South Peace Historical Society

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    • About Dorthea Horton
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  • Table of Contents

    • Part 1: First Nations of the Peace River Region
    • Part 2: The Fur Trade Era
    • Part 3: Transportation and Communication
    • Part 4: Old Timers and the Price of Land
    • Part 5: Dawson Creek: The Story of the Community
    • Part 6: Mysteries, Adventures and Indian Legends
    • Part 7: Arts, Crafts and Recreation
    • Part 8: Agriculture
    • Part 9: Church Histories
    • Part 10: Schools
    • Part 11: Health Care
    • Part 12: Industries and Enterprises
    • Part 13: Policing the Peace
    • Part 14: Pouce Coupe, Rolla, and Other South Peace Communities
    • Part 15: Chetwynd and the Fort St. John Area
    • Part 16: The Alberta Peace
    • Part 17: Natural History of the Peace River Region
    • Part 18: Interviews with Old Timers
    • Part 19: Remembering Our Veterans

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BN05-43: Lots of Alberta Attention for Separation Movement

Recent History – 2000

Feb. 15, 2000

DAWSON CREEK — The latest attempt to have the Peace Country secede from British Columbia and join Alberta is gaining plenty of attention in the Wild Rose province.

Beginning with a front page photo in the Feb. 10 Edmonton Sun of Wednesday’s protest at the Mile Zero Post, the tabloid has given extensive ink to the subject.

Columnist Rick Bell devoted an entire column on Feb. 12 to the issue, interviewing the mayors from both Dawson Creek and Fort St. John and Alaska Hotel owner Charles Kux-Kardos.

The biggest comment was reserved for Alberta premier Ralph Klein. In response to the Dawson Creek banner: “Hey, Ralph! If you like us, just smile,” the premier has a quick response.

“I’m smiling,” says Ralph. “I’m smiling.”

But Klein also warned that bringing the Peace into the Alberta fold won’t be easy.

“We’d have to open the Constitution in order to do it because the borders are already established. But people from Fort St. John and Dawson Creek already shop in Grande Prairie. We would welcome them.”

Meanwhile, in another Feb. 12 story headlined “B.C. gets no Peace”, readers learn that King Signs and Stamps in Edmonton is sending Alberta flags to the B.C. Peace free of charge. They did so after learning that there was a shortage of the Alberta flags in the B.C. Peace.

This article is taken from the Peace River Block Daily News, Dawson Creek, with the permission of the publisher. The Daily News retains all rights relating to this material. The information in this article is intended solely for research or general interest purposes.

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BN05-45: Separation Signatures Approaching 3,000 »

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