Councillor Thorkelson suggests Mayor Brain bring a message to Alaska meetings next month

It's not quite the Prince Rupert version of gunboat diplomacy, but it might send a message.

As City Councillor Joy Thorkelson  suggests that Mayor Lee Brain make the Prince Rupert Airport Ferry's Alaskan refit part of the city's discussion points when it comes to the stalled Alaska Marine Highway project.

Councillor Thorkelson made the suggestion during Monday's City Council Session after hearing of the Mayor's March travel plans to head to Alaska.

Mayor Brain will be travelling north to take part in a number of meetings related to the Southeast conference get together.

Calling attention to the work of the last council, Ms. Thorkelson reminded the Chamber that in November, City Council voted to send the Prince Rupert Airport Ferry to Ketchikan this year for its annual refit, something that she reminded Council she had voted against.

Councillor Niesh took advantage of the observation to remind the audience in Council Chambers and those viewing at home, that it was the previous council that made that decision.  Offering up the observation that in this instance, he was on the same side of the discussion as Councillor Thorkelson and would have been against the refit plan had he been on Council at the time.

With the Alaska Marine Highway Terminal project now in a state of limbo, the Councillor suggested that it may make for a useful discussion topic for the Mayor when he attends his meetings next month.

Suggesting that perhaps some reciprocal back scratching (by way of the Ferry terminal project we gather) might be in order from the Alaskans.

You can review Councillor Thorkelson's sailing orders for the Mayor from the City's Video Archive, it takes place near the end of the Council session, at the one hour, twenty eight minute mark.



For some background on the Alaska Marine Highway issue see our Transportation archive here, for more items of note from Prince Rupert City Council see our discussion page here.