Latest news with #Findlay
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- Vancouver Sun
Cops, crime, creeps and keeping cool in creeks: The summer life of a B.C. police dog
A man plays with his dog in a wooded Coquitlam glen, tossing a ball with a splash into the crystal-clear waters of their top-secret swimming hole. It's a warm summer day, the heat not quite reaching oppressive levels, but the air is still thick and heavy. The dog marks his appreciation for the dip by shaking off a cloud of water right beside his minder. The scene is an idyllic, if common, moment. Man. Dog. Ball. Slobber. Gun. Badge. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The latter two might not be commonplace, but they're what set Const. Ross Findlay and his partner, Kanto, apart. Plus, they're on duty. While some of their fellow officers can cool off in a coffee shop or pull on some striped cargo shorts for a bike patrol, Kanto doesn't have that option. But Findlay's unmarked SUV does have some special features built-in to keep his partner from turning into a hotdog. There are fans built into two rear windows, pulling in strong drafts of air to the rear compartment, plus internal fans that keep it circulating. The heavy-duty air conditioning can run when he's away from his vehicle, as a secure idle system allows the vehicle to remain running to keep the interior cool while maintaining security. There is also a temperature monitoring system for the truck with a dedicated control panel; it will alert Findlay if the car is getting too hot by honking and flashing the lights, or by buzzing a remote he keeps with him if he's out of earshot. The cruiser also has literal buckets of water for Kanto to drink. But nothing beats a splash in the creek. 'They're gonna get out of the truck and a chance to lay in the shade or something a handful of times a day,' said Findlay, 'but in the peak of the summer like this, on day shifts, I'm getting him out once a day for a swim.' The location of their secret spot, close to a major highway, will remain unreported, lest Findlay draw the ire of his fellow dog-handlers who also frequent it — and there are many of them. The Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Service (LMD IPDS) is the largest in Canada, and one of the biggest overall in North America, with 48 pairings that provides 24/7 coverage to five cities and 28 RCMP-policed communities. The joint RCMP and municipal police program answers more than 10,000 calls per year, from the Lower Mainland, to Pemberton, to Boston Bar. Findlay, a member of the IPDS for seven of his 15 years in law enforcement, is with the New Westminster police. He's been paired with Kanto since he was a puppy, his first canine partner. 'It's different. They don't talk as much,' he laughed, when asked the difference between having a canine and a human partner. 'They are good listeners. He listens very well, actually. 'It's a perfect job. We get paid to hang out with a dog all day. And they're our best friend, right?' All of the RCMP's dogs come from the same place — Innisfail, Alta., where they have established a formal breeding program for German shepherds that's now into its 25th year. The Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) sees 50 per cent of their puppies become working dogs; when they bought puppies before, only one-in-six would make the cut. When Findlay — who was, ironically, studying to be a veterinarian in university before switching to law enforcement — first met Kanto, he was sure he would be one of them. 'My first impression was, 'Well, I've got a lot of work to do, to get him to like me.' Understandable. He was just put on a plane and in a truck, and then came out to me,' he said. 'But I could tell he was … from the second we started doing a little bit of training. I'm like, 'Oh, he's a strong dog. He's gonna be worth it when we get to a good place.' ' Step 1 was just getting used to each other. Findlay would just sit in Kanto's dog run for hours on end, sometimes just reading a book. Then he added in some hand-feeding. And the bond began to grow. 'Animals, they're not machines. They're like us. They need the time to bond and build that trust,' he said. 'Some are quicker than others. He took a while. It was probably a good six, seven, eight months until he started to like me … It's a unique experience. Building that bond can take a long time, a lot of one-on-one time, just immersing yourselves kind of together. They're going to become your best friend and partner. So it just takes time.' Now, they're experts at communicating with each other. A tongue click from Findlay, a verbal command or even body language gets his point across. But some day in the not-too-distant future, Findlay will be starting with a new dog, as Kanto — who turns eight in September — is closing in on retirement age. He's lived with his handler for most of his life, but now will get a new appreciation for the couch and the hearth instead of the back of a black Chevy Tahoe. Findlay says he'll probably still come for rides in a non-working capacity, and fully expects him to be a 'bull in a china shop' — he'll make sure anything of value is put away — for the first few weeks of his retired life before settling in. Then there will be his new role: pet. 'He likes me. He likes my wife. And then my two kids (one and four); it's been a good progression since they were born,' he said. 'Now it's at the point where they can pet him a little bit, and he's fine with it, but you can just tell by his body language, 'Like, why are you touching me?' ' You know, as pesky little siblings can be. 'I think he just sees me as dad. Not an alpha. Not a food source. It's just … 'That's dad,' ' said Findlay, joking that he has better success getting his partner to heed his wishes than his children. 'Kanto knows to listen. You only have to tell him once. Kids, they may take a couple times.' jadams@
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
THE HARD WORK STARTS NOW! Teenage hero Findlay Curtis will know that he's achieved nothing yet, warns Rangers legend Ian Durrant
For any aspiring footballer, climbing the mountain is never the hardest part. It's staying up there. Six months after navigating the foothills by making his Rangers ' debut against Fraserburgh, Findlay Curtis breathed the rarefied air of Champions League football on Tuesday against Panathinaikos. A first senior goal not only changed the complexion of the tie. At a stroke, the 19-year-old's world turned upside down. He's no longer another face in the crowd. He now enjoys a public profile. The trade-off for that euphoric moment is that a level of expectation now follows. Many have discovered this pressure to be suffocating. Long is the list of those who flew too close to the sun. Ian Durrant remembers the day his own dreams were first realised like it was yesterday. Coming off the field after a 3-0 win at Cappielow on April 20, 1985, the then 18-year-old's first thought was to ensure his first game for his boyhood heroes wasn't his last. 'Morton away,' he smiled. 'Coisty got a hat-trick. Any more?' There was actually. Durrant had all the talent in the world. Yet he counts himself fortunate that the club's financial position 40 years ago necessitated the promotion of young players. The door was open and he walked through it. 'I think what helped me then was the club was redeveloping at the stadium,' he recalled. 'So myself, Derek Ferguson, Robert Fleck and Hugh Burns were given the opportunity because there wasn't a lot of money to spend on players. 'We never really had the academy. We were more apprentices. 'I didn't think for a minute I'd be a Jock Wallace player as he liked ones who were six-foot plus and could head the ball further than I could kick it. 'But he came across on Friday and he just gave me two complimentary tickets. 'He just said: 'Right, you're playing tomorrow'. There was no time to think about it. 'That was it. Just get a good night's sleep. Cheers, gaffer. And you just go and play.' Much has changed in football and society in the past 40 years, yet Durrant's experience back then still carries echoes of what Findlay is going through at the moment. Now 58, Durrant simply looked upon the pressure to become a first-team regular as a privilege. He was a nailed-on starter by the time Graeme Souness arrived with an open cheque book in 1986. While he can't walk in Findlay's shoes for him, he can tell him what's non-negotiable. 'You can't just kind of go: 'Okay, I've achieved something',' he warned. 'Findlay will be flying just now in terms of getting a goal in the Champions League qualifier. 'But he knows it will be a rocky road. Now it's a question of how he goes about it. 'That's when your manager and coaches have to see things. Just give him enough to feed him. But, if he performs like that, he'll be a starter. 'The young players, they're up down. The manager will know that. It's hard work all the time. If you don't put the hard work in, you'll not get it back.' Thankfully, there appears to be no complacency in Curtis. Self-assured yet grounded as he spoke on Tuesday, the importance of his nearest and dearest shone through. 'Families play a big part,' said Durrant. 'I know for a fact he's still living with his parents. They'll give him the guidance. 'But also the manager and the coaches, they see him every day. You're a big fish in a small pond here. 'It's a different beat now. I was lucky enough when I made my debut that there were no mobile phones so you could get away with it a wee bit. 'They're consummate professionals now in terms of diet and everything. Everything gets monitored. He'll know how to cope with it.' Durrant had more than a hunch that Curtis would be throw in this midweek. Last week, together with Lee McCulloch and John Brown, he broke bread with Russell Martin at the club's training centre. While it's nothing new to hear managers talk about promoting youth, Durrant left the get-together believing the new man at the helm meant all he said. 'He said if they're good enough, no matter the age, they'll get a game,' he said. 'I think the manager here can go and get players. He's taken, I wouldn't say a gamble, but he's got a good understanding of his best youth players. He's integrated them into training.' It's all a delicate balancing act, of course, and incumbent on Martin to judge when to play his teenagers and when to rest them. Every side also needs experienced heads to educate the new boys. 'You're in a tunnel,' Durrant recalled of his formative years. 'I'm standing next to Graeme Souness. I lived a mile down the road and I'm playing with one of the finest Scottish midfielders. Ibrox rose as one to salute the 19-year-old after he gave Russell Martin's team a precious lead 'I'm playing with an England captain (Terry Butcher), Chris Woods, Ray Wilkins, Trevor Francis. I lived the dream playing with David Cooper. 'Later on, Walter (Smith) had John Brown, Goughy, the Goalie (Andy Goram). Sometimes, we'd just police our own dressing room. If we knew it wasn't going right, we'd fix it.' This is a different era with different faces, yet the level of expectation hasn't changed. When Martin took the opportunity to ask questions of Durrant, McCulloch and Brown at Auchenhowie, the answers were short and to the point. 'We told him - you just need to win,' Durrant said. 'That's the be all and end all. Get the proper players, get your recruitment right. 'He was good, just the way he outlined the way he wants to go. 'He wants his team so fit. He said that. the way he plays, it might take the last 10-15 minutes to break teams down, but the only way they're going to break them down is if they're fitter than the other teams.'
STV News
5 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Durrant: Best is yet to come from Curtis after Champions League heroics
Rangers legend Ian Durrant believes the world is Findlay Curtis' oyster after his midweek Champions League heroics, but insists it will be a rocky road ahead to reach the top. The teenager scored the opener as the Ibrox side secured a 2-0 first-leg victory over Panathinaikos on Tuesday night. Durrant is excited about what the future holds for the up-and-coming starlet who he says is 'living the dream', but has warned him that there will be ups and downs along the way. The 58-year-old is speaking from experience, as he was the same as Curtis is now when he made his debut back in 1985. He would go on to win six league titles, three Scottish Cups, and four League Cups, writing his name into Rangers folklore as part of their nine-in-a-row winning side under Walter Smith. And he is hoping the new kid on the block can follow a similar path. He said: 'You see, young boys like Findlay, who is the flavour of the month just now, and he came through the youth setup. 'On Tuesday, the game was stalling a wee bit, and Findlay took it by the scruff of the neck. He is living the dream just now, and long may it continue. RYDC 'He has a long way ahead, and there will be a lot of hard games coming up, but he showed the other night what he can produce with a moment of magic to put Rangers 1-0 up, and they just kicked on from there. 'It's early days for him yet, he obviously has the ideal opportunity working with a new vibrant young manager who believes in him and has given him the platform to go and perform. 'Now Findlay will know, and the manager and coaches will know, that there is a lot of hard work ahead, he is a young boy, but when you are at Ibrox, or any big team now, you have to learn quickly. 'There will be ups and downs, that's the nature of the beast, that's football, but just now he is living the dream and enjoying it. 'Only time will tell what he will achieve. It's always a rocky road in football. Sometimes, the manager might take him out when he feels he should be playing, but the manager will work with him every day, along with the coaches, and they will see his development. 'Just now, he is ticking every box; he's scored in the Champions League qualifiers, so he is living the dream. And to see one of your own coming through is always a boost for the club and the supporters. 'He'll be as high as a kite just now, and it will de down to him and the manager to make sure he is ready for the upcoming tests.' Durrant was speaking on Thursday as he promoted the Rangers Youth Development Company's (RYDC's) Big Blue Jackpot, a new Rangers Lotto prize for supporters who can win guaranteed end-of-month jackpots of at least £12,000 and £15,000 from August. He hailed the impact the organisation has made and the importance of bringing young players through the ranks. He said: 'The RYDC have donated over £12m to the club, which is a fantastic donation in anybody's eyes, and long may it continue. 'Every club wants to see their own coming through, and they are giving them the ideal opportunity with the money they donate.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Russell Martin hails Rangers stars after Panathinaikos win but demands less scary moments and says tie nowhere near done
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSELL MARTIN last night warned his Rangers heroes: This tie's not over yet. The Ibrox gaffer praised the courage of his new-look side as they survived a string of near things before second-half stunners from Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama sealed a crucial win over Panathinaikos. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Rangers manager Russell Martin acknowledges the crowd after the win over Panathinaikos Credit: PA 3 Rangers' manager Russell Martin and Nicolas Raskin embrace at the final whistle Credit: PA But he said: 'It's nowhere near finished. Next week will be a different game, different atmosphere and we need to be ready. We'll be much better for this. "We had a few sticky moments against a really good team, but I was really proud of the players for getting through it. 'Findlay embodied us — first half a bit tense, but he has so much character that he got his reward. 'He got some words of wisdom from Sir Alex Ferguson afterwards and you can't ask for more than that. 'This team will be judged on their courage for taking the ball anywhere on the park — they did and got the rewards. 'I saw some brilliant stuff out there. We're making them do something so different from what they're used to. 'But we need to get better. There need to be fewer scary moments.' Martin admitted he was delighted for keeper Jack Butland, who bounced back from a terrible run last season with a string of vital saves. He said: 'We're asking people to judge players who have had differing experiences in the past and I'm really pleased for Jack. It's a really good performance and gives him a platform to build from. 'I was delighted for Findlay and for Gas, who showed the crowd why we signed him. Rangers transfer special assesses whether Conor Coady deal is OFF, if Hamza Igamane will leave and when the Gers can expect more incomings 'That crowd were incredible too and I am so grateful for that.' Scorer Gassama, making his debut after a £2.2million switch from Sheffield Wednesday, beamed: 'It was massive and I'm very happy to play my first game at Ibrox. 'It's a great beginning for me at the club. 'The gaffer told me to stay wide and do my thing when I get the ball. I went inside and saw the keeper and hit my shot. 'Findlay scored a good goal as well and I wanted to do the same.' Winger Curtis, 18, added: 'Playing in a Champions League qualifier is massive and I'm delighted I scored. 3 'Gass was brilliant when he came on and took his goal very well. 'The heat in Greece will be difficult next week but hopefully we can come away with a win.' Gers struck twice in the second half after Butland kept the Greeks at bay. The former England No 1 said: 'Hopefully we showed the fans some things they can expect from us.' Beaten Panathinaikos coach Rui Vitoria sighed: 'If you don't take your chances at this level, you will be punished. 'But it was still a great performance until we got a man sent off. We will never give up.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
North Wales Chronicle
20-07-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Tory leader calls for resignations at NHS Fife over Sandie Peggie tribunal
Ms Peggie was suspended from her job as an A&E nurse at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy in 2024 after complaining about having to share a changing room with trans medic Dr Beth Upton. Ms Peggie took the board to an employment tribunal which began earlier this year. But this week, Ms Peggie was cleared of a bullying and harassment complaint from Dr Upton, as the tribunal reconvened. Mr Findlay has called for NHS Fife chief executive Carol Potter to resign, along with the authority's board, and if they refuse, the Scottish Government should step in and sack them, he said. 'This ongoing slow-motion car crash from NHS Fife confirms that Carol Potter and her entire board can no longer remain in post,' the Scottish Tory leader said. 'In their zeal to embrace the SNP's bonkers belief in gender ideology, they were willing to destroy the career of a nurse and waste huge sums of taxpayers' money.' Mr Findlay claimed the board was 'smearing Sandie Peggie and the campaigners who have stood with her'. On Friday, the board released a lengthy statement claiming there had been a threat of 'physical harm and sexual violence' in relation to the tribunal, but clarified this is not believed to be related to any of Ms Peggie's supporters. An earlier version of the statement had referenced the involvement of the campaign group Sex Matters. 'The claimant's case is being supported by Sex Matters, whose chief executive officer and co-founder was called as a witness by the claimant in the earlier hearing. 'The claimant's barrister is also chair of Sex Matters. 'Other members of the organisation's 'advisory group' have provided commentary to the media on a number of occasions where no reference is made to their direct involvement.' The updated version of the statement removed reference to the group's involvement in the tribunal and inserted two notes saying the board 'is not seeking to suggest that Sex Matters have contributed to the behaviour or issues mentioned'. Mr Findlay added: 'John Swinney, Neil Gray and their SNP colleagues appear to be the only people left in Scotland who think this is OK. 'If the NHS Fife board won't do the right thing and quit, then they should be sacked.' A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: 'As this is an active legal case, it would be inappropriate to respond to these comments.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'It would be inappropriate to comment further while judicial proceedings in an employment tribunal are ongoing.'
