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| Mayor Lee Brain led a delegation of Prince Rupert representatives to Ketchikan, where a joint presentation was made to that city's Chamber of Commerce |
tryin' to get a hand,
Playin' in a travelin' band
(with apologies to Credence Clearwater Revival)
A delegation from Prince Rupert took to the air with Misty Fjords Air on Wednesday, making use of the newest north-south transportation option for the region to head for Ketchikan and an opportunity to speak at that City's Chamber of Commerce.
The group from Prince Rupert included Mayor Lee Brain, Economic Development Officer Paul Venditelli, Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Bryant-Gravelle, Scott Farewell from Tourism Prince Rupert and Michael Woelcke from VIA Rail, with the travelling group sharing a number of themes with their Ketchikan hosts on the day.
Among the themes during the course of their presentation were ways to integrate both tourism and economic opportunities between Prince Rupert and Kethcikan, as well as to explore ways for the two communities to work on a range of trans boundary issues.
In a Facebook posting from Wednesday, the Mayor also noted that part of the discussion involved the ongoing issues related to the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Leila Kheiry a reporter with Ketchikan's Public Radio station KRDB offered up some coverage of the Rupert delegations visit from Wednesday.
Her report reviewed some of the topics that the Mayor explored for the Ketchikan Chamber, including the importance of the newly created air link, as well, as Mr. Brain's thoughts on the importance of the marine link from the AMHS between the two cities.
The Mayor didn't delve too deeply into the details on the work towards solutions to the current controversy over the AMHS terminal plans for Prince Rupert.
However he did observe that both Prince Rupert and Alaska officials have come up with some solutions that they will put to the federal officials in hopes of finding a compromise.
"We're just in the middle of this going, 'look we just want a ferry to be built, and we just want to be able to see our neighbours in Ketchikan. What's the issue here? So, we have a variety of solutions that we've mapped out" -- Mayor Lee Brain speaking to the topic of the AMHS Terminal at a Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce meeting
The Mayor also highlighted the connection between the two cities, noting how Prince Rupert representatives try to visit Ketchikan at least two to three times a year, in order to attend conference meetings and other engagements.
As part of the Prince Rupert presentations, Ms. Bryant-Gravelle took note of how the Chamber plans to expand on its out reach to more communities on the North Coast.
Mr. Farwell provided some notes on Prince Rupert's still developing cruise industry, while acknowledging that Prince Rupert is still a bit limited in the options available for visitors compared to what Ketchikan delivers at the moment.
You can review the KRBD article and listen in to their report here.
For more items related to City Council themes see our archive page here.
An overview of notes on the Alaska Marine Highway connection between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan can be found here.
Mayor Brain says that he has mapped out a variety of solutions, but provides no details. On that list should be a demand from the City to MP Nathan Cullen that he withdraw his objections to the Americans using US steel to build a new Alaska ferry terminal. Cullen may think that he is "standing up for Canada", but really he's jeopardizing a project that is very important to the North Coast. Cullen should find another symbolic issue to focus on, rather than one that hurts his riding.
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