a fire near Predator Ridge Saturday.
Progress is being made on a fire burning near Predator Ridge.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the fire is about seven to nine hectares in size and is relatively contained at its perimeter.
"It's showing as a rank one and two ground fire with some flames," said Rachel Witt, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
"Ground crews are still working on the perimeter."
Air support has been grounded for the evening because of darkness but they have been able to place retardant around much of the fire.
"Ground crew will be fighting the fire through the night and provincial wildfire crews will have more ground crew arriving in the morning," said Tanya Laing Gahr, communications officer with the City of Vernon.
The evacuation alert continues for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties subdivision off of Okanagan Landing road.


The evacuation alert continues for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties area


Tim Walters, an English professor at the Okanagan College Salmon Arm campus will be walking from Penticton to Salmon Arm to raise money for a student who suffered a brain aneurism.
An Okanagan College professor will set out Tuesday on an ambitious three-day trek in an effort to raise money for local student Gary Baker, who suffered a massive brain aneurism in early August.
Tim Walters, an English professor at the Okanagan College Salmon Arm campus and president of the OCFA, the college’s Faculty Association, aims to walk between the Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, and Salmon Arm campuses—a distance of 160 kilometres—setting out Tuesday August 30 and arriving at his destination September 1.
“I’ve known Gary for several years, and I was keen to do something to try to help him and his family,” explained Walters.
Baker, a father of four, was a student at Okanagan College last year, having returned to school to pursue a career in engineering after years of working as a timber framer. On August 1, he suffered a severe brain aneurism while playing soccer, and after undergoing two surgeries is currently recovering in Vancouver—a process that may take many months or even years.
“Gary was a very involved, well-liked member of our close-knit college community,” Walters said. “His family is facing an unimaginably awful situation just now; one that is exacerbated by having to worry about repaying student loans and covering the costs associated with staying at, and travelling to and from, the coast.”
Walters will average 55 kilometres per day during his fundraising walk, and will be posting photographs of his progress on a Facebook page so sponsors can follow along the way.
“My goal is to raise $3200 or more, which works out to $20 for each kilometre that I walk. Breaking it up by kilometre will be a great motivator for me to keep going even when it feels like a slog,” he said.
Sponsors wishing to donate can do so at the GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/campustocampus and follow along the walk in progress at the Facebook page “Campus to Campus Fundraising Walk”.

Professor begins long walk to raise money for student who suffered aneurism


Tim Walters will begin a three-day trek tomorrow in an effort to raise money for local student , who suffered a massive brain aneurism.


Known infections of chronic wasting disease in deer and other wildlife as of 2014.
Provincial wildlife officials are concerned that a disease killing deer and elk on the prairies could soon spread into B.C.
Chronic wasting disease, a degenerative nervous system condition similar to so-called mad cow disease, has been discovered in an animal 30 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
That's the furthest west – by about 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the deadly disease and the discovery intensifies concerns that infected deer may make their way to B.C.
No infected animals have been found yet in B.C. but wildlife health staff are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk.
Hunters are being asked to help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. Drop-off locations are listed at www.stopchronicwastingdisease.ca.
Anyone who encounters a sick or dead deer is urged to report it to B.C.'s wildlife health program by emailing wildlifehealth@gov.bc.ca.
Although chronic wasting disease is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry says there's no evidence it can infect humans, but notes the World Health Organization advises against allowing any meat source possibly infected by prions into the human food system.
It's thought to be unlikely that the disease could spread to domestic cattle or bison.
Outbreaks on game farms typically result in quarantines and culls.
Transmission is through saliva, urine and feces and is thought to be more likely to occur where elk and deer are crowded or congregate at man-made feed and water stations, according to the Alberta ministry.
Most of the Canadian cases have been in Saskatchewan.

B.C. wary of deadly deer disease in Alberta


Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease but infects and kills deer, elk and moose


Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday

Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday


Erica and Gary Baker are thankful for community support since Gary collapsed on the soccer field. He is recovering from a brain aneurysm.
Gary Baker of the Okanagan Spring Brewery Camels is a trooper.
The 45-year-old is currently in Vancouver General Hospital, recovering from a brain aneurysm he suffered after collapsing during a Capri Insurance Men’s Soccer League soccer match, Aug. 1 in Vernon.
A burger and beer fundraiser for Baker will be held Saturday at Enderby Memorial Arena.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Big Al’s House of Hockey in Salmon Arm or at Sutherland’s Bakery in Enderby. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door.
The Enderby resident has been through two surgeries but also has the community rallying behind him with a GoFundMe page.
He is currently out of an induced coma, and responds differently depending on the day, said Camel teammate Ron Krause.
They plan for a two-year recovery period.
The Bakers also recently went back to school. Gary has been attending Okanagan College in Salmon Arm.
“My sister (Gary’s wife Erica Baker) would say ‘this has been the hardest of her life,’” said Katherine Goertz.
Erica, 37, commutes a few times a week to Kelowna where she attends Okanagan College to get her biochemistry degree.
“They’ve been stretching every dollar. They have the extra burden of student loans” said Goertz.
Erica has been incredibly grateful for the support of her community.
“It’s like having a big, thick blanket wrapped around me,” she said.
It isn’t surprising that the family has received support from the community because of their involvement, said Goertz.
Gary coached his daughter’s soccer team and is a volunteer firefighter.
“Someone offered to pick their veggies. People have been mailing cheques to the house,” said Goertz.
A carpenter, Gary and Erica own B.C. Log Design.
“They built their own house. The kids have never lived in any other house,” said Goertz.
She described Gary as a “voracious learner” and he always provided help with her homework.
Gary and Erica have four children: Alea, 16, Erin, 15, Bree, 13 and Keira, 11.
Visit their GoFundMe at “Help Support the Bakers” or gofundme.com/2hvh3jg.
They have raised $29,485 on their GoFundMe as of Aug. 24.
The Kelowna Cantinas, who were playing the Camels when Baker collapsed, raised $320 earlier this week.


A burger and beer fundraiser for Baker will be held Saturday at Enderby Memorial Arena.


B.C. has spent $103 million fighting wildfires across the province since the fire season began April 1.
Information officer Claire Allen of the BC Wildfire Service says that is less than half the amount spent in B.C. over the same period last year.
She says $232 million was spent battling 1,772 fires between April and the end of August in 2015, while just 936 blazes have scorched about 990 square kilometres of B.C. woodland this year.
That compares to the nearly 3,000 square kilometres of bush burned across B.C. in 2015.
This year's fire season began early and aggressively with several huge wildfires in northeastern B.C.
But Allen says cooler weather in late June and throughout July dampened the fire danger, and a recent heat wave is also expected to be checked by lower temperatures this weekend.
"That's going to bring showers beginning in the northern portions of B.C. and coming into the southern half by the end of the weekend," she says.
"That's going to bring variable amounts of precipitation, cloudier skies, cooler temperatures, higher levels of humidity and all those things work together to reduce the fire danger rating across the province."
Sixty wildfires are currently burning in B.C., with eight new fires in the last 24 hours, most of those in the Coastal Fire Centre, where the fire danger rating is ranked high to extreme.
(CHNL)
The Canadian Press

B.C. wildfire costs top $100M, but still less than in 2015


Forest fires tore through northeastern B.C., but then cooler weather took over June into July.


Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers — most of whom are women — and urban letter carriers had been at the forefront of protracted contract talks between the two sides.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers
The Canadian Press

Canada Post, postal union reach tentative deals


Two sides avert job action that has loomed for months


Nature’s Fare Markets co-owners, Alexa Monahan and Claire Volpatti and Trail Ambassadors Laurie Postill and Debbie Clarke are impressed with the length of trail funded by the recent donation matching campaign.
Nature’s Fare Markets and the communities of Vernon and Kelowna raised a whopping $30,000 for Okanagan Rail Trail construction in a two day matching fundraising campaign.
“We are thrilled," said Alexa Monahan co-owner of family run business Nature’s Fare Markets. "This campaign exceeded our expectations. Our customers and visitors were extremely generous, and between the Kelowna and Vernon stores, contributed $15,124.64. Nature’s Fare is happy to join our customers in contributing $10,000 towards this valuable community project."
On the last day of the campaign, when the totals posted outside of the store indicated that the response would exceed Nature’s Fare matching, an anonymous donor volunteered to make up the difference to reach a total of $30,000, according to Nature's Fare.
“The matching campaign has been a great experience for our staff and customers," said Claire Volpatti, Nature’s Fare co-owner. “Nature’s Fare challenges other businesses to come forward as rail trail business partners, and meet or beat our meters. With five or six similar business campaigns, we could fund a kilometre of trail, and this will build as more businesses come forward.”
This amount will fund 187.5m of the rail trail on the discontinued rail corridor between Coldstream and Kelowna.
“The success of this two day event demonstrates the power of donation matching. Supporters who had not yet come forward were motivated by the opportunity to double their donation,” said Heather Stewart, Kelowna Trail Ambassador. “It will be great to see businesses from Kelowna to Vernon stepping up to meet Nature’s Fare challenge and help make the trail happen.”
The rail trail fundraising campaign is community driven with volunteer Trail Ambassadors in Kelowna, Lake Country and Vernon working with campaign partners and business partners to raise awareness and inspire donations. The Community Foundation of North Okanagan and the Central Okanagan Foundation are collecting donations and providing tax receipts. Since the campaign began in May, communities have raised about $870,000, enough to fund nearly 5.5 km of trail construction.
“The response to the Nature’s Fare campaign has been fantastic," said Brad Clements, trail ambassador. “It is important to keep up the momentum in order to be prepared to start trail work next spring. Any businesses who would like to join in the campaign should contact us through the website: www.okanaganrailtrail.ca.”

Nature's Fare in Kelowna and Vernon raises more than $30,000 for Okanagan Rail Trail


Company applauds effort from its customers with matching donation program in two day campaign


KAMLOOPS, B.C. – British Columbia's Fish and Wildlife Branch says all the fish in two lakes in the Upper Nicola watershed will have to be killed in order to get rid of an unwanted perch.
Biologist Steve Maricle says perch were spotted earlier this year in Windy Lake and Little Windy Lake, both about 50 kilometres northwest of West Kelowna.
Perch are not native to the lakes or the Nicola watershed and biologists say the rapidly breeding species competes for food with native fish and has the potential to wipe them out.
Maricle says barriers will be set up on waterways leading in and out of the lakes to contain the perch this year.
Rotenone, a poison lethal to fish but with limited effect on other animals such as frogs or waterfowl, will then be used to kill all fish in both lakes.
The lakes will be restocked once the perch have been removed, but Maricle says it will be next year at the earliest before any action is taken.
"It's just the logistics of all the permitting that's required to get the product, the rotenone, that we use to treat the lake. To get all the permitting in place to get (the rotenone) in, there's no way we could jump on it this year."
The Fish and Wildlife Branch believes visitors to Windy Lake and Little Windy Lake intentionally introduced the perch into the water. (CHNL)
The Canadian Press

Poison to be used in two B.C. lakes west of Kelowna after non-native fish species spotted


Windy Lake and Little Windy Lake to be poisoned to remove unwanted non-native perch


The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press

Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator


Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday


Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said.

B.C. school enrolment up for second year


Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect


The Lake2Lake is a two day, non-competitive, fully supported bike ride stretching over 220-kilometres in the Okanagan and Shuswap region. Registration closes Sept. 2, and will take place on Sept. 17 to 18. The ride starts on the shore of Kalamalka Lake to Eagle Bay Camp on the shores of Shuswap Lake via Armstrong and Salmon Arm, before returning to Vernon the following day. The ride is in support of the teaching of quality education to over 82,000 children in Rwanda. For more information or to register, visit lake2lake.org.


The Lake2Lake is a two day, non-competitive, fully supported bike ride stretching over 220-kilometres


A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said.

VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected


Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
Bird-lovers could be going quackers and flocking to Horncastle to grab a sight of a rare duck
An Australian wood duck has settled on the River Bain, just a few hundred yards from a busy Tesco supermarket.
Australian Wood Duck on the River Bain, Horncastle, Lincolnshire EMN-160824-132703001
It is happily living alongside hundreds of mallards - and the town’s ‘infamous’ swan who locals have called Cyril.
A resident contacted the Horncastle News today (Wednesday) to tell us about the duck.
She said the duck appeared camera shy and swam off...whenever she attempted to take a photograph.
However, the News contacted Horncastle-based photographer John Aron who quickly spotted the Aussie invader.
Australian Wood Duck on the River Bain, Horncastle, Lincolnshire EMN-160824-132620001
And, amazingly, the duck happily posed for photographs in the Bondhi-beach-like weather.
The duck immediately attracted a large crowd, who admitted they were surprised to see it in Horncastle.
Alan Judge (37) said: “We’ don’t get many Australian visitors here. In fact, it should have come tomorrow (Thursday) - it’s market day then and there’s a lot more to see!”
Alison Newton (28) said she would not have spotted the Australian duck among all the resident mallards.
Australian Wood Duck on the River Bain, Horncastle, Lincolnshire EMN-160824-132639001
She added: “Now it’s been pointed out to me, it is a lot different looking. Perhaps it quacks with an Australian accent!”
An RSPB spokesman confirmed the duck was likely to have escaped from a private collection.
He said he did not know of any other Australian Wood Duck in this country.
The spokesman added: “It is very common in Australia but it is unlikely to have travelled all the way to England under its own steam.
“I’m not aware of any in a private collection (in this country) so it is pretty rare.
“It’s certainly worth a tick in the old book.”
Earlier this year, Cyril The Swan hit the national headlines after town councillors raised concerns he could be a threat to young children who often feed birds at the Tesco Bridge.
Cyril went missing for several weeks but is back and happy sharing the water with his new Australian friend who has already been dubbed ‘Kylie’.
There’s just one slight snag with that....apparently the duck is a male!
Did you know:
The Australian wood duck was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Anas jubata.
The 45–51cm duck looks like a small goose, and feeds mostly by grazing in flocks. The male is grey with a dark brown head and mottled breast.The female has white stripes above and below the eye and mottled underparts.

Ay up me duck! Rare Aussie bird spotted in Horncastle


Bird-lovers could be going quackers and flocking to Horncastle to grab a sight of a rare duck


We’ve said it before, and we will say it again, British weather can make for some great photographs.
This stunning image was sent in by regular contributor Wes Allison and shows a sundog over Caistor cricket ground.
Sundogs - mock suns or phantom suns - are created by light interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere.
They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season and are most conspicuous when the Sun is close to the horizon.


We’ve said it before, and we will say it again, British weather can make for some great photographs.


Riders from the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship visited Coningsby on Friday August 26, ahead of round eight of the competition at Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.
During the visit contenders for this year’s title met personnel from the RAF Typhoon Display team and toured the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (RAFBBMF).
RAF Reserves BMW’s Alastair Seeley and team-mate Jake Dixon were joined by Leon Haslam from JG Speedfit Kawasaki, Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran and Dan Linfoot, plus Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty, Buildbase BMW’s Richard Cooper and Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha’s James Rispoli for a tour of the base.
The riders had the opportunity to get closer to the Typhoon, the world-class multi-role combat aircraft as Flight Lieutenant Mark Long, this year’s Typhoon Display Pilot, gave them an insight into high-speed and performance flying.
Flt Lt Mark Long said: “It has been great to meet the riders today, particularly the guys who are sponsored by the RAF, and we discussed my best times around Cadwell Park on a trackday!
“There is link between aviation and motorsport; there is a real synergy in what we all do, the challenge of flying a fighter jet effectively is probably similar to obtaining maximum performance from a bike, and that applies equally to the rider or pilot, the engineers, or the many other supporting personnel that contribute.”

MCE British Superbike contenders visit RAF Coningsby


Riders from the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship visited Coningsby on Friday August 26, ahead of round eight of the competition at Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.


The Cola-Cola glass bottle has been voted as the most iconic packaging on the UK’s shelves.
A study of 1,500 Brits exploring the influence of packaging and branding on shopping habits found that one in six people thought the Coca-Cola bottle was the most identifiable in terms of packaging.
Indeed, it was deemed to be just as recognisable without its logo or the product itself.
The research, commissioned by Easyfairs, organisers of Packing Innovations and Luxury Packaging London, found the Toblerone triangular chocolate bar finished as a close runner up, with Marmite’s glass jar rated as third-best-loved product packaging.
Beauty brands, such as the Tiffany Box and the Chanel No.5 Bottle just missed out on the top ten.
Coke’s success has been attributed to its targeting younger audience, with one in five Millennials selecting the bottle as the most recognisable pack product.Pringles’ iconic cylinder tube, fourth on the overall list, was the Millennial’s second favourite.
The study also revealed barcodes as the greatest packaging invention, ahead of more traditional items such as the cardboard box (21 per cent) - although the younger generation, 18-34 years, voted for 3D printing and re-sealable zips as its top two.
Gerry Sherwood, Event Director for the Easyfairs’ Packaging Portfolio, who commissioned the survey, said: “Millennials have officially passed Baby Boomers as the largest generation in history, and are more personally connected to their favourite brands than ever before. It is therefore not surprising to see 3D printing come out top in our poll for this age group.”
Top Ten Most Recognisable Brand’s Packaging
1. Coca-Cola Bottle
2. Toblerone Triangle
3. Marmite Jar
4. Pringles Tube
5. KFC Bucket
6. Heinz Ketchup Bottle
7. Fairy Liquid Bottle
8. Apple’s iPhone Box
9. Walkers Crisp Packet
10. Amazon Box

Coca-Cola bottle ‘most iconic packaging’


The Cola-Cola glass bottle has been voted as the most iconic packaging on the UK’s shelves.


A Binbrook firefighter is preparing for an arduous four-day trek across the Pyrenees to raise money for the Royal British Legion.
Dan Cheetham will be one of a group of people walking the Freedom Trail, a route taken by many escaped prisoners of war to flee Nazi-occupied France during World War Two.
I want to make it as authentic as possible Dan Cheetham
He will complete the trek with only the clothes, equipment and food that would have been available to the escapees and, unlike his fellow fundraisers, will be foregoing a modern tent and sleeping bag at night, opting instead for a thick blanket and a tent made from bedsheets.
He will be surviving on a reconstructed Red Cross food parcel and putting his trust in the local people, as the prisoners of war would have done, hoping to receive gifts of bread and cheese.
“If I am going to do it, I wanted to do it properly,” said Dan.
“Their journey (the prisoners of war) would have been treacherous; the men were faced with blistering heat, freezing cold nights and the constant threat of being discovered.
“While my own journey will lack this urgency, it will nevertheless push me to the very limit and highlight the absolute importance of remembering the hardships that so many experienced.”
Always interested in the history of the Second World War, Dan has researched what the escaped prisoners would wear to blend in with the locals.
He has sourced a contemporary military jacket, which he has dyed to take with him, just as the POWs would have done, and has even been given an authentic wartime miniature meth cooker to take with him.
“I want to make it as authentic as possible,” added Dan.
He will also only have on him as much money as the prisoners would have been able to scrape together before their escape and there will be no modern gadgets.
The journey from St Girons to Esterri de Aneu climbs 10,000 feet, with temperatures ranging from -10 to 30 degrees Celsius
Dan will be carrying all his equipment throughout the trek - almost equivalent in weight to a firefighter’s BA kit.
To support Dan’s challenge, in which he is aiming to raise £2,000, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/daniel-cheetham.

Binbrook Firefighter to walk the Freedom Trail in aid of the Royal British Legion


A Binbrook firefighter is preparing for an arduous four-day trek across the Pyrenees to raise money for the Royal British Legion.


Video game escapism in its purest form.
No Man’s Sky in undeniably a work of art, but have you got time to look around the whole gallery?
No Man’s Sky launched last week after much hype and billed as quite literally the biggest video game ever made.
The self-perpetuating game, which promises to be potentially endless, was four years in the making by a tiny team in game production terms. And you can tell as it will instantly take your breath away.
Make no mistake there has never been anything like this before. As you fly ever deeper into the universe, new planets and solar systems roll silently into view – some will have been seen before, others discovered for the very first time. And you have 18 quintillion of them to choose from...
Each has its own set of flora, fauna and inhabitants. By exploring, players gain information about the planets that they can submit to The Atlas, a universal database that can be shared with other players of the game and for which they are rewarded in currency each time.
Each planet is a work of art you could spend hours studying, analysing and dissecting. These works of art are housed in an endless gallery and for art connoisseurs it will be Manna from heaven.
However, most people’s playing time will be finite.... unless you’re at university and can afford to miss the odd class here and there to squeeze in just one more exploration of a peculiar alien planet.
And that is where one of the game’s key sticking points comes in. As much as No Man’s Sky takes us to Infinity and leaves us wondering what waits beyond, there is also an almost irresistible itch which you can’t scratch because you can never truly “complete” this game in the traditional sense.
But that is very much a personal take on NMS, many people might enjoy jumping on for a couple of hours here and there, discovering lots of different things and logging it to the Atlas, if anything it could be cathartic but many people like a beginning, a middle and an end to their games.
No Mans Sky is undeniably a work of art
The care, thought, time and brilliance that has gone into this utterly original video game is mindblowing and deserves to be experienced by PlayStation gamers.
It is the purest form of video game escapism we have ever seen and should be celebrated as such.
But it will more likely go down as a cult classic than the blockbuster success it’s craft deserves.


Birds of Prey, mounted knights, sword fighting, equestrian vaulting, fire breathing, dancing dogs and lots more is all on offer at the Medieval Tournament at the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre this Sunday (August 21).
Gates open at 10.45am, with the parade of horses starting at 11.15am, and admission is £5 and £3.
Medieval Tournament at Northcote Heavy Horse Centre EMN-160816-062959001
The event is all to raise the crucial funds for the care of the horses that live at the Great Steeping horse centre.
The charity has been caring for horses and smaller animals for 27 years, but struggles each year to keep going.
Terena Bolam, who runs the charity, said: “Although we are also a visitor centre during the week, we do not make enough funds to survive and these Medieval events, which we have been doing for well over 10 years now, do help to bring in a little bit of those vital funds that are much needed.
“The tournaments are very popular and very exciting, with the mounted knights demonstrating skill at arms, and mounted sword fighting.
Medieval Tournament at Northcote Heavy Horse Centre EMN-160816-063009001
“There will also be the hugely popular birds of prey flying displays by Derek Tindal, falconer from Lincoln castle, as well as lots more.
“In addition, there will be a bouncy castle, have a go archery, and lots of stalls to browse, BBQ and tea room too.
Gates open at 10.45am, with the parade of horses starting at 11.15am, and admission is £5 and £3.
For more information call 07899 815960 or visit www.northcotehorses.com

Medieval fun at Great Steeping heavy horse centre


Birds of Prey, mounted knights, sword fighting, equestrian vaulting, fire breathing, dancing dogs and lots more is all on offer at the Medieval Tournament at the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre this Sunday (August 21).


A new survey has revealed that an estimated £4 million plus is pumped into Lincolnshire’s economy every year thanks to the Lincolnshire Show.
Undertaken in conjunction with the University of Lincoln, the survey quizzed Show visitors on how much they spend on accommodation, travel, food and drink, shopping, and other local attractions when attending the two day event in June.
It is estimated that £4,372,500 is spent in the county during the Lincolnshire Show, which this year took place on June 22-23.
The survey consisted of face-to-face interviews, online submissions, and was circulated via E-bulletins and social media. Visitors were asked ‘how much would you estimate that you’ve spent locally on the following, in conjunction with visiting the Lincolnshire Show?’
Jayne Southall, CEO of the Lincolnshire Showground, said: “This is the first year that we have adapted our annual survey to find out how much the Lincolnshire Show generates for the local economy and the impact it has on visitor spend each year.
“The Show is such an integral part of not only our busy calendar of events but also the county’s. We know that our exhibitors, farmers, and supporters all look forward to its return each year.
“These survey results give us a real insight into how much of an economic impact it has in Lincolnshire and further supports the importance and continuation of county shows across the country.”
Based on 1,176 respondents, the survey revealed that those visitors spent £4,617 on accommodation, £1,216 on visiting other local attractions, £12,547 on food and drink; with travel forming a large part of visitor spend at £15,750.
This equates to an average of a third of visitors booking accommodation to attend the Show, half spending on transport, a third went shopping whilst in the area, almost half spent on eating and drinking and a fifth of all survey attendees visited other local attractions. Jayne added: “The results demonstrate that people are travelling from further distances to visit the Lincolnshire Show and it’s great to see that they’re spending time in the area and seeing all that we have to offer.”
“We are delighted to be helping Lincolnshire to thrive and it is thanks to all the hard work of our exhibitors, competitors, employees, volunteers, and organisers who make the Lincolnshire Show so great.”
The Lincolnshire Show attracts around 60,000 visitors each year across two days. More than 600 traders display some of the best in local produce and sell everything from handbags to hot tubs, mowers to muck spreaders, and combines to candles.
The Lincolnshire Show is organised by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, whose charitable objective is to educate about food, farming and a sustainable environment.
• The Show will return next year on Wednesday June 21 and Thursday June 22, 2017..

Lincolnshire Show ‘brings in over £4 million’ to the local economy


A new survey has revealed that an estimated £4 million plus is pumped into Lincolnshire’s economy every year thanks to the Lincolnshire Show.


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GCSE RESULTS: Picture gallery - Caistor Yarborough Academy


Students at Caistor Yarborough Academy have been celebrating their successes.


Sporting fans have an opportunity to secure the last few remaining places on a local charity golf day, hosted by some of Britain’s best motorcycle racing talent.
Laceby Manor Golf Resort, owned by former motorcycle grand prix rider and local entrepreneur Roger Burnett, will play host to the Monster golf day on Thursday August 25.
Moto2 rider, Sam Lowes, his twin brother, Alex, who competes in the Superbike World Championship and British Superbike Championship contender, Leon Haslam, will play in the event ahead of the region playing host to one of the most popular British Superbike races of the year at Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend.
All funds raised will be divided equally between two charities: St Andrew’s Hospice and North East Lincolnshire Down’s Syndrome Trust.
Just 18 teams of 4 will play on the day with individual places costing £100.
Each player will receive a sleeve of Titleist pro v1 golf balls on arrival, courtesy of local sponsor Henderson Insurance Brokers Ltd, and a Monster-branded cap.
Sandwiches and wedges will also be included in the entry fee and will be served in the Round Bar at Laceby Manor Golf Resort ahead of the 1pm shotgun start.
Additional fundraising activities will also take place on the day to increase the total money raised and the event will be supported by energy drink brand, Monster.
Everyone is welcome to join the evening BBQ from 5.30pm at a cost of £5 per head, but places must be pre-booked in advance.
Speaking ahead of the event, Sam Lowes said: “The support of my management team and sponsors is vital in being able to continue racing and achieving my dreams.
“To have the opportunity to give something back to them by supporting their nominated charities while doing something I love is amazing.
“Golf is my second passion, but even though it’s fun I am of course, competitive, particularly when playing against my brother and Leon so it should be an interesting day.”
Laceby Manor owner, Roger Burnett added: “We’re proud to be able to host this event and look forward to raising as much money as possible for these charities that do important work.
“The support that we’ve received so far has been incredible, but we’re pleased to be able to open up a few limited opportunities to be involved in the day to local sports fans.”
To find out more, call 01472 873468 or email proshop@lacebymanorgolfclub.co.uk

Monster charity golf day in store for famous racers and local sports fans at Laceby


Sporting fans have an opportunity to secure the last few remaining places on a local charity golf day, hosted by some of Britain’s best motorcycle racing talent.


This is one of my favourite movies to have been critically mauled – because it’s actually a lot better than the online backlash would have you believe.
It’s a damn sight better than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for kick-off, but it’s actually that movie that has led to unnecessary studio meddling and choppy-editing that gives this exciting superhero ensemble piece the general feeling that it’s actually not ‘completely’ director David Ayer’s (Fury, End of Watch) long-term vision.
Fortunately some of the ‘meddling’ in question – primarily the addition of Ben Affleck’s Batman and Ezra Miller’s Flash among other quickly cut sequences – actually work on a ‘fanboy’ level, and are not as drastic as some are making out.
Yes, Jared Leto’s Joker – who whets your appetite for more to come with an interesting take on the legend – seems to have suffered the most with some of his scenes being axed (maybe they were too dark for worried execs?), and Margot Robbie’s crazy henchwoman Harley Quinn – arguably the best thing in the movie – simply needed to be in it even more.
But if you brush these points aside, there’s a genuinely entertaining actioner to be had here, with Joel Kinnaman’s (Robocop) Suicide Squad field leader Rick Flag, Jai Courtney’s (Terminator: Genisys) anarchic Captain Boomerang and the always-reliable Will Smith’s as deadly marksman Deadshot, all playing their part in saving the film’s weak points.
In the aftermath of Superman’s death, intelligence operative Amanda Waller (Oscar nominee Viola Davis) assembles a team of dangerous individuals led by Colonel Flag – to be used as disposable assets in high-risk missions for the United States government, each with a small bomb implanted in their neck designed to detonate should any member try to escape.
Despite the predictable central protagonists, the shoddy editing, and sometimes wooden scripting, this entertains more than it falters – and the humour element is the best yet in this new DC Universe.
It’s fair to say after the superb start Marvel made, DC aren’t doing themselves any favours – but this is one time the naysayers are being a bit too harsh.
Review by Gavin Miller
3.5/5


This is one of my favourite movies to have been critically mauled – because it’s actually a lot better than the online backlash would have you believe.


After a successful 23 years, Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days Festival 2016 is set to wow visitors again with more than 180 free events across the county between September 8 and 11.
Heritage Lincolnshire is urging members of the public to pick up a free brochure or download one from their website so that everyone can plan for the festival.
The charity expects to attract more than 30,000 visitors to over 180 heritage sites, talks and walks around the county.
Events are predominantly organised and managed by volunteers.
This year’s Heritage Open Days will encompass heritage sites, buildings, nature reserves, towns and villages, and will feature all five National Trust properties.
Each year the open days have a different theme, with many of this year’s events covering ‘Natural Lincolnshire’.
Events on offer range from tours of haunted Old King’s Head in Kirton (now sold out) and a new Heritage Music Microfestival to a rare opening of Dowsby Hall and Gardens.
There will be lots of guided walks and talks to choose from, such as the International Bomber Command Spire Memorial, ‘Lincolnshire’s Lost River’, Willow Tree Fen Bat Walk, plus a rare guided tour of Torksey Castle.
Children’s activities will be on offer at many venues.
The brochure will be available from Tourist Information Centres, libraries and heritage sites and it can be downloaded from www.heritagelincolnshire.org

Explore with Heritage Open days festival


After a successful 23 years, Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days Festival 2016 is set to wow visitors again with more than 180 free events across the county between September 8 and 11.


There is now less than two weeks to catch Poppies: Wave at Lincoln Castle.
More than 400,000 people have been to see the iconic sculpture so far, which has been on display since May 26.
“The turnout so far has been spectacular,” said Jon Hogan, the castle’s public engagement manager.
“We knew the sculpture would be popular but it’s exceeded our expectations.
“We’re expecting another surge in visitors over the last weekend, so if you’re local then come in August and beat the crowds.”
Wave can be seen until September 4.
The castle grounds are open each day from 10am to 5.30pm, with last entry to see Wave at 5.15pm.

Last chance to see Poppies: Wave at Lincoln Castle


There is now less than two weeks to catch Poppies: Wave at Lincoln Castle.


British soul icon Billy Ocean has included a Grimsby date in his UK headline tour next year.
Tickets went on sale this week for the show on April 6, 2017.
With the release of his latest album ‘Here You Are: The Best Of Billy Ocean’ soaring to number four, Billy celebrated his highest charting album since 1989.
The ‘Caribbean Queen’ star is Britain’s biggest selling black artist of all time, with a string of multi-platinum hits.
On the tour, he will be performing all his greatest hits from the new album and favourite tracks.
The 2CD set features a personal collection of Billy’s interpretations of songs, which helped the young Leslie Charles become the Billy Ocean we all know today, alongside a career spanning celebration of his biggest hits.
Tickets for the Grimsby Show start at £22.50 and are available from the Box Office on 0300 300 0035, on line at www.grimsbyauditorium.org.uk or in person at the Auditorium or Cleethorpes Tourist Information centre.

Soul icon tickets go on sale for Grimsby show


British soul icon Billy Ocean has included a Grimsby date in his UK headline tour next year.


There is fun for all the family this weekend at Bardney Gala, with free entry and free entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
The event takes place on Sunday, August 28, at Bardney Playing Field & Village Hall, starting at 1pm.
The Lincolnshire Ukulele Band will be performing by the fairground on the playing field, with Lincolnshire folk band Steppin’ Stones entertaining in the Village Hall, where there will also be a traditional spinning wheel demonstration, along with competition entries and craft stalls.
There will be a whole host of demonstrations, dog agility, fun dog show, classic vehicles, stalls, circus skills, bouncy castle and more.
Money raised from the event will be put to Bardney Gateway Centre, a newly opened Community Centre and charity, which also hosts the Bardney Youth club.

Music, fun and plenty of stalls at Bardney


There is fun for all the family this weekend at Bardney Gala, with free entry and free entertainment for everyone to enjoy.


Deus Ex has you spoilt for choice.
Mankind Divided and so am I when it comes to reviewing the latest Deus Ex game after its launch last week.
There is so much to rave about in DEMD and I’m still enjoying it now over a week into the game.
But there are a number of elements which do not quite sit right with me.
Let’s start with the positives, though, and there are plenty of them.
There is layer upon layer in this game all expertly crafted together and beautifully designed.
The gameplay stands up to the high standards set by previous Deus Ex games and goes beyond them in many respects.
This is a game that will suit all types of gamers too.
Looking for a quick blast for an hour, you can jump on and get enough done to enjoy the experience, looking for longer, more involved sessions on your console then the gameplay rewards your patience, curiosity and creativity.
You play augmented human Jensen who is essentially the most deadly Power Ranger on the planet. I mean this guy has everything and would even give Superman a run for his money.
There are so many options to negotiate each scenario
And this is where my first problem lies with DEMD.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy.
‘Ramp up the difficulty setting!’ I hear you cry.
Well yes there’s that but my point is no matter what level you are playing at, Jensen just has too much at his disposal for his enemies to trouble him.
Sometimes, dare I say it, there are so many options available to you, so many ways to deal with scenarios and enemies and so much in your arsenal, it actually feels a bit ... easy. Damien Lucas, gaming columnist
But don’t get me wrong it’s still great fun entering a room littered with foes and walking out past a pile of them without breaking a sweat.
Another thing that doesn’t quite land for me is the Apartheid type references between the humans (naturals) and the augmented race. It is a poor attempt to give the storyline resonance with real life - for example there are posters dotted around saying things like ‘Augmented Lives Matter’ and it just feels a little frivolous.
I’m being hyper critical, though, and Deus Ex will go down as one of the games of the year of that there is no doubt.
Rating: 8.5/10

Console Corner: Deus Ex Mankind Divided review


Filmmakers in Lincolnshire at work on a feature-length Second World War film are appealing for extras for an upcoming shoot near Boston.
Tin Hat Productions are set to bring their cameras to the Lincolnshire Heritage Aviation Centre, at East Kirkby, this autumn to record scenes for Our Shining Sword.
To realise their vision the production team need young male extras to play Second World War flight crew.
The film is inspired by the missions of Bomber Command and has won celebrity support in the form of TV personalities Stephen Fry and Carol Vorderman.
Tin Hat Productions, which is based in Sleaford, currently have about an hour and 20 minutes of finished film.
This includes sequences shot inside a replica Lancaster bomber that the small production team built for the project. Some of these can now be seen in a new teaser trailer for the film, which was released online last Monday.
The scenes at the Lincolnshire Heritage Aviation Centre will use the centre’s surviving Lancaster Bomber, Just Jane.
In making the appeal for extras, Andy Burn, from Tin Hat Productions, said: “It is a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes on a feature film shoot, which despite the limited budget, has the production quality of a major feature.
“Volunteers also get to spend time at East Kirkby, one of Lincolnshire’s most iconic aviation heritage sites and home of the beautiful Lancaster Bomber ‘Just Jane’.”
The production team are looking for men aged about 18 to 30, preferably with their own period uniform, to play the flight crew extras.
Shooting will take place in the first week in October.
Anyone who is interested can get in touch with Tin Hat Productions via www.ourshiningsword.com –where the teaser trailer is also available to view.
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Filmmakers in Lincolnshire at work on a feature-length Second World War film are appealing for extras for an upcoming shoot near Boston.


Call for extras ahead of ‘Just Jane’ filming


A parenting advice website has listed the most popular baby names so far in 2016 and revealed previous favourites such as Sophia, Mia, Daniel and Harrison are on the decline.
Bounty Baby Club, a popular parenting advice site, has scaled its 100,000 visitors a month, to uncover the most popular baby names of the first half of 2016 and there are a few surprises.
A few favourites of recent years are still holding their popularity but the results reveal some new up and coming themes and trends.
The favourites
Holding onto their 2015 top spots, Alfie and Isla remain the most popular names for boys and girls. Out of the top 100 most popular names, the biggest winners have been Caleb, jumping up nine positions to 19, Jenson, rising up five places to 26 and Ellie, rising up nine positions to nine.
The biggest climber so far this year has been Arlo, previously was outside of the top 50, now cementing a top 10 position at number six. Other names you may start to hear more include Freddie, Aaron, Phoebe, Ellis and Millie.
So what names are falling out of favour this year?
Results show that for girls, Sienna, Mia, Sophia, Mila and Scarlett are on the decline in 2016. Yesterday’s news for boys’ names include Dylan, Sebastian, Daniel and Harrison which are proving less popular than they have in recent years.
There is a new trend of baby names emerging from Bounty’s findings, vowel heavy names, particularly for girls. Male names ending in a softer letter are also becoming more popular, for example names such as Alfie, Arlo, Archie and Harry.
Take a look at the top 10 for boys and girls for the first half of the year below:
Top 10 most popular baby boy names of 2016 so far:
Alfie
Oscar
Teddy
Harry
Jack
Arlo
Noah
Charlie
Jacob
Archie
Top 10 most popular baby girl names of 2016 so far:
Isla
Amelia
Ava
Freya
Evie
Olivia
Esme
Elsie
Mia
Ellie

REVEALED - the most popular baby names so far in 2016


A parenting advice website has listed the most popular baby names so far in 2016 and revealed previous favourites such as Sophia, Mia, Daniel and Harrison are on the decline.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
As a month long Think! Speed police campaign ends today new dash cam footage has been released showing the importance of the “twenty’s plenty” message often given for driving in residential streets.
The shocking video captures the moment a little boy gets hit by a van. The van was travelling at 20mph at the time of the collision. If it had been going just 10mph faster the likelihood of death would have been five times higher.
The shocking moment the boy ran out into the street captured on dash cam
The youngster - believed to be eight - charges out into the road between two parked vehicles and flies off the van’s bumper after being struck before tumbling onto the road and running off.
The van driver is completely unsighted and could do nothing to avoid the collision with the boy, who was badly bruised but otherwise unhurt.
Throughout August the county’s Road Policing Units have been out in force targeting motorists breaking the law.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your license however drivers across the county are warned that the speed limit is a limit not a target. In some road conditions or road layouts even driving at the speed limit could be too fast.
Speed limits are not targets
Traffic Sergeant Ian Manley said: “Those who speed put not only their own lives at risk but also the lives of others.
“The faster you drive the less time you have to react. Speed remains one of the biggest factors in fatal collisions.
“The difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone is driving, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens.
“There will be times when you need to drive under the speed limit in order to drive correctly for the conditions or layout of the road.
“I would urge anyone who drives to help us protect road users by reducing your speed and driving to the conditions of the roads.
“If you kill someone while speeding, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences. Remember that speed limits are there for a reason.”
* Make sure you leave plenty of time for your journey, taking into account traffic
* Watch out for changes in the speed limit
* Drive to suit the conditions and the layout of the road
* Don’t let peer pressure encourage you to break the law
* Don’t assume it’s safe to break the speed limit because there is less traffic.
* Don’t be tempted to put your foot down because the road ahead appears clear.

GRAPHIC VIDEO: Dash cam footage of young boy being hit by van gives stark warning at end of police speed campaign


As a month long Think! Speed police campaign ends today new dash cam footage has been released showing the importance of the “twenty’s plenty” message often given for driving in residential streets.


Police say they are ‘concerned for the welfare’ of Kamil Szpara who has gone missing from Boston.
Kamil, 26, was last seen boarding a train at Boston station at 7.42am on Tuesday, August 23, which was heading in the direction of Nottingham. He was wearing a grey suit.
Kamil is described as approximately 5ft 8ins tall, of a slim build, has dark brown hair and is clean shaven.
Anyone with information about Kamil’s whereabouts, or who believes they have seen him, is asked to call 101 immediately.

Police ‘concerned for welfare’ of man missing from Boston


Police say they are ‘concerned for the welfare’ of Kamil Szpara who has gone missing from Boston.


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GCSE RESULTS: Picture gallery - Caistor Grammar School


There were lots of smiles at Caistor Grammar School as students picked up their results.


Caistor Library based in the town’s Arts and Heritage Centre has been celebrating children’s author Roald Dahl during the summer holidays.


If you were asked to choose your favourite meals, your ‘Desert Island Dinners’, what would you pick? My bet is lamb of some sort would make its way on to most people’s list, writes James Waller-Davies.
British lamb is the best in the world. Our climate and geography are perfect for producing this delicious and versatile meat. There’s also possibly no other meat that reflects its region of origin in its flavour as much as lamb, be it Welsh, Cumbrian, Yorkshire, or our very own Lincolnshire.
I’ve got a natural bias for the Welsh mountain lamb of home, but the piece of Lincolnshire lamb we had for this week’s recipe was the best we’ve had in years. Meat is only as good as the feed the animals eat and this spring and summer have been perfect for grass growth and the animals have finished well.
But what to have with roasted meats in the summer, when a full roast dinner doesn’t quite fit with the weather? For me, with lamb, it has to be a ratatouille, that fantastic blend of tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, aubergines, with as much garlic and olive oil as you can manage.
Ratatouille has many variations, but this is a fairly classic version. The 200ml of olive oil is not a typo – the garlic and juices melt into the oil to make a deliciously rich sauce.
You can use any cut of lamb, from an economy piece of rolled breast, to a whole leg for something more special. At this time of year, I find a shoulder is best for roasting, as it has more flavour from a younger animal. But most of all, get it from your local butcher and ask for ‘Lincolnshire lamb’.
Roast lamb and ratatouille
Ingredients (serves 4)
½ shoulder of lamb
2 onions
2 red peppers
2 courgettes
2lbs any tomatoes
1 large aubergine
8 cloves garlic, chopped
200ml extra virgin olive oil
Basil and parsley
Method
Season the lamb and roast it how you like it – studded with rosemary and garlic is great. Time the roasting and resting so it is ready with the ratatouille.
Slice the onions and soften in a large, wide, pan. Add garlic and soften.
Cube the aubergines, slice the peppers and courgettes, and quarter the tomatoes. Add all to the pan, season, and mix gently.
Cook with a lid on a low heat on the hob for 30 minutes, or until all soft. Stir occasionally, but gently to avoid making it mushy. Add the herbs 5 minutes before the end to retain freshness.
Carve the lamb and serve. The perfect summer roast.

RECIPE COLUMN: Our lamb is the best in the world


If you were asked to choose your favourite meals, your ‘Desert Island Dinners’, what would you pick? My bet is lamb of some sort would make its way on to most people’s list, writes James Waller-Davies.


Wragby teenager Ellie-Rose Nash is the latest young person to undergo the chop for charity.
Last Friday, the 14-year-old had her long hair cut off to donate to the Little Princess Trust, which makes real hair wigs for children who have lost their own hair through cancer treatments.
She has also been fundraising via Just Giving and has raised £350 for the charity, which is the average cost for one wig to be made.
“She puts others first all the time, whilst still maintaining incredibly high grades at school,” said proud mum Nicky.
“She never makes a fuss, never asks for anything, she just does her best to be kind and I think that she is a wonderful advert for young people.” (Photo by John Edwards)


Wragby teenager Ellie-Rose Nash is the latest young person to undergo the chop for charity.


The recent NHS England figures regarding A&E waiting times in Lincolnshire paint a worrying picture about the current state of emergency healthcare.
This is mirrored across the rest of England, with the national average coming in below the Government’s target of 95 per cent of patients being seen within four hours.
Despite the best efforts of doctors and other health care staff, their hands remain tied as the Government continually fails to match increasing demands on services with sufficient investment.
In June 2016, the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust was well below the national average.
These figures follow a spate of recent reports that serve as a clear warning that our health service is at breaking point.
Indeed, the recent shortage of A&E staff in Lincolnshire has led to the temporary closure of Grantham’s A&E department at night.
We can see the damaging knock-on effect that bed and staff shortages are having in A&E departments leading to delays in admissions with patients sometimes admitted to an inappropriate ward or, in some cases, left waiting on trolleys.
As we currently face an unprecedented NHS crisis, these alarming figures should serve as a wake up call that more targeted investment is needed in this vital area of healthcare.
Dr Anthea Mowat
Chairman
British Medical Association

LETTER: A&E waiting times paint a worrying picture


The recent NHS England figures regarding A&E waiting times in Lincolnshire paint a worrying picture about the current state of emergency healthcare.


Getting muddy is not a bad thing for children – especially on International Mud Day! Kristina Johnson from Mon Ami Children’s Nurseries explains how and why you should let your children get muddy from time to time…
As parents our instinct is often to discourage our children from being too messy or getting mud on their clothes, hands and faces. But messy play is a really important activity which helps children develop lots of skills.
International Mud Day is becoming more and more popular, and it was celebrated around the world on 29th June this year. At Mon Ami Children’s Nurseries we made sure we didn’t miss the opportunity to get out in the garden and explore muddy play in all its glorious messiness!
It’s quite amazing what children can learn and how they can develop their play skills using simple items such as cardboard boxes and being outdoors in the mud. While it sounds messy (and yes, it can be!), there are so many benefits when children are allowed to play outdoors in a muddy patch.
Dressing your child in the right clothing is advisable, of course, to save on the washing machine use and to make sure that the children don’t get cold and wet. Wellington boots are always a good idea, as is an all-in-one splash suit, but an old coat and old pair of trousers will do just as well.
One good way to give children some resources to use outside in the mud is to get those old pots, pans and baking items out from the back of the cupboard. Together with some old spoons they will make a fantastic resource box to create a mud kitchen, but it goes without saying that these items should not be used in the kitchen again afterwards! Instead keep them aside for use as a play resource the next time you fancy letting the children loose in the mud!
A simple surface for children to use is always handy too; this gives them somewhere to mix mud in containers and transfer their creations to ‘bake’ – after all, who doesn’t love a mud pie?
Mud mixed with water can create a good mixture to make marks with and practise early writing skills; you could even encourage your child to use a twig from the garden as a pen, dipping it in the mud mixture. They can use paper, old cardboard or even a concrete path to show off all their mark-making skills, and it all helps them when they learn how to write later on.
Such simple play creates endless opportunities for language and discussion and is a truly lovely way for adults to spend quality time with their children.
If you’d like to find some more good ideas about muddy play visit www.muddyfaces.co.uk, where there are lots of lovely ideas and tips!

COLUMN: Mud, glorious mud! How and why you should let your children get muddy


Getting muddy is not a bad thing for children – especially on International Mud Day! Kristina Johnson from Mon Ami Children’s Nurseries explains how and why you should let your children get muddy from time to time…


Nodding off in the middle of the day may be down to pollution generated by traffic, suggests new research.
The study shows exposure to traffic pollution is a trigger for daytime sleepiness - and may also trigger SNORING.
More than 12,000 adults were included in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study.
The findings show that people exposed to high levels of pollution had a 65 per cent greater chance of suffering from daytime sleepiness, compared to those who had no exposure.
Traffic noise in the bedroom was also a trigger - with people 46 per cent more likely to feel sleepy in the day if exposed.
And the research also suggests that people are also 29 per cent more likely to be a habitual snorer if they are exposed to traffic noise while they sleep.
Daytime sleepiness affected one in five people involved in the study, while one in four reported habitual snoring.
Ane Johannessen, an epidemiologist at Bergen University in Norway, wrote the study together with Professor Thorarinn Gislason and other Northern European researchers.
She said: “Exposure to traffic should be taken into account when planning treatment for patients with sleep disturbances, because reducing noise and pollution exposure in the bedroom may have a beneficial effect.
“Reducing exposure through relocating the bedroom away from pollution sources or making the bedroom more soundproof to protect against traffic noise, as well as mapping alternative and less polluted outdoor everyday routes may help patients with their sleep disorders.”
The study also showed that men, older subjects, smokers and those with lower education were more likely to report habitual snoring.
They were usually less physically active, with a higher BMI, and more likely to have a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
Women, older people, smokers, and those with lower education were more likely to report daytime sleepiness.
The new research is due to be presented at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in London next month.
Professor Jorgen Vestbo, President of ERS and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester, said: “The question of who snores may be a running joke in some households but for many snoring is a serious issue, with direct links to physical and mental well being and the same is true for daytime sleepiness.
“We want people to think more about the environment around them and the impact it can have - from the way they sleep to the air they breathe.”
To coincide with Congress, the ERS will be holding some free public lung function testing, starting in Trafalgar Square on September 2 and 3.

Sleepiness linked to traffic noise and pollution


Nodding off in the middle of the day may be down to pollution generated by traffic, suggests new research.