INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 MY POINT OF VIEW ARON STRUMECKI A false conceit OR ME, something vital was lost in the dust between September 11th and the first bomb dropped on Afghanistan. I’m not sure what it was, but I’ve got a feeling that I’m not the only one trying to figure out what it is. Some experts say we've lost aur innocence, others our civil liberties, some even think we've lost our way of life. I don’t know about other people, but for me, what I lost was some feeling of patriotism to- wards my country, I remember, when I first started writing for CEC radio, discussing my future with my pro- ducer at the time. John, being the good repor- ter that he is, he asked me what I was plan- ning to do with myself over the next year or two. I told him I was thinking of trying to teach English in China, Korea, or maybe even Afri- ca. John said that he thought that would be an excellent idea. So I asked him whether or not he thought [ could do reports from abroad. John’s reply was cool and simple, “Canadians don’t like to hear what’s going on around the world. They’d rather listen io their dog’s bark, but you never know.” I must admit the comment stung a lot more than I thought it would. I was young and full of patriotic glee, and I could not stand to hear another person say something negative about my fellow countrymen, but it gat me thinking. I recalled a similar topic of conversation in . .& Jong-past history class. technology, and my professor was explaining the rise of the global entertainment industry, as we know it today. According to him, there were two specific reasons why America domi- nated the industry, over any other country. First of all, there were more of them to watch the movies and TV shows they made. Secondly, as a culture, Americans were more self-absorbed anyone else on the planet, so of course they wanted to watch what their fellow citizens made. Canada, he remarked, before any of us could get too self-righteous, may not have had the population, but weren’t far be- hind in self-absorption. ‘We think we’re better because nobedy wants to bomb us.’ Today, we only have to look at the little rat race that happened after President Bush forgot _to mention us in his speech, and 1 must admit I was a little disappointed, too. Maybe the truth of the matter is that Cana- da’s real national sport isn’t hockey, but our ‘recurring national neurosis with our identity, | who we are, and how we compare with Amesi- ca. ’ Former Prime Minister Trudeau once de- scribed our country as 4 “mouse sleeping with an elephant.” Today, the mice only seem con- tent to stab at the elephant with as many sharp pointy sticks as possible, especially when the elephant is down on the ground. J guess when you're the little guy, it’s the only way to even the adds, and I know a lot of peaple who were quite eager to throw in their two cents on the matter. Canadians call those sharp and pointy , sticks many things, but amongst ourselves it, usually manifests itself as a quiet perception of our own inherent moral superiority. We per- ceive ourselves better because our society isn’t awash in guns, we have public health- - care, and we don’t have a war on anything, let alone drugs or terrorism. We think we're better because nobody wants to bomb us, we’re just waiting for the rest of the world to acknow- ledge it too, but the truth is, we're just as petty and backwards-minded as the rest of the world, Maybe we just haven’t realized it yet, Don’t get me wrong; I’m not tearing down our country or slamming its people. In fact the only reason I’ve embarked upon this diatribe is because ] do care, and care deeply, but there is a point where in-fighting, back-biting, and self-promotion have to stop. The truth of the matter is that we are not that different from those living below the 49th parallel. The truth is that every stone we cast at them is a stone we -cast at ourselves. In case no-one has no- ticed, our own-foreign policy isn't that great either. It’s time for us, all of us, to stop throwing rocks at each other, and start helping one an- other. Canada, I believe, will always be a has- been unless. we can take some leadership on the world stage. _ WG We can.do better, and.we should be. OMMUNITY: The topic of conversation was the history of . - TERRACE STANDARD | The Terrace Standgrd, Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - BI KEVIN Stienstra and Wiltiam Charlie planted shrubs at the Skeena Bridge view ee point last week. Charlie hopes to one day return to visit these trees, sprucing up the view By JENNIFER LANG LAST WEEK a small work party planting seven globe cedars at the Old Skeena Bridge viewpoint, the Greater Terrace Beautifi- cation Society’s latest pro- ject. The cedars, already well-on their way to be- coming mature, were a do- nation, society president Chris Hansen said. William Charlie and Kevin Stienstra, two in- mates from the Terrace Correctional Centre, under the supervision of their in- Structor Fred Sturby, helped ensure the task didn’t take long, Hansen says the project should be completed in time for Terrace’s 75th birthday celebrations in 2002. There’s still work to be done. Memorial benches and decorative stones still have to be added to the site, along with additional plantings. The site will sport his- tory boards (constructed by inmates at the correctional centre) that tell the story of the old bridge, which celebrated its own 75th anniversary last year. “We have the country’s oldest, carved wooden bridge,” she points out. “We wotild like to see this as a permanent attrac- tion for the city.” Light a candle for world peace By JENNIFER LANG NORTHWEST Community College students are hos- ting peace vigils across the region in response to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on Sept. 11, Tomorrow night in Ter- race, Northwest Commun- ity College’s students’ as- sociation invites the com- munity to gather at George Little Memorial Park for a vigil, where there will be speakers and music, fol- lowed by a procession to arena hill, “The tragic events of Sept. 11 have left many people feeling vulnerable and anxious,” NWCC str- dent association chair Dan Buck said. “We felt that hosting a peace vigil would provide an opportunity for people to come together and find comfort with each other,” People of all faiths are invited to attend, Buck said many stu- dents are looking for a po- Sitive Way to express their feelings about what has happened. Michelle Strumecki, student association mem- ber, was instrumental in coming forward with the suggestion for a peace vigil, .an idea the assacia- tion embraced, she said. She chose-a photograph of the Chicago Peace Rose for the poster adver- tising the vigil because of its symbolic significance. The yellow and orange tose was named following the Second World War in the hopes that there would never be another war like it, As she has watched events unfold after Sept. 11 — and the U.S.-led reta- liation against Afghani- stan, the country believed to be harbouring the terror- ists, her grief for the vic- tims has turned into fear for the future. “I immediately thought, *World War ITI.” That thought hasn't faded, but her resolve to do something meaningful continues to flourish. “After Sept. 11 I thought we needed to put some positive energy out,” said Strumecki, a massage therapist. “I believe in peace. 1 helieve in healing.” She said other students are feeling scared as they think about the victims — and fear for family mem- bers who are in the mili- tary. “We can't pretend nothing happened,” Stru- mecki said. “It’s going to affect all of us, eventual- ly.” The vigil starts at 6:30 pam. Oct. 25. Participants are asked to bring a candle. SECTION B ENNIFER LANG 638-7283 m Coats for Kids RICHARD'S Cleaners employee Kari Fiechter, flanked by the Salvation Army's David Sessford (left} and Cpt. Dave Moulton, displays some of the second-hand coats bound for local families this winter through the Coats . for Kids program. Need is expected to increase due to the economy. Do- nations will be accepted at Spotless Cleaners locations until Oct. 27. ‘He was positive By JENNIFER LANG TERRACE last its oldest citizen last week. Harvey Doll passed _away in the early evening of Oct, 15 at Terracevicw “Lodge, where he’d made his home since 1987, He was aged 104, “He was always loving with the staff,” recalled ,_ Doris Mitchell, who works at Terracevicw Lodge. “He made people feel good. He was just positive, and bright.” Dell spent 14 years al the facility. In all that time, he kept buoyant spirits and a gen- ial manner. “Pve never known him to get down, negative or discouraged,” Mitchell said. ; Nearing what would have been his 105th birth- day, Doll was easily the facility’s most senior resi- dent. A succession of gener- ations joined Doll’s 104th birthday celebrations last year. His wife Caroline pre- deceased him by one quar- ier of a. century, passing away in 1977, He lived long cnough that one of his sons,’ Stan, now in his 80s, joined him at Terraceview. — i Doll was born on Dec. and bright’ BONNIE CASSAULT and Harvey Doll, seen here at — Doll’s 104th birthday party last December. 21, 1896 in Waterloo County, Ontario, one of seven brothers and sisters. He married Caroline in 1917, She was a widow with three daughters. He moved in 1923 to Waodcack, B.C, to clear Jand for the CNR and was later joined by his wife and children. They sur- vived a fire that destroyed their home. The family moved to Terrace in 1927, They eventually bought property on Braun’s Island, where Harvey built ‘a. house. “The family moved to town after the 1936 flood, but a street on the ‘island carries the family name. The Dolls moved to Prince Rupert for work during the Second World War. Two of the couple’s 11 children, sons Stan and Clarence, served overseas with the army. Back in Terrace, Doll . worked as a carpenter until his retirement. His passing means Ka- therine Anne Sowns, born in April, 1904 is now Ter- raceview’s aldest resident at 97, She’s five months older than well-known Terrace pioneer Floyd Frank, who was born that same year and also resides at Terra- ceview. “They're. both doing very well,” Milchell said. Around Town Taking it to the street HONKS OF support rang out during a long, wet night when more than a half-dozen people spent a night on the streets to raise awareness about home- lessness. “We had lots of support,” says Roseanne Pearce of Terrace Anti-Poverty, the society that organized the second annual Night on the Street, held in front of city hall Oct. 15, Three teenaged girls who joined the group for the night helped drum up support from passing metor- ists, Pearce said. “I’m very proud of the kids. They had a lot of en- ergy.” Support came from other sources, as well. “We even had people stop by and bring coffee,” For the mast part, none of the participants got much sleep — except for the teens, who managed to catch several hours’ worth of winks before dawn. A Night on the Street coincided with affordable housing week in B.C., an annual campaign that’s aimed at raising awareness about housing issues in the province, particularly for people on low and fixed incomes. Fall back DON’T FORGET to set your clocks back one hour Sunday morning. Daylight savings lime ends Oct. 28 at 2 a.m, That means it’s going to get darker earlier at night. But Lock on the bright side, at least we pet an extra hour to sleep Sunday, making up for the hour we lost in spring, MARCEL Kristoff shows a TV crew his un- ique automobile couch, Terrace man on CBC TV MARCEL KRISTOFF, the local entrepreneur be- hind Classic Hot Dogs, the distinctive hot dog stand he’s created using an automobile, is featured on a national TV program that Terrace audiences can view Friday aftermoon on Channel 7, CBC’s popular On the Road Again, hosted by the affable Wayne Roystad, is a whimsical look at people living in all different parts of the country. Roystad and his crew visited Terrace this summer to tape footage for the series. The episode featuring Kristoff airs at 3 p.m.