The following Letter to the Editor is a rebuttal from Tyler Holte to Steve Thorlakson’s Letter to the Editor published on March 24. The Broken Typewriter provides a forum for all regional perspectives, even those that challenge our previous contributors.

I write in response to the Letter to the Editor written by Steve Thorlakson published on March 24, 2026 by The Broken Typewriter respecting plans on a new pool in Fort St. John. I was flabbergasted by the insults and condescension hurled by Mr. Thorlakson at City Council and staff advisors. I also found it strange that Mr. Thorlakson left out much of the context of the last decade – perhaps because it undermined the accusations he made in his article.

The primary contention I take issue with: Mr. Thorlakson asserts (with insults) that the City is not working with its regional partners in the development of this pool plan. Mr. Thorlakson makes no mention of the eight recent years the City spent working with its Regional District partners on the North Peace Leisure Facility Replacement Steering Committee. After eight years, that Steering Committee produced four alternatives: priced approximately $130M, two options at $280M, and one over $400M. None of those are palatable. The $130M would simply replace the old pool, which is grossly undersized for our community’s needs – a fact that any pool-user can attest to. I note that the plans for the current $185M proposal is comparable to the $280M proposal that came out of that steering committee.

Given the lack of reasonable plan after almost a decade, it made sense for the City to take the lead on developing a palatable solution to bring back. The hand-off to the City was consensual and in the spirit of partnership. In other words, the City is not forging ahead on its own. Mr. Thorlakson is deceptive in his characterizations of the City going on its own, and the City presuming that PRRD reserves are honey pot for the City’s use. As an aside – this latter contention that City Council was poorly advised by administration was rather comical to myself: City Council and administration are a lot of things worthy of critique, but inattentive to legalities and restrictions on funds is certainly not one of them. I suggest that Mr. Thorlakson grossly misapprehends what the City is actually doing: developing a plan to bring back to everyone.

The other main contention I take issue with: Mr. Thorlakson asserts that the current plan is a grandiose, devoid of pragmatism or common sense. Surely Mr. Thorlakson can agree that the alternatives B and C, developed via the collaboration with regional partners that Mr. Thorlakson seems to advocate for, are even more grandiose budgets. Which is it: should we forge ahead with those previous proposals, or should the City push for a more pragmatic plan (i.e., what it currently is)? It is difficult to reconcile these seemingly diametrically-opposed critiques. Is Mr. Thorlakson simply talking out of both sides of his mouth? After all, he is a former politician.

What is not talked about is the City’s need for a new pool. It seems to be a given – even Regional District partners do not disagree that a new pool is needed; I expect that they will be rather supportive of the developing plan given it is a more pragmatic solution. The old pool, despite being only 30 years old, is nearing the end of its life. The PRRD’s engagement resources provide a bit of explanation why this is the case (see page 4). It appears that a bit too much compromise was done during Mr. Thorlakson’s tenure, resulting in a pool with such a short life span. Some meme-worthy photos on the hot tub repairs illustrate the issue quite well.

Mr. Thorlakson rambles on about many irrelevancies from thirty years ago in his article. He places strange emphasis on unanimous resolutions from that time. Surely Mr. Thorlakson knows that previous councils cannot fetter the discretion of future councils. Thank God that City Council’s hands are not as tied as Mr. Thorlakson would like to suggest – how else can they fix the mistakes of their predecessors.

I am not going to waste further time in taking apart the inaccuracies in Mr. Thorlakson’s article (such as his conflation with the project charter with the actual projected costs per household of the current plan). I suggest that if anyone wants to get the facts of the matter, don’t take Mr. Thorlakson’s or my word for it: ask the City or a City Council member. A lot of work has been done on this, so talk to those that are in the know.

Tyler Holte

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Regular readers of this column will know that I am a big fan of RRSPs. Used correctly, they are usually the premier retirement savings option for high income employees.

But, as with everything that is good, there will be the critics. And one of the things that critics will say is that you have to turn your RRSPs into a taxable income stream by the end of the year that you turn 71. Potentially this means paying tax on money that you may not need, or having income-tested government benefits clawed back.

If the idea of forced withdrawals from your retirement plan sounds nasty to you, let me reassure you that this is usually more of a theoretical problem than an actual one. It is undeniably true that with the tax-sheltered growth of RRSPs you absolutely can grow your money into a very large amount, and if you have to pay tax on a very large amount then the tax bill will be proportionate.

But here is the difference between theory and practice. What I have found is that the people who have a lot of money usually want to spend a lot of money. Usually people aren’t taking money out of their retirement plans because they are forced to by the mandated RRIF minimums. People are taking money out because they want to enjoy their retirement.

Still, it is true that mandatory withdrawals by age 71 may not always be optimal. Which brings me to this week’s topic. The retirement option that nobody knows about. The Advanced Life Deferred Annuity, or ALDA.

An ALDA allows you to take a portion of your registered money and push the income start date out as late as age 85. This offers some relief for the forced withdrawals early in retirement, which can create unnecessary taxable income and exposure to government benefit clawbacks.

An ALDA allows you to reduce those withdrawals by carving out up to 25 percent of your registered assets, subject to a lifetime cap of about $180,000. That portion no longer generates forced income during the early years of retirement.

While the tax planning may be interesting, the real reason why ALDAs were created was so that people don’t run out of money in retirement. With an ALDA you are locking in a future income stream that will pay you for the rest of your lifetime. ALDAs are insurance against longevity. You can’t outlive your money.

Not everyone is concerned about longevity risk, but you probably should be. People are living longer and longer, and with modern medicine you can survive things that used to be fatal.

But living longer exposes you to the risk of running out of money. Especially in a rising cost world. On that note, have you seen the price of gas lately? Is your money keeping pace with inflation?

Here’s what the planning might look like. Your retirement is not likely to be static.

In the early years you are probably still relatively healthy, and now you finally have both the time and the money to do all those things that you always wanted to, but couldn’t because up until now you were too busy with work. During this stage in life you probably want flexibility. TFSAs and RRIFs are appropriate income vehicles to match your lifestyle.

Later in retirement you are likely to slow down. Your health will probably deteriorate. You probably aren’t travelling so much. Now you are not spending as much on discretionary expenses. But you probably are spending more money than ever on health care.

Now you want predictability from your money to make sure your basic needs will be covered for your lifetime. This is the type of scenario where ALDAs can be appealing. ALDAs will produce pension style income that you can’t outlive, with no market fluctuations to worry about. That can allow you to spend more confidently in your 60s and 70s, knowing that a baseline income will be there in your 80s and beyond.

The ALDA is locked in, which is both the strength and the weakness. You have a guaranteed income for life. But you lose flexibility. The decision is permanent. Once you buy it, you cannot change it. You cannot surrender it. You cannot access the capital. As with any annuity, you are giving up liquidity in exchange for certainty.

The Advanced Life Deferred Annuity. The retirement income option that you have never heard of. They are not going to solve every financial planning problem. But they could be a brilliant fit in the right circumstances.

Brad Brain. CFP, R.F.P., CIM, TEP is a Certified Financial Planner in Fort St John, BC. This material is prepared for general circulation and may not reflect your individual financial circumstances. Brad can be reached at www.bradbrainfinancial.com.

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As winter wraps up, and the snow begins to melt, both the provincial and federal governments report that the Peace was the only region of the province where the snowpack was well above normal on March 1.

British Columbia’s Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship’s Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin shows that the overall provincial snowpack is slightly below normal to March 1, with the average snow measurement at 91 percent of normal. Meanwhile, in the Peace Region, the Snow Basin Indices (SBI) is at 130 percent of normal, and the average Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) – in the 85^th percentile – is the highest in the province.

The higher-than-normal snowpack led to Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor reporting an overall improvement in drought conditions. In Northern BC where “significant improvements were observed” the Moderate (D1) conditions in the northeast corner of the Peace, and near Dawson Creek the Moderate (D1) and Severe Drought (D2) conditions were reduced.

For growers and producers in the Peace Region, a snow basin index of 130 percent of normal is generally a good sign. Coming on the heels of several years of severe drought, it offers a better starting point for the growing season.

But it doesn’t offer a guaranteed outcome, says Peace River Forage Association coordinator, Nadia Mori.

A higher-than-normal snowpack can improve spring runoff, help recharge dugouts, streams, soil moisture reserves, and reduce some concerns going into spring.

“What matters next is how the snow comes off, how much of that moisture actually infiltrates, what subsoil moisture looks like going into seeding, and what kind of rainfall and temperatures we get through May, June and July,” Mori told the broken typewriter.

The 2025 drought summary showed that conditions had improved substantially over 2022-2024, but that recovery was uneven, and areas like the South and East Peace could still be vulnerable, depending on both this year’s snowpack, as well as spring and summer weather.

Near normal temperatures are expected for the northern Peace region this growing season, and according to the Bulletin, there is likely to be “above normal precipitation for March through May 2026” for several regions, including the Peace.

Mori is encouraged by the current snowpack. “[It] should be viewed as a meaningful improvement from recent drought years, but it is still too early to declare the drought fully behind us. The next phase of spring weather will tell us a great deal.”

The way the snow melts in the coming weeks will determine how seeding goes. The BC Water Supply Bulletin warns that because of the current snow conditions, there is an increased risk of spring snowmelt flood, including in the Peace region. If the snow melts gradually and the ground can take in the moisture, it would be beneficial. But if it melts too quickly while the ground is still frozen that water could become run-off instead of useful stored moisture.

North Peace Cattlemen’s Association president, Braden Sutherland, is hopeful that that the snowpack will end the drought conditions the region’s producers have been suffering through in the last few years.

“The ground is so dry and water tables are so low that it will take at least all this snow and more to replenish, but I am certain this will make a significant difference in replenishing dry dugouts, and improving the grassland and forest conditions,” he said. “Pastures and hay fields should do well if summer ever comes.”

Mori says the issue heading into planting for local farmers isn’t just having snow on the land in March, but whether fields dry out and thaw in time for normal field access.

“Producers generally want a gradual melt followed by conditions that allow soils to warm and equipment to get on the land without causing compaction or rutting,” she said. “If snow persists too long into spring, or if fields stay wet and cold, seeding can be delayed.”

In light of this week’s additional snow, Sutherland said, “I am concerned now that its going to be difficult to get any crops in the ground in time.”

Most producers would rather start with good moisture and a slightly later field entry, than go into spring with bare, dry fields and continued moisture deficits.

“What will matter most over the next several weeks is the timing of thaw, drainage, field trafficability and whether weather in late April and May supports a reasonably timely start,” Mori said.

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Volunteers have long been the backbone of the North Peace, making everything from kids’ sports to community crime prevention, to cultural activities possible. But in recent years, the number of people giving their time to run events and organisations in the region has declined, even leading to some of these long-standing features of the community disappearing.

But the City of Fort St. John has a plan to reignite volunteerism in the community, by launching the first ever Volunteer Month.

In a presentation to Council on March 23, City staff described their plan and asked that Council proclaim April 2026 Volunteer Month in the city.

“In Fort St. John, volunteer contributions are woven into everyday community life. Often quietly, and often without formal recognition,” Corporate Officer Bonnie McCue told Council.

“Fort St. John has a strong tradition of community involvement, with residents giving their time and skills to support local organisations, events and services. However, like many communities across Canada, volunteer participation has been changing in recent years,” Economic Development Manager Stephanie Peters added.

Some of those changes include what Northern BC Crime Stoppers’ president Kyle MacDonald described as the “aging out” of volunteers, in an interview with the broken typewriter in January. MacDonald discussed the reasons that the Fort St. John and District Crime Stoppers folded in 2020. Covid and the aging out, he said, were the top reasons.

Other organisations have seen this too. People who started volunteering as young people for whichever activity or service group they were interested in, aren’t being replaced by the younger generations.

In some organisations, presidents are staying on for years after they planned to step down, but don’t, because they want to make sure that the events, organisations and activities that make our community what it is continue without interruption. While some events, like the Fort St. John Rodeo, disappeared for a time.

“As community needs and the ways people choose to give back continue to evolve, there are opportunities to refresh how to recognise volunteers and encourage participation,” Peters said.

Volunteer Month is an opportunity to celebrate community contributions, highlight local stories and encourage participation “in ways that fit people’s lives,” McCue said.

The City hopes to ignite volunteerism by “celebrating the incredible efforts already happening in Fort St. John.

“Volunteers contribute in big and small ways every day, supporting local organisations, events, emergency responses, recreation and community services that many of us rely on,” said McCue.

By focussing on celebrating volunteer impact in the community, City staff plan to lead by example with staff stories and inviting community stories of volunteerism and highlighting the personal benefits of volunteering.

“This is an opportunity to build community and community connection. Rather than focussing on long-term commitments, the invitation to ignite volunteerism emphasises flexibility and choice, helping residents see that volunteering can fit different interests, schedules and stages of life,” said Communications Manager, Ryan Harvey.

“Overall, the message is clear. Volunteering enriches lives and our community. Both for the people who give their time, and for the community as a whole. Everyone can participate in a way that works for them.”

With the snow melting, one of the first opportunities of Spring to get out and make a difference in the community, is during Pitch-In Week, which runs from April 19 to 25. Earth Day lands smack in the middle of the week and helping preserve our environment by pitching in to clean up the roadside debris, is a good way to give back to the community.

Anyone interested in participating in Pitch-In Week, is asked to register by April 10 by following this link. There is a lot of snow out there still, and although the City is hoping it will be gone by April 19, staff is prepared to push the Pitch-In day back if necessary.

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The Peace River Region, with its variety of industries, resources, and hard-working citizens is an area that the province is lucky to be able to claim as its own, Conservative Party of BC leadership candidate Kerry-Lynne Findlay told the broken typewriter following her morning meet and greet at Whole Wheat & Honey on April 4.

But unfortunately for both the region and the province, the government has been “sunsetting” industries like mining and forestry that are centred in the North, she said.

“I think what’s also happening is we do not have a government that’s listening. They don’t visit enough. They don’t talk to the locals enough.

“I’m not sure why the government isn’t listening, because I don’t think they’re listening in a lot of areas. Certainly not in the development of our resources.”

Our conversation came on the heels of Findlay’s meeting with Mayor and Council, where she heard their concerns about the government’s fixation on these “sunset industries”.

“One of the things she [Mayor Lilia Hansen] was talking about is that when she was south for the Union of BC Municipalities meetings that the provincial government kept talking about the sunset industries.

“Well, if you decide it’s a sunset industry, you don’t care about those good-paying jobs. If you don’t want to unleash your resources for prosperity, I guess it’s a sunset industry. But it doesn’t have to be, right?” Findlay said.

The North is extremely important to the province, she continued, and having dialogue on the ground, in the region is key.

“You’ve got to be doing what I’m doing right now, which is visiting, talking, hearing from people, actually discussing these issues. How else are you going to know what the needs are?”

The government’s tendency to ignore elected representatives from the region isn’t helping.

It’s the job of MLA’s “to bring these local issues,” Findlay said. “But if you’re not listening to them either, then you really don’t know.”

When the broken typewriter asked Findlay how she would resolve the regional dichotomy of the highest unemployment rate in the province with the highest-per-capita number of entrepreneurs in Canada, to enable northern businesses to get things moving, she said that her government would respect risk and entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship, by its definition, involves risk-taking. It involves investing your own time, money, and resources into building a business. That is where we can find a lot of employment and a lot of opportunity.”

When a government just keeps layering on rules, regulations, red tape and more paperwork, they drown small and emerging businesses in a regulatory matrix that’s hard to deal with, Findlay who has been self-employed, pointed out.

“It discourages entrepreneurs, and it discourages investment,” Findlay said, adding that the reason people become entrepreneurs is because they’re innovators or they see a niche market.

“If we want to be open for investment, and if we want entrepreneurs to stay here with their great ideas, . . . we have to respect what they are bringing to the table.”

Findlay says the government isn’t listening.

“They have their own thoughts, their own ideologies they’re pursuing. That’s where they prioritise government spending. Governments don’t create wealth. They prioritise spending of our taxpayer dollars.”

“It’s been said that the problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money. And that’s where we’re at right now.”

The much-needed replacement of the Taylor Bridge is an example of the government not listening to the needs of locals and of selective spending priorities.

“First thing I heard when I was coming here is about Taylor Bridge. It’s both a local and a provincial issue because obviously, it’s a local bridge,” she said. “But infrastructure, the lack of replacement of some essential infrastructure – it’s an issue throughout the province.”

Findlay believes that her credentials as a Member of Parliament in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, her role as Minister of Revenue and Party Whip, make her uniquely qualified to both lead the Conservative Party of BC and the province as Premier.

“I am putting myself forward for the leadership because I am a conservative, not by convenience, but out of conviction. This is who I am. I think I have some really good ideas, and I think that those are ideas that will benefit Peace River North and benefit the whole province.”

People in BC are suffering because of unaffordability, high taxes, and job losses. Findlay has heard stories from people across the province whose hopes and aspirations are being dashed by the NDP government.

“This last NDP budget was a no-hope budget, I say, because their answer to their overspending and their reckless spending is to say we all need to pay more taxes.

“They upped the tax rate on the lowest income bracket. How is that helping people who are struggling?”

Taking more from people at a time of unaffordability is not a vision for the future, Findlay says.

“I believe with my background as a member of parliament, as a Minister of National Revenue, as someone who’s dealt with justice issues as a lawyer, I can get us back to safer streets and communities. I can get us back to more fiscal balance.”

But it’s not something that can be done overnight. Findlay proposes cutting taxes, like gas tax and taking the seven percent PST off of groceries.

“You need to start making everyday life affordable, and at the same time, bringing up your revenues. You do that by leaning out government, so government isn’t as costly, it’s more efficient.

“We did it in the federal government. If we can do it for a whole country, we can do it for a province. If you can get out of a ‘08, ‘09 recession with debt, and get back to a balanced budget and a surplus, and have enough money, which I did as Minister of Revenue, to run this country, you can do it in the province.”

Findlay believes that leading the Conservative Party of BC is a job for someone with experience, not simply a desire to help your community, which is how she got her start in politics.

“This isn’t an entry-level job.”

British Columbia, Findlay says needs someone who has been tried and tested, and who understands how to navigate between different levels of government.

“Because if you’re talking about leading a province, that means you have to deal with other provinces, you have to deal with municipal governments, you need to deal with federal governments,” she said.

“You don’t want to be standing there for a year, a year and a half, trying to learn the job, on the job, because there’s too much to do, and we have to do a lot of it quickly in order to start turning things around.”

The new leader of the Conservative Party of BC will be announced at the Leadership Convention on May 30.

To be eligible to vote, you must be a member in good standing of the party by April 18, 2026, at 5 p.m. PST. Each member will have one vote in a preferential (ranked) ballot, conducted through a secure, online system, according to the Conservative Part of BC’s website. A candidate must win more than 50 percent of the total province-wide vote to be elected leader.

For more information, visit the Conservative Party of BC’s website.

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On March 23, Council proclaimed April 5 – 11, 2026 as National Dental Hygiene Week, following a presentation from three local dental hygienists; Michelle Foster, Nikki Curlew, and Tammy Gulevich.

The trio spoke to Council about the importance of dental hygiene, emphasising the benefits of oral health on whole-body health and the need for better access to dental care for seniors in the community.

“Dental hygienists are often the first line of prevention,” Gulevich told Council. “We can often detect early signs of oral disease, systemic health concerns and changes that can impact quality of life.”

Research shows that there are strong links between oral health and other conditions like heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness, Gulevich continued.

“What happens in the mouth, truly does affect the rest of the body.”

Dental hygienists in work in a variety of settings in Fort St. John, from private and independent practices; to schools and community programs; long-term care facilities; and mobile outreach programs. These different ways of providing oral health care enables hygienists to “meet people where they are, whether that’s in the dental chair, a care facility or in their own home.”

Prevention, through proper dental care, can not only reduce disease, but stress and healthcare costs as well.

“Oral health is essential at every stage of life, from the first tooth to our later years,” Curlew said. “[National Dental Hygiene Week] also reminds us that access to care, compassion and education matter just as much as clinical skill.

“We are proud to work collaboratively as dental hygiene practices in this community. Though we each operate our own business, we believe strongly in supporting one another in supporting Fort St. John together.”

The proclamation recognizes the important work of Canada’s 31,000+ dental hygienists and highlights the critical link between good oral health and overall health.

“As dental hygienists we are passionate about creating healthy smiles, but more importantly, healthy people,” Curlew concluded.

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Artificial Intelligence is a revolutionary technological development that will change the world.

That does not make it qualified to be your financial advisor.

The seeds for this column were planted when I received an email from someone who is not a client, taking issue with some things I have done and said back in 2025. The letter tosses around some industry jargon, and it makes some bold statements. It is clearly written by AI.

And its total crap. Superficially the letter sounds great. But its pure nonsense.

Hey, I have nothing against Artificial Intelligence. I use it myself, when appropriate. That’s how I know its limitations.

People who use AI know what I am talking about. AI will confidently give you an answer on absolutely anything that you ask of it. Even if that answer is absolutely wrong.

Here is an example. I have a paid subscription with ChatGPT. This means that ChatGPT remembers and learns from my interactions with it. This is important. ChatGPT knows Brad Brain. So ChatGPT should know the answer when I asked it, “what is the number one rule about money according to Brad Brain?”

Chat GPT responded, “The first rule of money is simple: Don’t lose it. Everything else in finance, growth, returns, strategies, comes after that. If you lose capital, especially early or in retirement, the math works against you. Recovering losses requires disproportionately higher returns, and time may not be on your side. Protecting capital is the foundation. Growth is optional without it.”

The only problem is, I never said that. Well, not quite anyway.

I think what ChatGPT is referring to is when Warren Buffett’s first rule of investing, which is “Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.”

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But that’s not what I asked. Good advice, sure. But wrong person and wrong rule so clearly not the correct answer to the question that I asked. My first rule of money is to live within your means.

ChatGPT confidently gave the wrong answer, with no references to where it got this information. In this case, there is not much harm that will come from it.

But a while ago I had an argument with a Chartered Accountant who was absolutely convinced that spousal rollovers of RRSPs on death are taxable. That is a big problem. This accountant, who absolutely should have known better, was unequivocably wrong. Harm will absolutely come from relying on this wrong answer.

This is the blessing and the curse of AI. The blessing is that you can use it to find out anything you want. The curse is that the answer might be rubbish.

When you use AI you should always ask it for the sources from which it is basing its answer. When I asked ChatGPT for the source for what it claimed to be Brad Brain’s first rule of money, it said “I do not have a direct source where Brad Brain says, verbatim, “the first rule of money is don’t lose it. That wording was my paraphrase of a theme in his writing. The source-supported takeaway is this: Brad Brain places a very high priority on avoiding losses, but my earlier sentence was a summary, not a direct quote.”

In other words, I didn’t actually say what ChatGPT confidently attributed to me. In this case, no big deal.

The problem is, if you don’t know the subject matter, you don’t know what is crap and what is real. Like the accountant who did not know that spousal rollovers are tax free.

And that email that I received? The one taking issue with some things I have done and said back in 2025? Here is what ChatGPT has to say about the AI-written letter that I received…

“This letter has several signs of AI assisted drafting, but the bigger problem is not whether AI wrote it. The bigger problem is that it reasons like AI: broad accusations, thin facts, wrong terminology, hindsight bias, and confusion between possible planning options and actual professional duties. That is exactly why using AI in place of an informed advisor is dangerous. It can generate something that looks smart while being substantively weak.”

See? Even ChatGPT knows the dangers of using ChatGPT as your financial advisor.

Brad Brain. CFP, R.F.P., CIM, TEP is a Certified Financial Planner in Fort St John, BC. This material is prepared for general circulation and may not reflect your individual financial circumstances. Brad can be reached at www.bradbrainfinancial.com.

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Peace River Regional District Board Chair Brad Sperling says BC Hydro’s announcement that the Site C workcamp will be re-purposed is “very welcome news” for the region.

Over the past year, the PRRD has repeatedly raised concerns about the future of the camp structures, worried that BC Hydro and ATCO – which is handling decommissioning – would simply send most of the materials to regional landfills.

In its press release announcing the development, BC Hydro said that all 21 dormitories, the construction site office and other key supporting infrastructure will be moved to support the construction of the North Coast Transmission Line. The structures from Site C will be distributed amongst four sites between Prince George and Terrace.

Because only 85 percent of the camp will be repurposed, Sperling noted “that could still leave several parts remaining.”

“In this day and age of re-purpose, reuse and recycle, I hope BC Hydro continues to look at these options before land filling.”

BC Hydro will continue to negotiate with organisations which have expressed interest in the remaining parts of the workcamp – such as the theatre and the gymnasium.

Charlotte Mitha, President and CEO of BC Hydro reported in a statement: “Our goal was to give the Site C camp a meaningful second life. With Site C nearly complete and construction on the North Coast Transmission Line starting this summer, the timing is ideal.”

Each of the three-storey modular 21 dormitories consists of 84 rooms, complemented by a central atrium lobby, kitchen and dining hall, coffee shop and lounge – for a total of 1,764 beds.

Operations at the Site C camp will end on Tuesday, March 31, and work to disassemble the camp will begin later this spring.

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Human beings are imperfect. We all have flaws. My own flaws include impatience and intolerance for stupidity.

Another flaw that humans can have is the tendency to want to blame others rather than taking responsibility for their own actions. You probably know what I am talking about. When “Karen” wants to “speak with the manager” because she feels she is entitled to having things done her way.

This is more than social commentary. There are implications for personal financial planning.

Hey, problems in financial services happen. If your bank fails to process a transfer, or your RESP contribution is not being allocated to the right beneficiary, or your RRIF payment is not happening on schedule, these are the types of things that are probably not your fault. You absolutely may need someone to help you sort it out.

But, to be clear, the fixing of real problems is not the topic of this column. What I am talking about is lack of accountability for your own financial success. As the expression goes, I can lead the horse to water, but I can’t make her drink.

I can tell you about RRSPs, but you are the one that has to make the contribution. I can tell you about insurance policies, but you are the one that has to pay the premium. I can tell you about financial planning, but you are the one that has to decide what your important goals are.

If you want financial success, you are going to need to take responsibility for your own outcomes. Sure, you can hire a professional to help you with the technical parts. But the best financial plan in the world is useless if you don’t implement it.

And you are the one that has to implement it. That’s the one thing that you can’t pawn off on others. If you don’t make the commitment to take action, then action will not be taken.

Be accountable for your own success.

Set your goals. If you never take a few moments and spend some thoughtful time on what it is that you want to achieve, then there is no point in asking me what you should do with your money. If you have no idea where you are going, then any road will do.

Update your will. Every single person that reads this column will die. Yet, statistically, only half of readers will have a will. And the number of readers with a current will is even less than that. If your will still talks about naming a guardian for your children, who are now grown with kids of their own, it’s time for an update.

Do you know what will happen to your stuff if you die without a will? Guess what, neither does anyone else. The will is the document that speaks on your behalf when you are no longer here to do it for yourself.

Talk to your parents about their estate plan. The first time that you are hearing what they want should not be when the will is read.

Talk to your kids about financial literacy. If you don’t explain to your kids how money works, then who will? Do you really want them to try to figure it out for themselves, the hard way?

If you are getting financial advice from random people on social media, or equivalent unqualified sources, don’t get all grumpy when it turns out the people you listened to, even relied on, have no idea what they are talking about.

If things end up not going the way you wanted with your money, it is certainly possible that the people your hired to do a job did not meet expectations. But blaming others might merely be a feeble excuse and attempt to shift blame.

Blaming others means that we don’t need to take a long look in the mirror. And sometimes the reason you don’t get the results you want is because of the person in the mirror, and all the temper tantrums, and feelings of entitlement, and demands to speak to the manager, do not alter the facts.

You may not be able to rely on someone to do everything for you. Make an effort. Be accountable.

Brad Brain. CFP, R.F.P., CIM, TEP is a Certified Financial Planner in Fort St John, BC. This material is prepared for general circulation and may not reflect your individual financial circumstances. Brad can be reached at www.bradbrainfinancial.com.

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Well folks to say that I am absolutely astounded at the lack of critical or strategic thinking by our city council, and their staff advisors would be a huge understatement.

They seem to be forging ahead, all alone, with a grandiose plan for a new pool in the order of $185 million. Back when council was at least attempting to work with the existing partners on the North Peace Leisure Pool, I even recall one of our City reps suggesting that they could grab the accumulated reserves being held by the Peace River Regional District on behalf of the North Peace Leisure Pool project.

In the first blush of released information as council blindly forges ahead, it was suggested that they must keep the cost on the average home to know more than $40 a month. Say that slowly, it’s almost $500 a year!

Things that are good to do can only be accomplished through hard work. The original fair share program and the allocation formula took hard work, facts, research and compromise that took about two years. The construction of the North Peace Leisure Pool required the Fort St. John City Council to adopt a unanimous resolution that the city would not proceed with a new pool unless there was significant and fair regional cost sharing, with emphasis upon the rural industrial tax base supporting a facility that was located in the primary North Peace service center.

A few facts for your readers and listeners.

1. Any reserves held by the North Peace Leisure Pool DO NOT BELONG TO THE CITY OF FORT ST. JOHN. Those funds are held in trust for the North Peace, Leisure Pool, assuming ongoing repairs and upgrades and maintenance.

2. When the current pool was started, the City’s share of an annual debt and operations was 27%. Regional District Areas B and C, which is where the industrial tax base exists, paid 73%. Over the last three years, the cost share has shifted, so that the city’s share is now only 22%, and the rural cost share is 78%.

3. Before we received a nickel from the original Fair Share, now called the Peace River Agreement, City Council unanimously adopted a formula that apportioned those funds on a percentage basis to different needs. My recollection may not be perfect, but I believe that only 15% of those funds were to go to recreation, facilities, and parks. That would include all of the recreation facilities and all of the parks.

It now seems City Council, poorly advised by administration, believes that the accumulated Fair Share funds held in reserve are a honey pot that can go towards a new pool project. Unless they have already abandoned formally, the previous allocation formula, a maximum a 15% can be allocated to existing and new projects. To change this formula should require an open public discussion and debate.

The biggest issue that I see, is the Council has completely failed in what I consider the primary strategic objective, and that is to sit down in a collaborative and cooperative basis with the existing North Peace Leisure Pool partners to negotiate the future of either the existing facility or a replacement facility. Would that be easy? No, clearly not. However, it is absolutely necessary to respectfully work in harmony with our neighbours for the benefit of the whole North Peace.

What really scares me, is that unless there is a heavy dose of common sense and pragmatic thinking, Fort St. John could go the same way as our neighbours in Dawson Creek have. They went on an aggressive new facility program that is well beyond the ability of their tax base to support. Most of us have enjoyed going to concerts at the Events Centre there, But the Dawson Creek Council sold their voters on the thought that it would attract huge numbers from Grande Prairie and Prince George and be a boon for the hotel business.

When that didn’t materialize, they spent over $4 million to subsidize a Junior a hockey team. That didn’t work out very well either. They continue to subsidize heavily their local airport. Years ago, I suggested to the Mayor of Dawson Creek that they buy a first class motor coach and offered free transportation to and from the airports in Fort St. John and Grande Prairie for any Dawson Creek residents. They would’ve saved millions, but rejected that suggestion. Now they are looking for an alternate water supply at a capital cost estimated at $100 million. And that’s for a necessity, not for something that’s nice to have.

If our City Council uses any wisdom, they will abandon any plans for a referendum for this fall, and go back to the table with our friends and neighbors. The average voter is really challenged to try to understand all the implications, so it’s up to like-minded people with long-term vision to make sure the council gets a cold dose of reality.

Just because you got a big inheritance (Fair Share/Peace River Agreement) doesn’t mean you should stop doing the hard things, and the right things, and go out and blow the inheritance. Anyone who thinks that our bankrupt provincial or federal government will throw some money at this is dreaming in technicolor.

Steve Thorlakson

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People react to market volatility in different ways.

When investments go down, some people will think they need to get out fast before they lose more money. Other people will realize that you can’t change the past and just ride things out. And some investors – the astute ones – will look at market volatility not as a crisis, but as an opportunity.

Think about it. Would you rather pay a high price for something, or a low price? I know when I go shopping for groceries I like to buy things on sale. Why would it be any different if I am shopping for investments? If it is a well-run, profitable business with a bright future, and you liked it at $100, then you should love it if you can buy more at $80.

People also react to the anticipation of future market volatility in different ways. And that’s what I want to talk about today.

When the news came out of more military conflict in the Middle East I took a call from a client. The consensus at the time was that energy prices were going to head sharply higher. He was wondering what we should do next.

Higher energy prices can be good for some businesses, but bad for others. So, do we buy more oil stocks? Do we sell some other stocks? What’s good? What’s bad? What do we do now?

My advice to him was to worry neither about trying to pick the right sectors to be in, nor the sectors to avoid. Just be diversified and take the long-term view.

Don’t have all your eggs in one basket, as the old saying goes. There is a reason why this is an old saying. It has stood the test of time. Put all your eggs in one basket and you can lose everything if something happens to the basket.

The problem with trying to make bets on what you think is going to be hot is that things go in and out of favour quickly. If you get too concentrated, you can be left holding the bag when sentiment turns.

This problem can also happen in reverse. Avoid a sector that you think will be cold, and you miss out when that sector heats up.

It wasn’t too long ago that people shunned energy stocks. Now everyone wants more. It wasn’t too long ago that tech stocks were rocketing up. Now they are in free fall.

This is the problem with betting on sectors. What’s good now can be bad later. Volatility works both ways. What goes up fast can come down just as fast. And vice-versa. What’s bad now can be good later. And usually there is no advance notice of future events.

So rather than trying to be in precisely the right spot at the right time, a far more reliable strategy is to be diversified, knowing that you will not have all your money in the best place to be, but also knowing that you won’t have all your money in the worst place.

Being properly diversified also means that you can have the peace of mind of knowing when the hot sectors rotate, you will have a piece of that action too. No need to overthink things. No need to try to pick the right winners at the right time.

A word of caution. Owning three different Canadian Balanced mutual funds from three different banks doesn’t make you diversified. It just means you bought more of what you already have. Its duplication, not diversification.

True diversification means that not all your investments move in the same direction at the same time. Its not good enough to simply hold multiple investments if the investment performance is correlated.

A good indication of true diversification is that you should always hate part of your portfolio. Just not always the same part.

Look at market volatility opportunistically. Be diversified. Stay focused on your long-term goals. This is the way.

Brad Brain. CFP, R.F.P., CIM, TEP is a Certified Financial Planner in Fort St John, BC. This material is prepared for general circulation and may not reflect your individual financial circumstances. Brad can be reached at www.bradbrainfinancial.com.

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It’s the third anniversary of The Broken Typewriter as you see it today.

We’ve grown over the past three years, …

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If you’ve noticed a few new blurbs at the bottom of my posts lately, don’t worry everything’s fine at The Broken Typewriter. That’s just part of the new digital perimeter I’ve spent the past few days working on.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve tracked a massive spike in non-human traffic to my archives. In one case, a single IP address pinged a particular post 116 times in a row.

In the era of AI “scrapers” and news aggregators who prefer a desk to the field, The Broken Typewriter has become a target.

What’s New:

• AI & Scraping Policy: I’ve officially updated my Terms of Service to prohibit the unauthorized use of my reporting for AI training or automated “summaries.”

• The “Context” Fee: For those using this site as a research library for commercial uses, I have formalized a $400.00 Syndication Fee per instance.

• Human-First Reporting: My commitment remains to you, the human reader. I use tools to organize my data, but every word you read here is human-researched, human-verified, and human-written.

Why this matters to you:

When you subscribe to The Broken Typewriter, you’re supporting the person who is actually in the room at the local government meetings and conferences, the person showing up to community events, and the one digging through the technical information to bring you a clear understanding of what’s happening and how it affects the North Peace.

These updates ensure that the independent, boots-on-the-ground reporting stays sustainable and protected from being “summarized” out of existence.

The fence is now officially electrified. If you’re a human reader, come on in. If you’re a bot or someone with less than honourable intentions, please check your budget before you click.

As always, thanks so much for reading and supporting News & Views in the BC North Peace.

~ Tania

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I just had my annual audit from my investment dealer. It’s a routine procedure.

These mandatory compliance obligations have to be done, but they are not much fun. For half a day, it was “show me your notes for this transaction” and “what’s your process for this hypothetical scenario”, with the auditor looking for anything out of place. Even the tiniest detail can be questioned.

One of the things that gets looked at is something called “Know Your Product.” As a Portfolio Manager, it is my responsibility to make sure I recommend the best investment options for every individual client.

I can’t simply say “this investment fund is the best.” I have to show my work. Why did I recommend this product? What alternatives did I compare it to? Let’s see your analysis. Where is the documentation?

I am getting grilled. I have to justify all the decisions I have made, not only on the investments that I recommended, but also the rationale for not recommending the ones that I passed on.

In the middle of this, I had a moment of introspection. When I was asked how I make my investment recommendations, I realized that my better answer to the auditor’s questions is not simply comparing the MER on mutual funds and recommending the cheapest product. Of course, we do all that mundane stuff too. And I know that was the type of answer that the auditor was expecting to hear.

But the real thing that guides my hand - my truth, my north star, the inuksuk that guides me across the barren tundra – is something that is much more principled. For me, the foundation of the Know Your Product process is my investment philosophy. It’s how I look at what makes for a good investment. It’s what has often kept me from doing dumb things with money.

My investment philosophy is not the topic of this column though. The topic is why you want to have your own process. If you don’t stand for something, then you may fall for anything.

What got me thinking about this was when I realized that ESG investments have fallen off the radar. Nobody really talks about ESG these days, when it wasn’t that long ago that ESG was the fashionable investment topic.

ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. The idea is that people can invest according to their values. Sounds good, right? Is saving the environment important to you? We have an investment for that!

I am not saying that the ESG concept is bad, but the implementation of the concept did not live up to expectations. For one thing, the investment performance was not always satisfactory. But maybe worse was when the marketing departments took over and tried to brand just about everything as ESG.

My cynicism peaked when I was at an investment conference and we were discussing a “Low Carbon Exchange Traded Fund.” What a great idea, eh? You can save for retirement and fight global warming at the same time!

The problem was, this “Low Carbon” investment contained oil companies. Their justification was that these companies produced less carbon than their peers, so they could be included in a “low carbon” fund. Personally, I think that if you are going to brand yourself as low carbon, maybe don’t include fossil fuels in your asset mix.

Why do people do things like slap a “low carbon” label on a fund that holds oil companies? The answer is not complicated.

Because it will sell.

There is a seemingly insatiable demand for innovative investment products. People are always looking for something that will grow faster, be less volatile, produce more income, have better guarantees, and smell spring-time fresh. So, naturally, there are going to be products that promise more and more and more.

Problems happen is when this search for a better mousetrap turns curiosity into gullibility. New investment thesis are rolled out all the time. Why? Because someone will buy them.

It’s not just the amateur investors that can regret chasing the newest trend. The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, a major player on the Canadian investment landscape, just announced that they lost $7 billion in 2025 investing in private equity.

There is no shortage of ideas that seem to sparkle. ESG. Private equity. Private credit. Cryptocurrency. Dividend aristocrats. Real estate investment trusts. Silver. Marijuana stocks. Meme stocks. Blackberry.

There are lots of good stories out there. But that doesn’t mean that they are going to be good investments. That flash that you see in the pan may not be a golden nugget after all.

Stand for something, or you may fall for anything.

Brad Brain. CFP, R.F.P., CIM, TEP is a Certified Financial Planner in Fort St John, BC. This material is prepared for general circulation and may not reflect your individual financial circumstances. Brad can be reached at www.bradbrainfinancial.com.

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