Blog Watching: Week ending Sunday, September 29 2019

There may be an Oil Tanker Moratorium in place on the North Coast, but if the plans of an Alberta based oil shipment company bear fruit, Prince Rupert may yet become the next big oil port after all.

Our notes on a test shipment from the shipping company Melius proved to be a popular item on the week, with a large number of readers looking to learn more about what is called True Crude and what it may mean for rail and marine transport through the Northwest Gateway.

The theme of getting Alberta oil to market also was featured in another widely read item, as we took a look at a new documentary about to be released that explores the funding of the Canadian environmental movement, with Skeena MLA Ellis Ross featured in the film thanks to his frequent discussion of the topic at the Legislature.

The remainder of the week offered up a look at two new candidates in the Federal election, with a pair of Independents entering the race earlier this month to contest the Skeena-Bulkley Valley election campaign.

It was a bit of deja vu at City Hall at the start of the week, as a reprise of the 2017 Tent City took place with a number of the city's homeless population setting up tents as part of a protest over their concerns with the city's homeless shelter. The protest had come to an end by Monday afternoon after mediation efforts appeared to resolve the issue for now.

And with September almost over, our look at some of the Tax Sale Properties that may be up for bid on Monday at City Hall proved to be a popular item.

However, the top item of the last seven days put the focus back on the shipment of bitumen. With what may either be a solution for Alberta's oil shippers, or a new flash point for the environmental movement gaining some notice through a solidified container shipment that passed through the Port of Prince Rupert recently. 

Prince Rupert's Northwest Gateway tests the waters; hosts transit of a test run for containerized bitumen shipments   -- The future for Alberta's oil industry may be in containers, with Melius, an Alberta based energy shipment company outlining the success of a recent test run for a new shipment process. (posted  September 26, 2019)

That article was followed by:

Two new candidates step into Skeena-Bulkley Valley election campaign -- The more established of Skeena-Bulkley Valley's political parties get some competition from the Independents, with Dany Nunes and Merv Ritchie entering the race for the seat in the House of Commons.  (posted  September 23, 2019)

MLA Ellis Ross featured in trailer for upcoming documentary -- A new documentary based on the work of author and researcher Vivian Krause will feature a familiar Northwest face, with Skeena MLA Ellis Ross's themes on foreign cash in the Canadian environmental movement making for the focus of the film.    (posted September 24, 2019)

Tent City Redux in Prince Rupert  -- A short weekend protest called attention to some concerns when it comes to access to the homeless shelter on Third West, as well as to highlight that there is still much work to do in the area for the city's  most vulnerable.  (posted  September 23, 2019)

Prince Rupert's Property Bargain Hunters have a weekend of travel ahead, as City's Annual Tax Sale nears  -- The clock is ticking on some in arrears properties, with Prince Rupert City Hall set to host its Annual Property Tax Sale on Monday morning.    (posted  September 25 , 2019)

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