Blog Watching Special Edition: The Year that was 2019!

YEAR IN REVIEW 2019

For our Blog watching feature for year's end we once again offer up a trio of headings to provide for a glimpse of some of the news highlights of the year soon to end.

Category number one will be the Overall Top story, as determined by the amount views the article received over the course of the last 365 days.

Category Two will feature those stories of note from Prince Rupert City Hall.

Our third category explores some of the key topics of the year from Business or Industrial footprint in the community.

All of our results have been determined by the viewer count for the stories through the year.

At the bottom of each section you will also find links to additional blog resources to review themes in more detail, listed by the month.

Our Lists of the year, unfold as follows:

Overall top stories

The year started with a Boil Water order and a rather lengthy period of uncertainty when it came to the city's drinking water.  With the topic of the city's water supply making for a return visit through some national attention in October.

Also of note on the month was the work of both the city's RCMP detachment and Fire Department who had a number of case files through the year that attracted some notice.

Supportive Housing and Education also made for themes through the year that resonated with readers.

A Federal election gave us a new MP, though from a familiar party, while the end of the year featured a Giant party as Rogers Hometown Hockey arrived on the same weekend as the city's Winterfest making for a remarkable few days for Prince Rupert.

The months rolled by as follows:

Most Read -- All Inclusive

January

Lack of information puts social media to a boil on Prince Rupert water issues


February

RCMP, Prince Rupert Fire/Rescue respond to McBride Street Crash


March

Crow's Nest Lodge opens in Prince Rupert


April

SD Board to meet to review final Budget Decisions tonight


May

Lax Kw'alaams Mayor and Government  welcome latest Senate moves on Tanker Ban Bill


June

Prince Rupert Fire Rescue on scene of Third Avenue blaze


July

Northern BC case files grow in string of suspicious deaths and missing persons case


August

City relays details of Friday Police incident involving an aggressive dog in Seal Cove area


September

Coast Mountain College Board in Prince Rupert for day long session


October 

Skeena-Bulkley Valley stays Orange, as Taylor Bachrach's vote mirrors much of his six week lead


November

Prince Rupert remains partial focus for latest report in nationwide tainted water series


December

Prince Rupert was more than ready for its close up! As Rogers Sportsnet's Hometown Hockey showcased the city to national audience


See our right hand column feature North Coast Review Backgrounders for links to archives of the year on a range of topics of note for the region.

Also as part of our right hand column options we have a North Coast Review Extra Edition feature which offers more in depth reviews of some of the larger issues of the Northwest this year.

Tracking the year in politics is fairly easy as well from our right hand column listings as well, just check out our archives for both the House of Commons and the Legislature for items of note from the North Coast and Northwest in 2019.

Those who have deeper interest in the federal and provincial scene will find our companion blog D'Arcy McGee of interest, where we have archived notes from both  Ottawa and Victoria.

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Municipal government

2019 was the year that finally delivered a commercial cannabis establishment to the city, the process of applications on which made for some discussion through the year at Council sessions.

Both Police and Fire services also made for notes of interest along the way in the year, as did the nature of the city's relationships with its neighbours, from some controversy with Port Edward over the Ridley Island Tax issue, or collaboration with First Nations as seen towards the end of the year.

It was also a year for pay raises for both the Mayor and Council, that delivered through a select committee of residents who outlined why they believed that the elected officials required better compensation.

And 2019 was the year that the last vessel of the Alaska Marine Highway System departed Prince Rupert harbour, it's final fate still unknown as we head towards a new decade.

What caught the interest of the readers through the year looked as follows:

Most Read -- Municipal Government


January

City Council's cannabis process called into question by hopeful production proponent


February

Council defers discussion on proposed Fire Service level change; takes report review to workshop and out of public spotlight


March

Temperatures on the rise over Ridley Island Tax Dispute


April

The Bully Boys of Third Avenue West?


May

City of Prince Rupert call for de-incorporation of Port Edward not gaining much traction with the Province


June

SOFI Report outlines Mayor and Council compensation for work of 2018


July

Partnerships will blaze the trail towards a new look as part of the 2030 Prince Rupert Plan


August

Federal, Provincial funding secured for 30 million plus water treatment plans; City's share to be 8 million dollars


September

Alaska Marine Highway System to end Service to Prince Rupert on October 1st


October 

Brevity for City Council Sessions, leaves much unsaid in public forum


November

Detachment Discussion Deferred to December


December

Collaboration the focus for Prince Rupert 2030 Announcements, setting the template for the future as program of civic renewal moves forward

Our archive of the year on the Municipal scene includes the following elements:

Council Discussion Topics

Overall Municipal Archive Notes (including Port Edward, Regional District and area First Nation communities)

School District and Education Notes for the Northwest



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Industry/Retail

Port development dominated much of the year's industrial review, with the container terminal and expansion plans and the impact they will have on the region making for much of the year's narrative.

Among some of the other port related items that grabbed attention on the year, the progress at AltaGas on Ridley island which opened for it s first shipments earlier this year, as well some new thoughts on shipping goods such as bitumen and LNG through containers also generated some strong interest from our readers.

It was another troubled year for the fishery with both the Herring and Salmon seasons delivering troubling returns and highlighting the struggles of that industry on the North coast.

Ridley Terminals also found itself in the headlines frequently through the year from the long anticipated sale of the summer, to the handing over of the keys as December arrived, the coal terminal and its LPG shipping option made for much news through 2019.

Some of the stories of the year are as follows:

Most Read -- Business/Industry

January

AltaGas on time, on track towards completion benchmarks


February

2019 Herring season a bust for Prince Rupert shore workers


March

Fairview Terminals adds Zim shipping line to list of marine carriers


April

Nass Valley latest region to see stirrings for potential LNG development


May

Potential for 6-7 million TEU's with Port's Master planning for Prince Rupert waterfront


June

Peter Lantin joins Board of Directors for the Port of Prince Rupert


July

Eagle Spirit moves forward with pipeline/terminal plans; seeks guidance of NEB


August

Ridley Terminals sale an example of the rising cost of Social Licence?: National Post Article


September

Prince Rupert's Northwest Gateway tests the waters; hosts transit of a test run for containerized bitumen shipments


October 

Clarity Cannabis edges closer towards its big Prince Rupert reveal


November

Chinese led LNG project in Terrace thinks "Inside the Box" for shipments out of Port of Prince Rupert


December

New ownership takes over at Ridley Terminals, introduces debut of refreshed website


For more background on the region's industrial and commercial sector see the following:

Industrial Archive

Commercial Sector Archive


To all our readers, we hope you have a very happy and enjoyable New Year's Eve, with best wishes for all the Best in 2020. We're looking forward to seeing what stories will be the ones that resonate through the year when we do this all again on December 31st, 2020!!!


Our archive of weekly Blog Watching for the year now ending can be found here.

Avalanche ratings high for North Coast Inland areas

Avalanche Canada is urging caution for those that travel the back country this New Years Eve/New Years Day period with the danger rating for today listed as high in Alpine and tree line areas for the mountainous terrain east of Prince Rupert.

As part of their travel advice they recommend back country enthusiasts to avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind or rain

As well you should avoid the run out zones of avalanche paths, as avalanches could run the full path.

Also of note: Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches, and those in the back country should be extra cautious for areas experiencing rapidly warming temperatures for the first time.

The risk for further inland towards the Bulkley Valley is listed as considerable for the next 48 hours.

You can find updated information on the Avalanche situation in the Northwest from the Avalanche Canada website.

As well, Avalanche Canada offers up some advice on what to bring with you on your back country adventures.

The forecast for the Northwest can be found from the links listed below:

Prince Rupert

Terrace/Kitimat

Smithers/Bulkley Valley

For more notes on weather events in the region see our archive page here.

To view the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.

Atmospheric Rivers set for battle above Prince Rupert by Friday; could bring much rain and potential for snow

Satellite photos from Environment Canada show the atmospheric rivers
that are setting up and could collide over the North Coast by Friday

There are no Weather Warnings of note for the North Coast and Haida Gwaii as of yet and as any weather watcher knows, the forecast of today for the week ahead can look significantly different by the end of the week.

However, there are  some interesting weather patterns are shaping up for the skies above the North Coast by the end of the week that should be followed, particularly for those with travel plans for the weekend.

The Weather Network offered up a graphic on Monday that noted two competing weather systems set to arrive at the same time on the North Coast, with twin atmospheric rivers one with rain, the other with the potential for snow making a track for our corner of the Northwest.

The notes from the Weather Network indicate that the impact of the first of the multiple systems heading into British Columbia is already being felt in the southern reaches with heavy rains in Lower Mainland and snow further inland.

Reinforcing those themes, area a string of Public Alerts spanning from Vancouver Island to the Alberta border in the south.

So far, Environment Canada seems to be hedging their bets, with calls for snow or rain for the North Coast through until Monday, the first of which could  arrive in the overnight period following New Year's Day.

Seven Day Forecast for Prince Rupert
(click to enlarge)

You can access updated weather information from the Environment Canada website.

As the storm arrives the road conditions across the Northwest can be reviewed from the Drive BC website and twitter feed.

You can also access our range of Video Camera listings for along the Highway 16 corridor and its feeder routes here. Though it should be noted, that at this time a number of those camera locations are not in service due to technical issues.

The Marine forecast for Hecate Strait likewise indicates that some wicked weather this way is a coming, with a Gale Warning in place now, with conditions expected to worsen  out on the water as we head towards the weekend.

Marine Forecast for Hecate Strait
click to enlarge

As Environment Canada keeps watch on the approaching system, we'll offer up more notes as the weather service provides them should the alert levels be raised.

For more notes on past weather events see our archive page here.

Polar Bear Swimmers make plans for New Year's Day dip with Prince Rupert Rotary

It's pretty quiet today at Rushbrook Floats, but come January 1st, the
entry to the harbour could see a few of the more daring of Rupert and area
residents taking to the water in the annual Rotary Club Polar Bear Swim

The chance to clear some of the excesses of New Years Eve, or start the New Year with gust of fresh air and splash of cold water will arrive at 1 PM at the Rushbrook Boat Launch on January 1st! 

That as the bravest of the brave join the Prince Rupert's Rotary Club as it hosts the annual Polar Bear Swim on the city's east side.

The event, which is one of a number of community activities sponsored by the Rotarians  during the year often sees participants don costumes for their Day One plunge, this year heralding a fresh start to a new decade.

In addition to those hitting the water, for those not quite daring enough to wade into the waters off Rushbrook, the Rotarians also offer up complimentary Coffee, Hot Chocolate and Hot Dogs for those coming back ashore or for those looking to cheer the participants on.

The Rotarians note that Tim Horton's is providing the Coffee and Hot Chocolate for the annual Prince Rupert tradition.

Parking can be a bit of a challenge at Rushbrook during the Polar Bear Swim, if you find that the lot is full at the Floats, there are a number of other options, including along George Hills Way, or through parking at Seal Cove and walking along the Rushbrook Trail towards the Floats from the east, which may make for a good way to start the New Year as well.

The weather may make for a brisk dip for the Polar Bear participants, the latest forecast from Environment Canada calling for Rain on New Years Day with a High of 5 and the potential for periods of snow that night as the temperatures take a dip that might make a polar bear comfortable!

A forecast fit for a Polar Bear is on the way for the start of 2020
(click to enlarge)

You can learn more about the Thursday event from the Rotary Club Facebook Event page here.

The Polar Bear Swim comes just a week or so after the conclusion of another successful Christmas Tree Sale in the city, with Rotarians selling the trees from the McBride Street Tennis Courts until just before Christmas Eve, the money raised from that event will be put towards Rotary projects around the region.

For a look at more of the work of the Prince Rupert Rotarians see their facebook page or website.

For more items of note on Community events in the region see our archive page.

Recently introduced Shuttle Service to Terrace suspends operations

A notice on the SG Shuttle website indicates that the service has been suspended
due to technical issues until February 1st or until further notice
(photo from SG shuttle Facebook)

See update at bottom of page


Those who may have booked a trip, or were planning to book a trip to Terrace or the Terrace Airport through SG Shuttle are looking for different travel arrangements these days, that with a short announcement on the transportation company's website indicating that it has suspended service until February 1st or further notice.

The short note which pops up when you look to the SG Shuttle website to book a trip advises that the suspension is due to technical issues, but does not go into much detail related to what is behind the decision to discontinue the service for the period indicated.

The service which was launched in September offered two trips a day to Terrace and offered a transit to the Northwest Regional Airport and the wider listings of flight options offered through that airport.

Update: In an email to the North Coast Review, SG Shuttle noted that they expect to be back to their scheduled runs before February 1st, as well as to note that they are still offering a Ski Shuttle to and from Shames Mountain.

You can access more information on both the regular service and that of the new Shuttle to Shames by calling 1 778 668 7180 or by dropping into their Highliner Inn offices.

For more notes on transportation along the highway 16 corridor see our archive page here.

Prince Rupert ends 2019 with a chance for some boasting! That with a top ten finish in the BC Business Best Cities for work in BC listings

An economy driven by Port related jobs and industry is
serving Prince Rupert well in the annual BC Business listings this year
(Photo from Port of PR)

With the future of port development serving as the engine for the region, BC Business is somewhat bullish on the future for Prince Rupert, once again placing the city in the top ten of their year end listings of the Best Cities for Work.

The sixth annual edition of the rankings from the Business magazine put 46 communities up for review for 2020 and once again found the North Coast favourable in a number of categories to gain it a ninth place finish, down three spots from last years number six spot, but still found among the Top Ten.

The survey conducted by the National Statistical review company Environics Analytics explored a range of factors in four key areas,  Income, Household Expenses, Lifestyle and Municipal Economic Performance.

The survey used a weighted scale to determine where each of the 46 communities would place making note of the following:

Average household income, Average Household Income under 35, Five year average household income growth, Average household spending on recreation, Average shelter spending, Average value of primary real estate, Average commute time, Fiver year Population growth, Housing starts per 10,00 resident and Unemployment rate.

Prince Rupert benefited the most from the growing influence of the port driven jobs which have provided for healthy income growth for those working for the Port or its related industries in the region, as well as a low unemployment rate which marked many of the other top ten finishers.

The placement of the city in the top ten comes, despite it being the only community to register a negative in the population growth category, though with the city and its range of partners recently making note of the crunch in jobs for non port related industries and businesses, that is a trend they no doubt hope will be reversed with some in migration over the next few years.

Terrace placed twenty third in the listings, that makes for a drop of five places from last years 17th spot placement.

The synopsis of the BC Business findings can be reviewed here.

The chart highlighting the city's placement in the various categories is found at the bottom of that page.

Recreation Centre to host Babysitting Course in the New Year

The Prince Rupert Recreation Department is bringing back the popular Babysitting Course for the new year, a program which has helped to train many of the community's youngsters in the past providing for some of the skills to rest easy the conscience of parent's around the region.

The next course is set for Youth between the ages of 11 and 15 and takes place Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM at the Civic Centre.

The Red Cross course provided a level of training to provide confidence for those looking to take on the task of babysitting in 2020.

You can find out more about the program from the Recreation Department Facebook page or call them at 250-624-6707 to register.

Cost of the program is $66.15

For more notes on Community events in Prince Rupert see our archive page here.

Reelin' in the cash at the Lions Memorial Blue Knuckle

And the Catch of the Day went to ...
The top three winners in Friday's
 Lions Club Blue Knuckle Memorial Fishing Derby
(photo from PR Lions Club)

Another successful day on the water and at the Moose Hall for the Lions Club of Prince Rupert has come and gone, with the winners of the 2019 Lions Memorial Blue Knuckle Fishing Derby declared last night.

Taking home the top prize in the annual event was Tom Kingshott who brought in the top fish of the 75 weighed on the day, topping the scales at 13.93 pounds. 

Second place went to 'Alexa' Ryan at 13.45 pounds while Leo Palmer's 13.38 pound catch made for third prize on the day.

The event which celebrates the memories of Marc Desautels and Jeff Carlson, attracted a good crowd of local and area fishermen taking to the water last Friday.

The weather for the event wasn't all that bad, despite the string of weather advisories that had been issued prior to the Derby's start. The worst of the weather holding off until well after the last fish had been reeled in and the weigh in had taken place.

The Lions will distribute the money raised from this years event to three local groups, the Salvation Army, Search and Rescue Station 64 and the Oldfield Creek Hatchery. Learn more about the annual event from our preview notes prior to Christmas.

They have a photo array by the Lions featuring some of the catch of the day and those who took part is available here.

For more notes on Community events see our archive page here.

Blog Watching: Week ending December 29, 2019

Seismic shifting helped to make for some of the news flow for the Christmas holidays as we took note of a string of strong earthquakes to strike an area off the northern tip of Vancouver Island this week.

On the theme of tracking, our annual accounts of the travels of Mr. Claus also found a large audience through Christmas Eve.

A Facebook post on Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach's Social media portal generated some significant debate which we took note of earlier in the week, followed up by an item on the response from the RCMP to some of the themes of a Guardian newspaper article, which Mr. Bachrach made note of.

The official handover date for Ridley Terminals took place this past week, with the new global investors along with the governments of Metlakatla and Lax Kw'alaams introduced their plans for the shipping terminal.

The Christmas gift giving season in Prince Rupert found one gift in strong demand, with a number of homes in the region taking to Rupertopoly over the holiday, a local fascination that got us to looking at what might be the next concept to catch the interest of residents.

However, the most read story of the week put the focus of some strong earthquake activity through the Christmas period just off the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

Fourth significant quake recorded in Queen Charlotte Sound area today --  A string of strong earthquakes rumbled between the fault lines off the Northern tip of Port Hardy over the Christmas period, our original story of Monday was followed by a few others as the reports came in.  The full archive of the week of seismic shifts can be viewed here. (posted  December 23, 2019)

That article was followed by:

Santa has taken to lift off as annual gift giving travels get underway --  Our annual tracking of the travels of Santa once again proved to be a popular item for the holiday week.  (posted  December 24, 2019)

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP's Facebook post brings heated responses to the Social Media debate chamber  -- An article in the Guardian newspaper which made for the basis of a call by MP Taylor Bachrach for a civilian review of RCMP activities at a Wet'suwet'en blockade in January generated a stream of opinion on his Facebook page. On Christmas Eve, the RCMP provided their response to the Guardian article, you can review their notes here.       (posted December 23, 2019)

New ownership takes over at Ridley Terminals, introduces debut of refreshed website  --   December 19th was the official turnover date for Ridley Terminals Incorporated, with the new owners, which include a 10 percent share for Lax Kw'alaams and Metlakatla offering up a few words to mark the changeover in ownership.  (posted December 27 , 2019)

With Rupertopoly a big hit this season. What could be next for Prince Rupert Board game themes -- It appears that Wal Mart had a Christmas hit with the arrival of Rupertopoly as more than a few of the Prince Rupert themed games found their way to a Christmas tree this year. The success of the concept got us to thinking out loud about what could be the next concept to catch on in the region  (posted  December 23, 2019)

You can find our weekly Blog watching feature posted every Sunday morning by 9AM, making for a handy way to catch up to the week that was, at a leisurely weekend pace.

You can also review the full listings of the week just past, from our Blog Archive index page found on the right hand side of the page.

For those looking for updates to items as they are posted to the blog, don't forget about our email alert access.

A daily review of the latest items on the blog can be delivered to your email in box, simply by entering your email address into the information bar, items posted to the blog will be delivered to your e-mail account each day.

You can find the link to that feature on the upper, right hand side of the blog. It can be found underneath the Follow the North Coast Review by Email indicator.

As well, those who use Twitter can get updates as we post new items from our twitter feed

Our archive of weekly Blog Watching can be found here.

To view the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.

Wind and Rain on the way for Haida Gwaii, North Coast coastline: Special Weather Statement in place for inland areas

The winds could soon be picking up in the Prince Rupert area, that as a sharp trough of a Pacific frontal system makes its landfall somewhere on the North Coast, with Haida Gwaii set to feel the effects first as the storm arrives through this evening as well.

The original Special Weather Statement of Boxing Day has been cancelled for the North Coast coastal regions, however a Wind Warning for tonight and tomorrow is now in effect as the storm tracks through the area.

Winds of up to 90 km/h are expected and with it periods of rain on the coast, changing to snow for inland areas near Terrace and Stewart.

The Special Weather Statement remains in place for the North Coast Inland areas, with attention of note for Terrace, Kitimat and Stewart.

You can access updates on the approaching weather from the Environment Canada website.

As the Pacific front arrives, road conditions can change quickly, you can access the latest road updates across the Northwest from the Drive BC website and twitter feed.

As well as from the list of Video cameras along the routes, though at the moment, the Terrace area cameras are all out of order.

For the Marine areas surrounding Haida Gwaii and the North Coast a Storm Warning remains in effect for tonight and tomorrow.

Winds of up to 55 knots are expected this evening diminishing to 35 knots by Saturday. Seas will build to near 6 metres overnight before diminishing to 4 metres by Saturday afternoon.

The latest notes on the marine weather can be explored here.

For past notes on the Weather on the North Coast see our archive page here.

Blue Knuckler's set for return to port hoping they reeled in prizes in annual derby

It was quiet at the Ruhsbrook Boat Launch at mid-afternoon, but that will
change as participants in this years Lions Club Blue Knuckle Derby
begin to bring in their catch of the day

Participants in this years Lions Club Memorial Blue Knuckle Derby headed out at first light today, with a full day of fishing in local waters ahead in the quest for what will soon be the Top prize winning fish.

The parking area surrounding the Rushbrook Floats area was for the most part full with the trucks and trailers standing ready for the return trip to port and then on to the Moose Hall for the official wrap up to the popular event that celebrates the memories of Marc Desautels and Jeff Carlson.

There were  only a few spaces to be found at the
  Rushbrook Boat Launch as local fishermen took
to the waters for this years Lions Club Blue Knuckle Derby

Participants purchased their entry tickets in the days previous to today's events with a range of prizes up for grabs for those that have taken to the water. The money raised from today's derby will be distributed to the Salvation Army, Search and Rescue Station 64 and the Oldfield Creek Hatchery.

The day will wrap up at the Moose Hall today, with the
official weigh in taking place between 3 & 6 PM
Prizes awarded from 6 to 7 PM

The weigh in takes place at the Moose Hall from 3 until 6 PM today, with the prizes set to be awarded from 6-7.

You can review some of the background to the Blue Knuckle Derby from our preview item of earlier this week.

You can learn more about this years event and we can all learn who the winners are later tonight from the Prince Rupert Lions Club Facebook page.

For more items of note related to Community events on the North Coast see our archive page here.

New ownership takes over at Ridley Terminals, introduces debut of refreshed website

The federal government handed over the keys to Ridley Terminals Incorporated last week, with the new ownership introducing themselves to the community by way of a statement on the RTI website.

The document dated December 19th, outlines the nature of the sale process that came to an end over the summer when it was announced the terminal had been sold to global investors Riverstone Holdings and AMCI group, with a ten per cent shared in a limited partnership between the Lax Kw'alaams Band and the Metlakatla First Nation.

“This is a business as usual transition, as we expect no change to process or operations at Ridley Terminals. Ridley Terminals will continue to be a key part of Canada’s trade network with the world.” -- Bartow Jones, Partner & Co-Head of Private Equity, Riverstone Holdings LLC

“This is a very unique partnership group that will ensure the terminal continues to be sustainable over the long-term with open access. The terminal will also continue to be a big part of Prince Rupert’s economy.” -- Hans Mende, co-founder of AMCI Group

Both Mayor Garry Reece of Lax Kw'laams and Chief Councillor Harold Leighton of Metlakatla noted how the new partnership will make for a sustainable future for both communities.

“With a significant share in RTI, we are continuing our work of enhancing the quality of life for all members of our community. This is a significant part of building an economically sustainable future for the Lax Kw’alaams Band.” -- Mayor Garry Reece of the Lax Kw’alaams Band

 “We are building a strong future for our community as a major economic force in northwest British Columbia. We believe this partnership is strongly aligned with our principles of sustainable eco-based resource management.” -- Chief Councillor Harold Leighton of the Metlakatla First Nation

In the statement (which you can read here), the new ownership makes note of the ambitious growth plan and how they continue to explore options towards the construction of a second berth for the Marine terminal.

A photo array marks some of the refreshed elements of the
Ridley Terminals website

With the new ownership has come a new look for the website for RTI, with the refreshed look providing much more information than the previous one, including a range of photographs that offer a glimpse as to some of the machinery that is in use at the facility

You can take your tour here, more notes related to Ridley Terminals can be explored here  click on the right hand box at the top of the page to learn more about the facility operations.

For more notes on Ridley Terminals see our archive page here.

Things settle down after flurry of activity on the fault line of Queen Charlotte Sound

The seismic plates were shifting over the last five days off the
Northern tip of Vancouver Island

For those that were travelling or somewhat busy over the last week or so, these last five days have made for a very active period for a fault line running along the British Columbia coastline

With some significant earthquakes taking place in the entrance way to Queen Charlotte Sound in a period from December 23 to December 25.

The majority of the seismic events took place in an area located to the west of Port Hardy in an area between Vancouver Island and the southern tip of Haida Gwaii.

There was no damage reported from the swarm of events, and no Tsunami alerts were generated by all of that activity.  Though the flurry of quakes did serve as a reminder as to the active nature of the area when it comes to earth movements.

The listings of the most notable quakes and some of the details related to them can be reviewed below:

December 25

12:38 PM -- 4.8 mg (182 km W of Port Hardy)

December 24


7:32 PM -- 6.3 mg  (182 km W of Port Hardy)


December 23

9:32 PM -- 4.3 mg ( 29 km WSW Queen Charlotte Haida Gwaii) (Not listed by USGS)

3:38 PM -- 4.9 mg (160 km W of Port Hardy)

12:56 PM -- 6.0 mg   (163 km W of Port Hardy)

11: 49 AM -- 6.0 mg (176 km W of Port Hardy)

11:13 AM -- 5.7 mg (170 km  of Port Hardy)

10:44 AM -- 5.2 mg (166 km W of Port Hardy)


For more items of note related to seismic events on the North Coast, Alaska and coastal BC see our archive page here.

Newest Coast Guard vessel spent Christmas at Northland Terminal

The Sir John Franklin the  newest of the fleet for the
Canadian Coast Guard was in port over the Christmas period

The Canadian Coast Guard vessel Sir John Franklin spent Christmas and part of Boxing Day in port, with the Research and Survey vessel tied up at Northland Terminal for the holiday period.

The Sir John Franklin at Northland Terminal on Boxing Day

The Sir John Franklin is one of the newest Offshore Fisheries Science vessels for the Coast Guard and was built by North Vancouver's Seaspan Shipyards, delivered to the Coast guard earlier this year, it was the first large vessel to be built as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

The ship features a crew of 23, 10 officers and 13 crew. It has a length of 63.4 metres and a breadth of 16 metres. The Sir John Franlin cruises at 8 knots and has a maximum speed of 12.5 knots.

It was introduced into active service on the Pacific coast in August of this year.

The vessel departed late yesterday with Fitz Hugh Sound on the Central Coast its next destination.

Time for residents to play the Prince Rupert Garbage Shuffle

The holiday period which leaves one flummoxed at the best of times, brings some additional confusion for residents of Prince Rupert when it comes to when is the day to next put out your garbage.

With Prince Rupert on a rotating Garbage cycle, keeping track of the the days is important, lest you miss yours and then have to live with your stash until the next available pick up day, or come up with a Plan B.

To help out with the battle plan for Operation Garbage find your neighbourhood from the map above, the colour of your area, matching up with the monthly calendars.

Here's a look at the schedule for what is left of December, as well as the full listings for the year ahead.

And for some long range planning, here's the schedule for all of 2020.

The Prince Rupert Garbage Collection calendar for 2020
(click to enlarge)

More notes on the city's garbage regulations and collection themes can be found here.

Those considering a garbage run of their own out to the landfill site, should make note of the regulations in place out at the Ridley Island landfill site.

With the days of the recycling transfer station now long gone at the Kaien Road Recycling Centre, residents looking to access the North Coast Regional District Recycling facility can review the schedule here.

RCMP in British Columbia respond to Guardian article, note damage done to relations with Hereditary Chiefs

The RCMP issued a public statement on Christmas Eve to respond to a newspaper article from a British publication of last week.

Withe the national police force addressing some of the accusations in the article, while noting how they need more information related to some of the others.

 As well, the Mounties note how the report, which they describe as unsubstantiated, incomplete and inflammatory has damaged their relations with the Hereditary Chiefs in the Wet'suwet'en.

The article which we took note of at the time was published in the Guardian on December 20th. With authors Jaskiran Dhillon and Will Parrish making a number of allegations related to the RCMP's approach to the BC Supreme Court enforcement order on the blockade in Wet'suwet'en territory in January of 2019.

The story from the British publication was referenced by Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach when he issued his call for a review of a civilian panel one week ago.

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Unfortunately, as a result of the unsubstantiated, incomplete and inflammatory nature of the article published in the Guardian last week, relationships between the RCMP and all stakeholders that have been years in the making, have been damaged and now require rebuilding. The RCMP has reached out to request a meeting with Hereditary Chiefs and is hopeful this meeting will soon occur. -- RCMP response to the Guardian article of December 

In their response to the Guardian article, the RCMP observe that a number of the terms used by the Force that in their opinion have been taken out of context, something which they describe as concerning.

The reference to lethal overwatch was one of the key elements of the Guardian story which attracted the most attention and towards that term the RCMP offered the following description.

Most concerning is the reference to lethal overwatch, which from a RCMP perspective and indeed police forces around the world, relates to an observation position taken by armed police officers, to ensure police and public safety. The police officer(s) who occupy the position of lethal overwatch are tasked with observing and protecting the safety of police officers occupied with other duties such as crowd control, barrier removal or arrest and who may not be able to access their police equipment to protect themselves from any harm. This term does not indicate action other than observation with a capability to use lawful force should a threat present itself.

The information statement goes on to outline the nature of the enforcement order issued by the British Columbia Supreme Court and the RCMP's approach towards the court ordered arrest and release processes.

As well, they make note of  the hundreds of hours of meetings and consultations that were held with the Wet'suwet'en people, including cultural awareness training provided prior to the enforcement of the order.

The RCMP also provide their response to a number of the Guardian's questions, as well as a list of other  advisories that were issued during the period of the enforcement order.

You can review all those notes here.

The MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley has not to this point commented further on his call for the civilian review of last week, or on the commentary that has come through his Facebook post in the follow up to his notes.

For their part, the two journalists have posted a follow up article to their December 20th work, with a December 24th story which highlights  the reaction that their original story has generated.

For more notes on Mr. Bachrach's work in Ottawa and the constituency see our archive page here.