Thursday, December 31, 2020

Blog Watching: The year that was 2020!

YEAR IN REVIEW 2020

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 the 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

2020 was a year which was obviously dominated by COVID-19 its arrival in late February serving to change very much of our lives for the rest of the year.

It left popular festivals cancelled, the shared experiences of gatherings for the most part banished and saw raised fears and calming words throughout the year.

Still, life did move on, whether with local politics or provincial and Federal, our industry continued to operate though with new measures in place.
 
Among the hardest hit by the arrival of the coronavirus were the business and tourism sectors, with many operators having their legs pulled from under them as the range of protective measures rolled out and a range of restrictions took root.

Our look at how the months unfolded can be reviewed below:

Most Read -- All Inclusive

January

Mayor Brain in Prince George for Resource forum and conversation with provincial officials

February

MLA Rice finds a fence to straddle

March

Weekly paper feels the heat from its Sunday Waterfront fire coverage


April


Three robberies in four days have Prince Rupert RCMP seeking suspects

May

Port Edward wolf attack brings strong Conservation Officer presence

June

Prince Rupert RCMP seek public assistance in search for Wanted Person


July

Want to work on your Sm'algyax .. there'a an app for that!

August

Nisga'a members offered opportunity to access water station supply from Nisga'a Hall during City of Prince Rupert Water Advisory


September

Prince Rupert RCMP at Moresby Park on Found Remains Case File


October 

SD52 advises of confirmed case of COVID-19 at Prince Rupert elementary school

November

Lax Kw'alaams announces site for 60 unit apartment development in Prince Rupert

December

Prince Rupert RCMP investigate suspicious death on City's east side

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 2020.

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

COVID had a very strong impact on municipal government in 2020, starting with the City's original plans for extensive local COVID related measures being overruled by the province; an order from Victoria which seemed to set a tone for the municipal government for the first two months of the virus arrival.

The measures towards COVID also made for a very different year of civic governance, much of it does by remote appearances and with diminished access to City Hall and council proceedings as they City Council continued to roll out its COVID response.

With the reduced engagement as the backdrop to the year, the Council did move forward with a range of initiatives, passed a budget with no tax increase for the year and introduced its long anticipate makeover of the Official Community Plan.

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

Most Read -- Municipal Government


January

Surprise leasing plan announcement leaves a few questions seeking answers

February

Airport Manager, Board actively seeking expanded airline service for Prince Rupert: Mayor Brain


March

Prince Rupert Mayor takes issue with Provincial order to suspend Local State of Emergency

April

With potential return to some form of public City Council sessions on the horizon; it's time for something more than governance by Facebook

May

Kootenay Avenue site proposed for new 55 unit family residential development

June

City Manager Robert Long is 're-substituting' on planning duties for retire Zeno Krekic


July

City of Prince Rupert pays tribute to community excellence with announcement of Civic Recognition Award recipients


August

It's back to the High Boil for some Prince Rupert residents as City issues Water Advisory


September

City set to close another land deal, with plans of disposition of land located adjacent the Civic Centre

October 

City of Prince Rupert/Northern Health issue Water Advisory, with a recommendation to BOIL WATER for a number of residents

November

Concerns over out of sight marijuana grows making for community discussion themes

December

City Council's version of a Port Bypass road still on the drawing board

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

Council Discussion Topics


School District and Education Notes for the Northwest



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Industry/Retail

Port development once again 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 for the Pembina LPG Terminal at Watson Island, the introduction of plans for another terminal on Ridley Island for the Dutch shipping giant VOPAK, the near completion of the Fairview-Ridley dedicated access route and the ports own development plans for Ridley Island all made for much followed items of note for the year.

Some of the stories of the year are as follows:

Most Read -- Business/Industry

January

Latest LNG development plans would put floating LNG shipment terminal in Alaskan waters north of Prince Rupert 

February

Local paper faces short bench with more departures from Fraser Street publication

March

Prince Rupert Port Authority outlines measures in response to COVID-19

April

Port of Prince Rupert seeks input on Export Logistics Platform for Ridley Island

May

Chamber of Commerce Board notes need for patience as Prince Rupert businesses make for relaunch

June

Port of Prince Rupert anticipates decision on VOPAK terminal by 2021

July

DP World's Phase 2B expansion plans for Fairview Terminal gain regulatory approval

August

Owing to COVID-19 situation Pembina's Watson Island Terminal now looking at 2021 opening, with project over budget

September

Chamber sings praises of Janet Song as new Interim Executive Director

October 

District of Port Edward takes first steps towards proposed Small Scale LNG facility in community

November

Port Edward LNG launches website to inform area residents of Small Scale Terminal plans

December

Another blow for the Prince Rupert Commercial Sector, as MacCarthy GM retrenches operations to Terrace

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 as we all provide our own farewell to an unforgettable twelve months of 2020. 

We offer our wishes for all the Best in 2021. 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, 2021!!!


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

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