If your headed south to Kelowna in May, here's the best pit stop in town:
If you have no plans to head south, stop in at 2nd Thoughts Records downtown on 2nd ave in PG to get your vintage audio groove on, just leave one of those sweet cassette players behind for me.
No it's not Keith Urban (come on they don't serve giant bowls of chowder at keith Urban concerts) this is better!
and then...
They've got honey lager on tap, and a sweet espresso machine too!
You're Tax experience doesn't have to look like this:
Instead it can be a hip social media experience...
Seriously though, the government is making an effort to at least marginally improve the crummy reality of forcing you to calculate your own bill owing to the government. The following is now available on the news.gc.ca website:
Mark your calendars! Canada Revenue Agency invites students to its second annual tweet chat
Growing up in Prince George was a pretty good time, with lots of ups and downs, and lots of metal, punk, and alternative shows. I entered the music in 2004, when I was 13, and I have seen a lot of venues come and go. I am too young to have witnessed the glory that was Growlies, or Pizza Rico’s when they actually served pizza. Honourable mentions go to Sound Entertainment, St. Michaels and Knox United – all the hardcore nonsense! With that in mind, here are my top five favourite Prince George venues from past, and present.
This venue was where I saw my first ‘big’ metal concert – the Adamant CD release show back in 2005. The Center has a lot of great aspects about it, the sound can be really great for metal bands because it is such a big venue. When Dying Fetus came here for Helloween II they sounded so big and fantastic inside the gym. I also found that this venue didn’t get as hot as some of the other venues, and it had a lot of great spots outside to take a rest after a lengthy mosh pit experience. I will always think fondly of the many concerts that happened at this venue. I’m not sure why it stopped being used as a venue, maybe it was that time someone dressed as Jesus and then set their costume on fire….
This venue needs no introduction, as it has been a staple in the community since the 70s. When I was a pre-teen the All Night Skates were all the rage, and then as I got older the Prazma Entertainment shows became the biggest draw for me. I have witnessed so much epic music in this place. Swallow the Sun, Rotting Christ, Three Inches of Blood (like three times), Zimmers Hole…. The list could go on and on. I once fell asleep on the floor of this venue by the speakers because they were so loud it felt like I was being a massage. So many good times, thank you Roll-A-Dome.
This venue has been around longer than I can personally remember. Some very important formative moments of my life took place in this upstairs haven of art and song and life. I performed my first burlesque show here, cried to so many sad songs, headbanged to so much good metal, and above all, laughed and shared experiences with my friends. My only complaint is that it is so HOT. You cannot dance for longer than thirty seconds to two minutes without breaking a sweat. One of the greatest things about this venue is the $2 bookshelf that you can browse and buy books from while attending a show. Introverts rejoice! Unlike all the other venues on this list, this venue is still open and available!
I came too late in the game to ever get served pizza at this venue… but I definitely had time to enjoy it. For a while there was nothing else for metal, and I saw some crazy shows here man. The small risers in the windows were perfect for gazing out over the pit, in this tiny red dungeon of a space. Deadriver Wasteland, Hunger, Gyibaaw, Primal Stance, Necrobiosis… those are some of the most memorable sets for me, but there is so much more! This venue was great for temperature, great location right downtown, and even though there were sometimes altercations with the cops it kept the spirit of the metal and punk scene alive for years.
If you don’t know, then I’m sorry for you, Third was the best thing that happened to the PG music scene in the 2000s. Tiny, dark, and spray painted with a hundred or more band names, when it was shut down in 2013, many hearts were crushed. In my humble opinion, small venues are the best venues. You could fill that room with 30 people, or it would be crammed with 100+ people when a show had a big draw. The bathroom sucked, there was nowhere to sit, and no one cared. It sounded great and it was a cheap venue for local and out of town bands to throw shows. Third brought us so many gifts, the most important of which was community and family. If you remember Third, toast your next drink to that beautiful little oasis of alternative.
Article by volunteer, contributor, and all -round'-solid-human Shannon Williams
Did you know?
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has tax credits, deductions, and benefits to help students—no exam required. All you have to do is file your income tax and benefit return and claim them. Read on for tips that will ensure you get the most from your income tax and benefit return.
There are many ways to save at tax time—here is a lesson you don’t want to miss!
And don’t forget when your assignment is due! The deadline to file your personal income tax return is April 30th!
Claim your eligible tuition fees—You will have received a tax certificate from your educational institution with the total eligible fees paid for the tax year.
Claim the education amount—If you are a full-time student (or a part-time student who can claim the disability amount or has a certified mental or physical impairment), you can claim $400 for each month you were enrolled in an educational institution. If you are a part-time student, you can claim $120 for each month you were enrolled.
Claim the textbook amount—You can claim this amount only if you are entitled to claim the education amount. You can claim:
Claim the interest paid on your student loans—You may be able to claim an amount for the interest paid on your loan in 2014 for post-secondary education. You can also claim interest paid over the last five years if you haven't already claimed it. Only interest paid on loans received under the Canada Student Loans Act, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, or similar provincial or territorial legislation for post-secondary education can be claimed.
Claim the public transit amount—If you use public transit, you may be able to reduce your taxes owing by claiming the cost of your transit passes. Keep your transit passes for local buses, streetcars, subways, commuter trains or buses, and local ferries, and enter your total public transit amount on line 364 of Schedule 1, Federal Tax. To find out if your transit pass is eligible and for more information, visit www.cra.gc.ca/transitpass.
Claim your eligible moving expenses—If you moved for your post-secondary studies and you are a full-time student, you may be able to claim moving expenses. However, you can only deduct these expenses from the part of your scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, certain prizes, and research grants that has to be included in your income. If you moved to work (including summer employment) or to run a business, you can also claim moving expenses. However you can only deduct these expenses from the income you earned at the new work location. To qualify, your new home must be at least 40 kilometres closer to your new school or work location.
Claim the GST/HST credit—If you have low or modest income, you are a resident of Canada, and 19 years of age or older, you may be able to receive the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit. Starting this year, you no longer need to apply for this credit—the CRA will determine your eligibility when you file your income tax and benefit return and send you a notice if you are entitled.
Claim your child care expenses—If you have to pay someone to look after your child so you can go to school, you may be able to deduct child care expenses.
If you need help filing your return, and you have a modest income and a simple tax situation, volunteers from the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program may be able to prepare and submit your tax return for you to make sure you receive all the credits and benefits you are entitled to. For more information, go to www.cra.gc.ca/volunteer.
CRA online services make filing easier and let you get your refund faster
The CRA’s online services are fast, easy, and secure. You can use them to file your income tax and benefit return, make a payment, set up a direct deposit, track your refund, pay with a pre-authorized debit, register for online mail and more.
Sign up for direct deposit
Did you know...that the Government of Canada is switching to direct deposit for payments that it issues? Direct deposit is a faster, more convenient, reliable, and secure way to get your income tax refund and your credit and benefit payments directly into your account at a financial institution in Canada. Why wait? Sign up for direct deposit today. For more information, go to www.cra.gc.ca/getready.
International students
If you are an international student studying in Canada, you first have to determine your residency status at www.cra.gc.ca/internationalstudents. You may owe taxes to the Canadian government, and may qualify for GST/HST credit payments. If you are an international student, your individual income tax and benefit return is due on April 30 and you have to send it to the CRA’s International and Ottawa Tax Services Office. If you have questions, call the CRA’s international tax and non-resident enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281.
Looking for more information? Get out the popcorn, because the CRA has informative videos just for students. Check them out at www.cra.gc.ca/videogallery.
Guess what folks, forget about the impending doom oppressive legislation may or may not be crushing yo0ur most basic civil liberties with, at least for just a moment, because...
that's right folks. March 2nd!
It’s time for aspiring entrepreneurs from across the country to put their pitches to the
test, as they fight to be a part of DRAGONS’ DEN’s landmark 10th season! Next month producers will hit
the road, visiting cities from coast to coast in a quest to find Canada’s next great batch of entrepreneurs.
The audition tour is open to the public and launches in Toronto in the CBC atrium (25 John Street)
on Feb. 7. Complete audition dates and locations are listed below and audition venues will be
announced in the coming weeks. Tour dates will continue to be updated on the website
at www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/auditions.
The audition tour welcomes participants of all ages, with businesses at any stage of development.
Aspiring entrepreneurs should be prepared to pitch their concept to the DRAGONS' DEN producers in
five minutes or less. If they show the producers they have what it takes to pitch in the Den, they could
be invited to Toronto to face the Dragons. Prospective pitchers are encouraged to apply online and bring
a completed application form to the audition.
For more information and full details, please visit the website at www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/auditions.
Yep they're looking for help. Check out the job posting below, it's something you can feel good about doing.
Seriously, the TV screen doesn't do it any justice at all. You really have to BE THERE to feel the spirit. I watched a bit of the games on TV today and I felt sort of lame, as compared to the few experiences I had actually being there myself. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a torchbearer, and my part was in the relay as the torch was on its way to the CN Centre for the Opening Ceremonies. We had an orientation at the YMCA, I got a neat windbreaker and they got us all (thirty-something of us!) on the bus. We rode that bus for a few hours as it slowly crept its way to the CN Centre- we took turns going outside and carrying the torch for a few blocks.
The energy in that bus was absolutely amazing- we hardly knew each other, and yet we cheered like mad every time one of us got off the bus or got back on, and... It was inspiring, and something I'm likely to never forget.
After that, I had the chance to go to the Opening Ceremonies. It was truly amazing and really well organized. I was especially impressed by the caliber of the performers at the event. Watching the athletes come in, the speakers give their addresses, and just seeing firsthand all these people that came such a long way for this- it really struck a chord with me. I've only ever seen Opening Ceremonies of events like these on TV before, and experiencing it firsthand was- at the risk of sounding cliche- magical.
The next day, I jumped straight into volunteering- I was a minor official for Target Shooting, and I had a great time. Over the week I helped out there, I got to know the other officials, the athletes, the parents, the coaches, and the other volunteers pretty well and by the end of it, I decided this was one of the best volunteer experiences I've had. Also, I got a lot of pin-trading done, which, if you haven't heard yet, is pretty much the most competitive non-sport in the Games!
Basically what I'm trying to say with this is, if you can, it really is worth it to check out some of these last events for these Games firsthand. Aside from hockey and the Ceremonies, the price at the door is around 5-10 dollars, which is great.
I had no idea, going into these two weeks, that I'd be having such a great time, but here I am. I'm proud of Prince George for hosting it so well, and I'm proud to be a part of it. I just know that people are going away from this, travelling back to their respective provinces, and going, "wow, that was amazing." People who plan the 2019 Games in Red Deer are here and they're going, "wow, we want ours to be like this."
We're creating a legacy. Be part of it!
Tune into CFUR now, and until 3am to catch NCRA's 2015 edition of the Homelessness Marathon which is broadcasted all across Canada via college radio stations. This year's host station is CFRC in Kingston Ontario. Tune in on 88.7FM or grab a link on our "listen now" tab above.
