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THE
PRINCE
GEORGE
CITIZEN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
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COURT
Cats set in net
SPORTS 9
Lost
in
space
DYER 6
Enbridge addresses review panel
B.C. 7
Two shot amid PQ win
CANADA 16
Bank likely to stay put on rates
MONEY 22
Step-dad faces abuse charges
Crown alleges 10 years of sex crimes
Peter JAMES Citizen staff pjames@pgcitizen.ca
A Prince George man accused of sexually assaulting his two stepdaughters began grooming them to satisfy his fetishes at a young age, according to the opening statement by Crown prosecutor Cassandra Malfair.
The man, who can’t be identified due to a court-ordered publication ban, faces 10 charges in B.C. Supreme Court in relation to the sexual assaults.
He also faces two
counts of making child
pornography and two counts relating to bestiality involving the
family dog.
He pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts.
Four other charges relating to unauthorized possession of firearms were stayed by the Crown.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly is hearing the judge-only trial, which opened Tuesday and is expected to last 21 days.
The man is represented by Quesnel-based lawyer Tony Zipp.
He has yet to provide any evidence or make any formal statements of defence.
In her opening statement, Mal-fair said the man moved into the home with the girls and their four
siblings when the girls were eight and 10 years old.
She said the girls, now both adults, will testify he began fondling them in a sexual manner around age 12, which escalated to oral sex and intercourse by age 14 and continued for a decade.
The victims are expected to testify that their stepfather filmed many of the encounters and rationalized the sex acts by saying he was sparing them from being promiscuous at school and that his actions were endorsed by God.
Malfair said she will provide evidence the man systematically isolated his two victims from
the rest of the family, which allowed him to spend more time with the two girls. She said she will demonstrate that he showed his stepdaughters pornography and read erotic literature to them, sometimes even substituting their names and his name for characters in the stories.
Malfair said the erotic stories often centered around father-daughter incest or older men engaging in sexual acts with younger women.
According to Malfair’s opening statement, the abuse of the older daughter occurred almost daily and lasted for 10 years, until she was in her early 20s.
— see ACCUSED, page 3
TOONIE BARBECUE
CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Amanda Goertz and Kristin Shumaker enjoy the food at the Toonie Burger Barbecue prepared by the professional cook students Tuesday in the front courtyard at CNC. There were also orientation sessions at the college for students in all programs.
ON THE MOVE
Legion secures base
. , - . .. Ki* > *.; ••
BETTER PARKS, TRAILS
OUTDOORS 17
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
The Legion has a new home.
On the brink of financial collapse, Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 43 has been in a state of real estate purgatory.
In the spring, a private investment group bought the Legion building after months on the market.
That group gave the Legion a year’s free rent to find a new location, but utility costs were still adding up on the cash-strapped veterans’ organization.
It was another military veteran who completed the circle.
Ryan Kim owned an underutilized building downtown - the former Elks Hall on Sixth Avenue between Dominion and George streets.
He had the space, and when he learned of the Legion’s predicament, felt motivated to help.
The lease agreement was not disclosed by the two parties, but both sides conceded it was a “favourable” monthly rate.
“I was in the Korean army,” said Kim.
“We learn in Korean history lessons about the countries who came to support us in our war.
“We celebrate Canada for being there for us. I really appreci-
Attention!
To raise funds for renovations and other transition costs, the Legion is holding a dinner and auction on Saturday night at the Civic Centre.
The live auction will be conducted by Brock McElroy, who can also be contacted (250963-9497) for donating new items and purchasing tickets.
Among the items on offer at the auction:
• Airline tickets •Helicopter ride
• Artisan items (wooden bowls,
blankets, moose horn art, etc.)
• Original art and a selection of prints
• A sleigh ride for 10
• New organ
• Jewelry
• Various gift certificates
Tickets are also available from Gabriel (250-964-1822), the Legion (for the time being, it is still open in its usual place), and at Books and Company.
Individual seats are $70 or tables of 10 for $600.
— Peebles, Citizen staff
ate Canada for being one of those countries who helped our country. Canada sometimes joins our military for military practices. This [accommodating lease arrangement] is what I’m looking for.
“It is time to make a small thank you, and give back a little. The Legion is good.”
“This allows us to carry on what we are here to do, which is support the community of Prince George, especially our veterans,” said Legion president Bruce Gabriel as Legion representatives, Kim, real estate agent Gordon Langer, and Legion purchasing
group members got together to celebrate the signing of the lease agreement.
“We all worked together to arrive at this solution,” said Langer.
“And thanks to Mr. Kim, this was a venture that became possible and will help everybody.” Legion member Marg Robertson was one of the happiest at the gathering.
“My husband Robbie had five terms as president of the Prince George Legion branch,” she said. “He was there when our building - the one we just sold - was first opened. This is the next step for us.”
EDUCATION
Gov’t looking for ‘big ideas’
Janet STEFFENHAGEN
Vancouver Sun
The B.C. education ministry is planning a major overhaul of the K-12 curriculum to focus less on facts and more on big ideas.
A discussion paper posted online (www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/ transforming_curriculum.php) as schools were preparing to welcome students back today says the current curriculum has too many objectives, is highly prescriptive and is overly concerned with facts rather than concepts. “[It emphasizes] what they learn over how they learn, which is exactly the opposite of what modern education should strive to do,” the paper says.
Welcome
students
Today:
• School bus driver ready to roll, PAGE 3
• Principals take their seats, PAGE 3
Although efforts to modernize the curriculum have been underway for months, the discussion paper marks the first time the ministry has produced a document for broad public review. It was posted late Friday at the start of the holiday weekend and was followed by a ministry tweet saying the ideas will be promoted during the coming week as the new school year gets underway.
The curriculum describes what students are expected to learn and offers the promise of a similar education for all, the paper says.
“The challenge, however, is to ensure it actually enables rather than impedes an effective educational experience for B.C. students. This recognition is the impetus for the work now underway to dramatically overhaul B.C.’s curriculum.”
The review began in November after Education Minister George Abbott announced the creation of the B.C. Education Plan.
— see PLAN, page 3
ANNIE'S MAILBOX 13 A&E 13-14 CANADA NEWS 15-16
BRIDGE 13 CLASSIFIEDS 19-21 WORLD NEWS 18
HOROSCOPE 2 LETTERS 6 SPORTS 9-12
COMICS 14 MONEY 22 OPINION 6
CROSSWORD 14 B.C. NEWS 7
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