We're going to get a head start on the Long Weekend travel and a chance to get one final break in this exiting COVID summer.
As we head out, we take leave of our blogging themes for the next little while, with a return target of somewhere along the lines of August 9th or so.
Towards those preparations to head off into the sun (we hope), we had offered a sacrifice and ministrations to the Weather Gods for our loyal readership.
That as we sought to secure a full ten days of sunshine for the North Coast in our absence.
Alas, it would appear we only partially appeased the Weather Deities with our offering.
As a result, we can offer up mostly sunny skies to shine on Prince Rupert during our absence, though we shan't talk about next Tuesday and Wednesday if you don't.
While we take a break from the delivery of new and original content, feel free to browse our archive pages found as part of our right hand column and catch up on some of the themes you may have missed in recent weeks.
We'll see you back on the other side of forecast period.
A push towards the elimination of single use plastic items may soon get underway, that after the BC government amended regulations for how local government can address the issue in their community. (chart from the Gov't of Canada website)
If they wish, Prince Rupert City Council can now take advantage of some new rules, designed to allow local government to institute bans on plastic bags and certain single use plastic without requiring provincial approval.
In an announcement from Tuesday, the provincial government outlined how they have amended a regulation under the Community Charter to allow local governments to ban single-use plastics, including plastic checkout bags, polystyrene foam containers and plastic utensils, which includes stir sticks. Previously, municipalities required ministerial approval to implement a plastics ban.
George Heyman, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy noted how the province was responding to the desires of local government across the province with the measure.
“Communities across B.C. have made it clear they want to be environmental leaders by taking steps to ban single-use plastics. We will continue to work with all levels of government to protect our land and waterways from plastic pollution and the harm it creates. Local governments wanted the ability to act without delay, and now they have it.”
A call for comments is underway related to a proposed amendment for an parcel of land in the Prince Rupert Industrial Park area (photo from Govt of BC documents)
The Ministry of Lands, Forest and Natural Resources is currently holding a comment period related to a proposed change to some land use in an area of the Prince Rupert Industrial Park, part of an application from Amix Real Estate Holdings.
The application which is posted on the government department website, outlines an amendment to the current use of the land as Log Handling/Storage, with the applicant looking to add a fuel transfer operation.
This is an application to amend the use of an existing Licence of Occupation, licence #SK916696. The current use is Log Handling/Storage. The requested use is Commercial General A.
The project is a fuel transfer operation where diesel fuel and gasoline would be barded to the site and fuel transferred from transport barge to the storage barge A.T.L. 810 and then transferred as needed from the storage barge either to a truck loading arrangement on the shore and loaded into trucks or to a loading arrangement on the storage barge capable of delivering to smaller vessels.
The applicant owns the adjacent upland property (171 Mish-Aw Road Prince Rupert).
The Synopsis for the Application notes that the property is zoned as M3 with a range of permitted uses which include: (c) Marine transportation, (e) Transportation terminal, (f) Bulk commodity storage and terminal, (h) General industrial, (i) Marine commercial, & (j) Marine fuel station.
The location of the area in question related to the current opportunity for comment process (from the BC Gov't website)
The deadline to submit comments related to the application is listed as August 18th on the government website; though an advertisement of the notice in the weekly paper notes of deadline for comments of September 4th.
Graham Anderson from Ecotrust Canada provide Prince Rupert City Council with an expansive overview of some energy initiatives that could be a good fit for the community
Prince Rupert City Council is on board when it comes to the development of a feasibility study towards a community energy initiative that was outlined to Council on Monday evening.
A preview of what Ecotrust Canada has in mind for the region was provided as part of the Committee of the Whole session for Monday, with Graham Anderson the Director of Community Energy Initiative providing for a short overview of the work of Ecotrust on themes of community energy initiatives.
His presentation also noting as to how Prince Rupert would be a good fit for the Home Energy Retrofit program, something which addresses the issue of Energy Poverty.
As he explained it to council Energy Poverty finds households having to allocate larger than typical of their household income on energy needs and is propelled by three drivers: low household income, high energy prices and low energy efficiencies in their homes.
Towards a solution he outlined how a program to deliver Heat Pump opportunities with partner communities has been well received in recent years, noting of their success on Vancouver island and in Bella Bella, noting how the program would be one worth exploring in the Prince Rupert area.
The Ecotrust official observed how the situation in Prince Rupert is one which is the strongest opportunity for a Heat Pump solution in the country; noting of the high cost of energy, the age of the housing stock and how the climate aids the operational aspects of a heat Pump.
"We see a really uniquely strong opportunity for heat pumps in the community of Prince Rupert for a number of reasons. We'd say its actually one of the strongest opportunities in the country. And a big part of that is that you have relatively high heating fuel costs here, the natural gas costs the rates are just higher largely due to transportation. And so when your fuel costs are almost twice as high that creates a much greater opportunity for cost savings through retrofits.
You have an older housing stock on average as well. And you're on a cool coastal climate which is really ideally suited to this type of opportunity and so the heat pumps will operate at their highest possible efficiency in this climate" -- Graham Anderson from Ecotrust Canada, on the merits of Heat Pumps for Prince Rupert homeowners
Towards moving forward he identified a couple of obstacles currently in place, the first was access to funding and financing, as well as the access to an energy auditor which is a requirement of the program, with the closest one in the North based out of Prince George.
He also observed as to some of the lack of awareness in the region towards the opportunities that a Heat Pump solution could offer.
Towards building up that knowledge, Mr. Anderson noted of a desire to create a locally financed feasibility study to undertake such a program; as well as to develop some capacity locally to allow for local residents to have access to the program available in the community.
The local organization would also like to build a program of local promotion and coordination to help move the initiative forward in the North Coast region.
As part of their efforts, Ecotrust is making a request of the City for letters of support and matching financial support of 7,500 dollars, the latter to be used in 2022 towards furthering their initiative in the community.
Mr. Anderson also observed as to how the Ecotrust plans had a strong connection with the City's Sustainable City 2030 plan that the city has developed towards replacing fossil fuels.
In follow questions and comments, Councillor Niesh observed of some of the challenges locally in finding contractors at the moment to provide for the installation process of the Heat Pumps and how if the program is to be effective they may need someone locally in place to assist in the installation process.
Councillor Randhawa followed up by asking for some costing on the proposal, the reply was that the cost. was anywhere from $5,000 to $18,000, with rebates available towards $8,500 depending on the scope of the project.
Councillor Nick Adey expressed his enthusiasm for their proposal and how it addresses climate based issues in the community, he then asked for some additional background on the request for the $7,500 in funding from the city.
"Thanks for the presentation, I'm pretty excited about the ideas involved in this, I think that in general people are moving towards a place where they see a need to address these kinds of issues in their home and in the border picture of climate based issues beyond the home. The letter of support that is asking us for seventy five hundred dollars, maybe a little more detail on that. My understanding of that it would allow us to move towards access towards a much bigger pool of money, could you explain how that is going to work"
Mr. Anderson outlined how that would represent ten percent of a contribution which is the required amount from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities which is the lead organization for the funding project in order to move forward with a feasibility study.
"That's right, so that's connected to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities opportunity specifically, and they require ten percent, or they request ten percent matching contribution from the city. And that would be a feasibility study defining the opportunity here.
So assessing a number of local homes to develop an understanding of really exactly how much a homeowner could stand to save. Looking at partnerships with local financial institutions on potentially setting up a local fund.
And that feasibility study could lead to designing a program that then could access up to ten million in financing, so it would be essentially financed by FCM and half of that is through a grant as well so they would support administration and start up and operating costs of that fund.
So it's a fairly significant pool of capital to support the cost of running it and also to be deployed in the community"
Councillor Cunningham offered up some observations on a recent installation that he had knowledge and noted that some of the cost may still be somewhat prohibitive for many residents in the community.
In reply, Mr. Anderson noted of some areas where prioritization of the program could be beneficial and for some households it may make more sense for those planning to replace their entire furnace and heating system.
Mayor Brain asked about the request for 7,500 dollars for the feasibility study and what kind of timeline is required, particularly towards when the City funding would be needed, Mr. Anderson noted that it would be part of their plans for moving forward in 2022.
The Mayor observed how that would be helpful towards the city's budgeting, he then thanked Mr. Anderson for his presentation.
A report from the City's Corporate Administrator Rosa Miller provided some further background to the requests from Ecotrust as well as to how it fits in with the City's Sustainable community initiatives.
Later in the Regular Council session, the members voted in favour of both of the letters of support and the financial assistance towards the feasibility study, though it was not identified on Monday as to where the city would provide the 7,500 dollars for the study from.
As they offered their support for the program, the Mayor outlined his enthusiasm towards it.
"I think that this is a great process to undertake and it will be good for the community"
The full presentation from Mr. Anderson can be reviewed from the City's Video Archive page starting at the eight minute mark; later in the evening the short discussion and approval of the Ecotrust requests can be found from the 35 minute mark.
More items of note from the Monday Council session can be explored from the Council Timeline Feature.
Further items of interest from past Council sessions can be found from our archive page.
For a more expansive look at some of the City's other themes on Sustainability see our archive page here.
A look at some of the energy initiatives from Ecotrust Canada can be reviewed here.
Telus has proposed the placement of a cellular communication tower in the area adjacent to the BC Hydro site on Highway 16
"I put forward the motion that we refuse this location, as, cause of the same as the previous one. Which, it's the location it's not so much the height that they've changed. So I'm thinking that we should put forward the motion to basically refuse the location but to work with Telus, and again with the proposed locations that we have given them" --Councillor Wade Niesh providing the motion for discussion on a tower proposal from Telus on Monday evening
Councillor Wade Niesh led the charge on Monday evening, as Prince Rupert City Council dug in its heels over a proposed cellular communication tower, expressing its lack of support for a location that Telus would prefer to build an area near the BC Hydro site on highway 16.
The councillor provided the wording for a motion Monday that will urge the communication company to find another site for their tower, with the city having offered up a stretch of land along Highway 16 as their preference.
Duelling opinions on cel tower location choices. Telus prefers a location near the BC Hydro site. The City would rather see a location along the Highway on the east side of Mount Hays
The decision to make their thoughts clear to the communication giant came following an extensive report from the city's contract planner Robert Buchan, who charted some of the background to what could be a percolating dispute between the City and the national communication provider.
Among the themes introduced by Mr. Buchan was how the Telus site has already been noted by the city as being in a high profile location that does not meet the preferred location criteria as outlined in City council policy.
"The report before you is seeking Council's direction on whether or not it wishes Telus to proceed with community consultation on a proposed cel tower adjacent to Highway 16. The city has already given feedback once on a previous version of this, but that proposal has been amended reducing the size of the tower from 50 metres to 30 metres.
However it is still in a high profile location that does not meet the preferred location criteria as outlined in Council's policy regarding this. So we're wondering whether or not Council wants to give feedback now asking Telus to find a new location, or whether it should procede with community consultation on this and render a decision at a later time" -- iPlan planner Rob Buchan
Mayor Lee Brain sought some clarification on the path forward for council on the topic, with Mr. Buchan outlining some of the background to the issue for the council members.
"Staff have been certainly working on this for some time, Mr. Pucci before myself and we've given quite a number of alternative locations and we've asked them to actually give us an area identifying the entire, I guess an area that would work for their specifications.
We haven't seen that yet, we are aware that they are looking at other options but they are very interested in this particular location. But given its sensitivity at the gateway to the municipality, we thought that council may want to weigh in on this now, and if you're ok going to public consultation you can let them know that.
But if it's simply not a suitable location I think it's reasonable for council to advise Telus of that at this point. We would still work with Telus to find a location that would work for them. -- -- iPlan planner Rob Buchan
With Councillor Niesh's motion the spark of the debate, two of the city's six councillors spoke to the topic
Councillor Adey inquired as to the preference by Telus and if there are any technical reasons that may be behind their choice.
Mr. Buchan provided some notes on that topic, though he noted how technical themes were not part of the skill set of City staff.
"No, just the results of those technical reasons. They say that the other locations we've given them don't work for them. Though we're not in a position to be able to assess whether or not that is completely accurate or not because it's not our skill set. We're aware, or hear that other cel providers do have service, community wide service without this location so it's not clear to us why it wouldn't work for them as well"
Councillor Mirau endorsed the position of Councillor Niesh, noting how the city should not seek out a public notification for something they wouldn't agree with in the first place.
"I tend to agree with Councillor Niesh on this piece, I don't think we need to go to public notification for something that we wouldn't support in the first place. So I think it makes more sense to try and find a location that works best for both parties and then move from there."
Other than the mention of the proposed location in a 'gateway' area, neither staff or Council members expanded on any other reasons as to why they were opposed to the Highway location adjacent to the BC Hydro site.
There will be some additional rooting interest to be found for residents of the North Coast and Northwest as the Tokyo Olympics continue moving forward into the weekend ahead, with a pair of athletes with some past ties to the region looking to make their mark on the world stage.
Alycia Butterworth who was born in Prince Rupert, but now lists Parksville on Vancouver Island as her hometown will start her journey in the 3,000 metre Steeplechase this weekend.
With the first heats of the event set for Sunday August 1st, with the Finals and quest for medals to take place on Wednesday August 4th.
The Olympian is coming off some strong performances in recent track events that propelled her onto the Olympic team and her chance to claim a medial in Tokyo.
Joining Ms. Butterworth on the track in Tokyo will be Hazelton's Regan Yee another resing star for the Canadian team, she is not the first resident of that community to don Canada's colours in competition.
Some notes on their Olympic journey can be found below:
You can look back at some of the history of British Columbians that have represented Canada at the Olympics from this archive page, included among the Olympians are 11 who called the Northwest, North Coast or Central Coast home.
Prince Rupert residents received the new garbage and recycling bins over the last few weeks (photo provided by NCR reader)
The city's launch of the new garbage and recycling program is still creating a few more questions than it has answered, with the size of the new city supplied garbage cans making for some conversation at the Monday night City Council Session.
Councillor Nick Adey provide for the talking points on the night, taking up the topic of the City's recycling program which he observed was a giant step forward.
Though the Councillor did relay some comments from the public over the size of the city supplied garbage cans and asked for some clarity from city staff as to the policies in place towards additional garbage need.
"Recognizing that my position on the recycling program is that it's a giant step forward and the question I ask is in that spirit. What I am hearing more often than anything now is a comment on the size of the garbage cans. So I guess as a point of clarity for the public, is it my understanding that those households who find themselves in excess capacity of that garbage can, can still put out a second garbage can that will be taken" -- Councillor Nick Adey
Director of Operations Richard Pucci spoke to the topic, noting that city staff is considering a program for those residents who have more garbage that one container can hold, a proposal which would see those residents be charged for a second bin from the City, and as time goes on they can return the bin to the city and the charge will be taken off.
"We've heard some of those comments coming forward and we're looking at a program where households that believe they are going to come up with more garbage and still be recycling will have an opportunity to get a second bin, at a charge, and then when they no longer need that bin they can return it to the city and that charge will then be taken away.
The idea is that, at the time that you need that bin, the second bin, for however many number of years you can use that but as time goes on you probably won't need the bin anymore and it can be returned back and your service will just be back to the standard service -- Operations Manager Richard Pucci
Mr. Adey further observed how he and his household had explored ways to adjust their footprint, however he also raised the topic of how there needs to be a level playing field for those living at home alone and for larger families, noting how those two sets of circumstances should be taken into account.
In reply, Mr. Pucci outlined how staff would be coming back to Council shortly with something for a review for the program re-roll out.
"So we will be bringing something back to Council to review, and so ultimately Council will have the decision on sort of the program re-roll out. But you know we feel that we've given a net positive as you know with the amount of sort of let's say airspace within the two bins it actually is a positive amount to just the two bags that you get now. So it equates to probably about four bags when you look at the amount that goes in the garbage and the amount that goes into the recycling which is quite a bit larger"
The Director of Operations further noted how residents can drop as many bags as they like in the new city black bins which makes use of a dumping mechanism and can thus have more garbage loosely placed into the city supplied cans.
"We're not doing a bag limit anymore, it is, it's you know kitchen catchers and smaller things can go in that black garbage can which then can be sort of compacted more, so it's not just two bags in there. Because it's a dumping mechanism now so it can be more loosely put in and compacted into that can"
To bring that discussion to a close, Councillor Adey once again reinforced his enthusiasm for the new program and note that was relaying questions that he had heard.
The indication that residents cannot use their own garbage cans but will be charged for a second city supplied can seems to be a slight change from some original information posted to the city website just a few weeks ago; which as we noted at the time seemed to suggest that residents could use their own cans for any garbage overflow from the city supplied version.
Judging by some of the confusion over the mid summer roll out of the program, another information campaign may be required by the City to help clarify some of the still fluid views of how the twin programs are going to work.
When the city's curb side recycling program starts in September, the product will be taken to the Kaien Road Regional Recycling centre for further action by the facility
Earlier in the evening, during the Committee of the Whole session the city's recycling program was noted by one city resident, who had asked Mr. Pucci what happens to the recycling material once it will picked up at curb side.
In reply, the Director of Operations observed that it would then be taken to the Regional Recycling Centre and that they decide on how to dispose of the material according to their own policies.
You can review the themes of garbage and recycling from the City's Video archive from both the Committee of the Whole session of Monday night 23 minute mark and later in the Regular Session towards the end during the Councillor's Comments or Question segment Fifty minute mark.
The Province of British Columbia will launch an intensive effort to get the word and the jabs out on vaccinations, with Doctor Bonnie Henry and Doctor Penny Ballem outlining the plans for an August blitz to get anyone who wants to be vaccinated in a line at a range of vaccination opportunities.
The program which launched yesterday and set to last until the end of August with British Columbia vaccination teams to spread out across the province to attend community events, making use of vax vans and mobile clinics to get more people vaccinated with their first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Health officials note that while registration and booking using the provincial Get Vaccinated system is still encouraged, these events will allow eligible people to walk-in and receive a vaccine without a scheduled appointment.
“The rollout of mass COVID-19 vaccinations for B.C. has been the effort of a lifetime, and this accomplishment is shared by every health-care worker who has helped us stay safe, every front-line worker who has kept our communities going and every person in B.C. who has chosen to be vaccinated – I am thankful to each and every one of you. For those who have not yet been vaccinated, it is easier than ever to get your first or second dose. Join the millions of people in our province who have taken this step, not just for themselves, but for their larger community." --Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer.
In addition to the regional events hosted by health authorities, the Vax for BC program will also include the first provincewide Walk-in Wednesday.
On Aug. 4, 2021, clinics throughout the province will reserve approximately 20,000 doses for walk-in vaccinations for anyone 12 years and older still needing their first dose or people eligible to receive their second dose.
Data from the BC Centre of Disease Control (BCCDC) shows that less than 5% of COVID-19 cases from June 15 to July 15 were among fully vaccinated people. In addition, during the same time period, 78% of people hospitalized in B.C. with COVID-19 were unvaccinated.
Dr. Penny Ballem, B.C.’s immunization lead paid tribute to those involved in the vaccination program to date and noted how the push through August will serve to get vaccinations to more British Columbians.
“I want to express my gratitude to the health authority teams and community partners for their exceptional efforts in delivering our vaccination program throughout the province. And during the next push, there will be even more convenient opportunities for people to get a life-saving vaccine to protect yourself and those around you.”
While the Prince Rupert area experienced strong results from the community wide vaccination programs of March and June, other areas of Northern Health's service area have not kept the pace of good vaccination levels, with the Northern Health region home to the largest percentage of British Columbians who are unvaccinated.
It's those residents in those areas of the Northern Health region where health officials will be putting the bulk of their focus during the month long blitz.
Among the communities for some additional focus is the Terrace area which will see a community clinic take place today, in addition to a chance to get a vacation the event will feature live music, door prizes and free food.
It's another shift to the south for CityWest with the announcement of an agreement with the Central Coast Communication Society based in Bella Coola and the Central Coast (photo from CCCS webcam array)
It's time to place another dot on the map for CityWest's latest venture, with the Prince Rupert based communication company noting of a new joint collaboration on the Central Coast.
In an announcement released on Tuesday, CityWest officials outlined how the telecommunication company would be collaborating with the Central Coast Communication Society, an Internet sevices provider based in Bella Coola.
The arrangement will make it possible for the Bella Coola Valley to be connected to a world class fibre to the home network, a communication vision that is shared by both organizations.
The area of coverage for the collaboration will include Bella Coola, 4 Mile, Hagensburg and the territories of the Nuxalk First Nation.
"This official collaboration will empower us to extend service through the rest of the valley, to execute on the society's greater vision for connectivity and to create some amazing opportunities within our business for the staff with CCCS." --Stefan Woloszyn, CEO of CityWest
A key element of the collaboration will be the introduction of the Connected Coast project which is expected to land in Bella Coola by the beginning of 2022.
The fibre to the home network will then be constructed shortly afterwards, something that will bring last mile service to the residents and business of the Bella Coola Valley.
James Hindley, the Network Administrator and Executive Director of CCCS, noted of the opportunities that the arrangement with CityWest will bring to the region.
"We're very happy to strike this deal with CityWest, a company that values customer service as much as we do, and because of the benefits it brings to our communities. With this collaboration, we'll not only build a real fibre-to-the-home network, but we'll also see local employment of our existing technicians and local governance will be maintained"
It's the third significant announcement from the city of Prince Rupert owned communication company in recent weeks, you can review some of their expansion plans from our archive page here.
A Prince Rupert bound logging truck lost its load earlier this morning, with the scope of the spill of the debris having now Closed Highway 16 at the Galloway Rapids Bridge area.
In an advisory from Drive BC, the Highways contractors anticipate having the road reopened by 11 AM, with the next update on the situation set for 9AM
The BC Drive Highway camera at the Port Edward turnoff show emergency vehicles on scene and traffic lined up along the entire stretch to the west as motorists await the removal of the debris and the reopening of the roadway.
The Prince Rupert RCMP have not provided any details on the Wednesday morning incident through their local information stream.
With the cooler and somewhat damper weather having made an imprint on the North Coast in recent days, the District of Port Edward has joined the list of communities that have lifted a local campfire ban with their townsite limits.
The District noting that the Port Edward Fire Department will be monitoring the weather ahead and reassess the lifting of the ban should hot and dry conditions return to the region.
Included as part of their advisory from Monday is a map that outlines the area where the small fires are now allowed, as well as some further guidance on fire safety from the District.
The next stage of consideration for the Lax Kw'alaams apartment complex on the east side will be an Auust Public Hearing (Image From the Lax Kw'alaams led presentation)
The path forward for consideration by Prince Rupert City Council towards a large scale apartment development on the east side of the city inched a little bit further ahead on Monday, as City Council set the process in motion towards a Public hearing for the Lax Kw'alaams led project.
The site plan of the proposed development along 11th Avenue East at Edward Avenue (Image From the Lax Kw'alaams led presentation)
The forward momentum on the much discussed and a times controversial development coming as part of an agenda item from the Monday session. With the city's contract planner from iPlan laying out the next steps for the council to take towards the application for development of an apartment complex along the 11th Avenue East corridor at Edwards Avenue.
In the five page report, which you can review from the Agenda Package, the city has outlined two key elements of the latest momentum for the proposed development; those are related to traffic impact and the requirement of a covenant that ensures an allotment of residential units for use as Seniors housing only.
1) the improvements recommended by the traffic impact study regarding development generated impacts being provided by the applicant and,
2) Registration of a 219 covenant restricting 12 of the residential units to seniors housing only, and requiring the recommended traffic improvements.
Councillor Mirau opened the conversation on the topic noting how the proposed development is on the topic of the need for more housing in the community, with the Councillor observing as to the urgency the issue has provided to the rental market.
He also acknowledged the scope of the interest in the community and the neighbourhood towards the project, calling attention to some of the past issues on parking and traffic and how it has been addressed as part of the latest information on the proposed development.
"Housing is obviously a very urgent and pressing issue I think we've all seen inflation not just in the real estate market but also in the rental market as well. And I think, I mean it's no secret that there was duelling petitions, I think that the whole community is aware.
In any project that we're going pursue there is not going to be 100 percent consensus. But with that said, I think that the onus is on us as elected officials to hear from all those who feel that they are affected and try to hear as many different angles, and concerns and suggestions and ideas that we can " -- Councillor Blair Mirau
As part of the process, the topic now will move to the Public Hearing stage, with the mayor indicating his original preference for it to take place on the same date as a Regular Council session.
Councillor Cunningham also noted of some of the controversy that the project has generated and noted how transparency is a key element towards the proposal and how its moving forward.
The prospect of the public hearing provided for some further conversation, with Councillor Nick Adey noting that considering the nature of the development and the interest that has been expressed towards it, that perhaps an alternative venue other than the City Hall chamber may be required towards addressing any potential interest in the development.
"I guess given the number of signatures they've got attached to either of the two petitions. I'm just wondering whether there is a thought to possibly thinking of an alternative location given the degree of interest.
I mean I don't know if it will or not, but it seems to me that it's possible that it would. Should we be prepared to think of a different location for that meeting" -- Councillor Nick Adey
That was a theme that Mr. Buchan from iPlan concurred with, noting that if Council believes that a crowd larger crowd than what City Hall can hold was anticipated, then they should address that topic now.
That feedback was enough for Mayor Brain to instruct staff to explore alternate venue opportunities for the Public Hearing for the proposed development.
It was not clear On Monday night if the Public Hearing would still take place on a City Council Night, or if it will be a separate event; City staff advised that the advertising for the Public Hearing would be provided to the local newspaper with enough time for the required two notices for the public.
Council provided for first and second reading on the night, with the date and location of the Public Hearing to be confirmed by that point.
You can review the full discussion among the Council members from the City's Video Archive starting at the 42 minute mark.
The proposed modular hotel set for a parcel of land along Park Avenue found no resistance from the public at Monday's Public Hearing, the session taking but eight minutes with no members of the public coming forward to express any concerns related to the 3 storey, 60 unit hotel development.
Prior to the proceedings getting underway, Councillor Gurvinder Randhawa recused himself, owing to a conflict related to the property location for the proposal.
The Hearing began with a short overview of the process from the city's contract planner at iPlan Rob Buchan, who outlined the elements of rezoning request and the nature of the covenant to ensure that only a hotel can be developed on the land in question.
Along with Mr. Buchan's contribution, the proponents of the development made a short observation on the process, though they noted that they had nothing new to update the public on from their last appearance at City Council.
With the preamble to the Public hearing complete, Mayor Lee Brain provided some direction for the public towards their opportunity to participate, though once the call to make submission was offered, no one chose to speak to the rezoning request at the session.
That led to an adjournment of the Public Hearing after eight minutes, with the topic of the rezoning request coming back to Council as part of the Regular Session.
When they picked up on the topic later the evening as part of the Regular Council session, the discussion was brief with Council noting of the covenant in place to ensure that the use of the land remains that of the hotel development, with the councillors noting of their commitment to the new Official Community Plan and the desire to restrict commercial development in the downtown core area.
Councillor Adey made inquiries of the contract planner related to past concerns over Fire Department access to the location. Mr. Buchan noted that those concerns were related to a previous version of the proposed site plan, adding that as a development permit process would move forward he would confirm with the Fire department that the site plan is acceptable and within code.
The Mayor also asked for a review of the process ahead following the third reading of the night.
Mr. Buchan noted that the bylaw now needs to be forwarded to the Ministry of Highways for review and their signature, as well the next month will allow for the city to finalize the details of the covenant with the proponent, which puts the the target date for final approval from council for the August 23rd session.
As well Council members were reminded that now that the Public Hearing process has concluded that they cannot discuss the project in the community or with the applicant.
For a final thought, Councillor Mirau returned to the rezoning of a proposal outside of the downtown core for a commercial purpose and noted how the covenant in place will ensure the city's commitment to main objective of development in that core area holds.
You can review the two elements of the night's work from the City's Video Archive, first through the Public Hearing session which is found at the start of the Video presentation for the night.
The process of moving the proposal ahead then took place during the Regular Council session, that discussion took place at the 36 minute mark.
More notes related to the Monday night session can be explored from our Council Timeline Feature.
City Council had a full list on the to do list Monday, with a Public Hearing, Committee of the Whole session and Regular Council session all taking place on the night
A public hearing, some forward momentum for two high profile developments and some new honourees for civic awards made for some of the focus on the evening as Prince Rupert Council hosted their only session for July on Monday evening.
Also of note for the night was a presentation from a representative from Ecotrust Canada, speaking on the theme of community energy initiatives and a request for letters of support and funding towards a local feasibility study.
The May variance report from CFO Corinne Bomben was also on the agenda, with some focus directed towards the financials for the Airport Ferry to the month of May included.
The night ended with Questions and Comments from Councillors Adey and Cunningham, with Councillor Adey relaying a number of comments from the public related to the city's recent launch of a new garbage and recycling program.
Further information from our overview and placement in the video archive can be found below, with the permanent record of the council minutes added as they are posted to the city website.
In attendance Monday, July 26, 2021
Mayor Lee Brain -- Present Councillor Nick Adey -- Present Councillor Barry Cunningham -- Present Councillor Blair Mirau -- Present Councillor Reid Skelton-Morven -- Present Councillor Wade Niesh -- Present Councillor Gurvinder Randhawa -- Present
( 0:00 -- 7:45 )The City Council hosted a Public Hearing into a proposed modular hotel facility for a parcel of land on Park Avenue. The session was a short one, with no members of the public coming forward to comment on the proposed development.
( 7:45 - 8:30) Committee of the Whole Session for Monday, July 26, 2021 -- Mayor Lee Brain called the session to order, adopting past minutes and the Agenda for the session underway,
(8:30 -- 23:00) Presentation from Graham Anderson from Eco-Trust Canada --
Mr. Anderson provided a short overview of the work of Ecotrust on themes of community energy initiatives, noting as to how Prince Rupert would be a good fit for the Home Energy Retrofit program, something which addresses the issue of Energy Poverty.
As he explained it to council Energy Poverty finds households having to allocate larger than typical of their household income on energy needs and is propelled by three drivers: low household income, high energy prices and low energy efficiencies in their homes.
Towards a solution he outlined how a program to deliver Heat Pump opportunities with partner communities has been well received in recent years, noting of their success on Vancouver island and in Bella Bella, noting how the program would be one worth exploring in the Prince Rupert area.
The Ecotrust staffer observed how the situation in Prince Rupert is one which is the strongest opportunity for a Heat Pump solution in the country; noting of the high cost of energy, the age of the housing stock and how the climate aids the operational aspects of a heat Pump.
Towards moving forward he identified a couple of obstacles currently in place, the first was access to funding and financing, as well as the access to an energy auditor which is a requirement of the program, with the closest one in the North based out of Prince George.
He also observed as to some of the lack of awareness in the region towards the opportunities that a Heat Pump solution could offer.
Towards building up that knowledge, Mr. Anderson noted of a desire to create a locally financed feasibility study to undertake such a program,; as well as to develop some capacity locally to allow for local residents to have access to the program available in the community.
The local organization would also like to build a program of local promotion and coordination to help move the initiative forward in the North Coast region.
As part of their efforts, Ecotrust is making a request of the City for letters of support and matching financial support of 7,500 dollars, the latter to be used in 2022 towards furthering their initiative in the community.
Mr. Anderson also observed as to how the Ecotrust plans had a strong connection with the City's Sustainable City 2030 plan that the city has developed towards replacing fossil fuels.
In follow questions and comments, Councillor Niesh observed of some of the challenges locally in finding contractors at the moment to provide for the installation process of the Heat Pumps and how if the program is to be effective they may need someone locally in place to assist in the installation process.
Councillor Randhawa followed up by asking for some costing on the proposal, the reply was that the cost. was anywhere from 5,000 to 18,000 dollars, with rebates available towards $8,500 depending on the scope of the project.
Councillor Adey expressed his enthusiasm for their proposal and how it addresses climate based issues in the community, he then asked for some additional background on the request for the $7,500 in funding from the city.
Mr. Anderson outlined how that would represent ten percent of a contribution which is the required amount from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities which is the lead organization for the funding project in order to move forward with a feasibility study.
Following that study, the opportunity to access larger levels of funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalies would be something that a local based plan could take advantage of.
Councillor Cunningham offered up some observations on a recent installation that he had knowledge and noted that some of the cost may still be somewhat prohibitive for many residents in the community.
In reply, Mr. Anderson noted of some areas where prioritization of the program could be beneficial and for some households it may make more sense for those planning to replace their entire furnace and heating system.
Mayor Brain asked about the request for 7,500 dollars for the feasibility study and what kind of timeline is required, particularly towards when the City funding would be needed, Mr. Anderson noted that it would be part of their plans for moving forward in 2022.
The Mayor observed how that would be helpful towards the city's budgeting, he then thanked Mr. Anderson for his presentation.
Council would review the request for the funding later on in the evening.
( 23:30 -- 27:30) Comments from the Public
The first participant, Larry Golden, made inquiries related to the City's new garbage collection and recycling program, asking about the cost and what budget the money was taken from, as well he had questions related to what happens to the recycling material once it is collected from local homeowners.
Mayor Brain noted that the program had been funded through Gas Tax revenues and a small part, 20 dollars taken from the 2022 utility bills.
As for the recycling themes, Mr. Golden was advised by the city's Manager of Operations Richard Pucci, that once the program starts in the fall it will be collected at curb-side and taken to the Regional District facility, he observed that the officials at the facility then decide on what happens to the material from that point.
Mr. Pucci did note that he would inquire further on what happens to the recycled items once at the Recycling Centre and follow up on Mr. Golden's themes.
A second person wished to speak towards the Public Hearing on the proposed Park Avenue hotel development, however the Mayor advised the according to municipal regulations council can no longer discuss the issue once the Public Hearing has come to a conclusion.
Council then adjourned to the Regular Session for the night.
( 27:30 -- 28:30) Regular City Council Session for Monday, June 28, 2021 -- Mayor Lee Brain called the session to order, adopting past minutes and the Agenda for the session.
(28:30-- 33:00) Report from iPlan related to proposed Telus Cellular tower location -- The city's contract planner from iPlan provided council with some background related to the city's concerns over a proposed placement of a cellular communication tower for Telus in the community, with Rob Buchan outlining how the chose location by the telecommunication company is not one that the City is enthused about.
Telus has indicated it prefers a site near the BC Hydro location with Telus having reconfigured the height of their proposed tower following past discussion with the city.
However, that site is one. which the city suggests is still not a preferred location according to its policies, with the City offering up a location adjacent to the industrial site towards its preference for the tower location.
The report sought the guidance of Council as to what steps they wish to move forward with towards the issue.
In his comments, the city planner noted that the topic has been a long running one, with Mr. Pucci working on it prior to Mr. Buchan's engagement and that a number of alternative options had been suggested to Telus.
He further outlined that Telus has been asked to identify an area that would work for them to their specifications, but as yet has not received any information from the company.
Though he observed how the communication company still seems inclined towards its original choice.
Mr. Buchan noted how the city considers the Telus choice one which considering the sensitivity of its location in the Gateway area of the city is of concern, adding that Council may wish to weigh in on the issue now and advise Telus of its thoughts on the site in question, while offering to continue working with the company to find a location that would work for them.
Towards that theme, Councillor Niesh suggested that the City advise Telus that they would refuse this location and continue to work with Telus towards the areas that the city has given them.
Councillor Adey made an inquiry of staff towards the Telus preference and if the city was aware of any technical reasons for that selection, Mr. Buchan advised he could not offer any comment on that as it is not in the city skill set, though he did observe that other communication providers do have service in the community without that location, so it's not clear to city staff why that wouldn't work for Telus as well.
Councillor Mirau concurred with Councillor Niesh's themes noting that there is no need to go to public notification for something that council wouldn't support. in the first place. He then suggested that it makes more sense for Council to try to find a location that works best for both parties and move forward from there.
Council then carried their motion.
( 33:00)-- 34:00 ) Report from CFO Corinne Bomben presenting the May 2021 Financial Variance Report -- Ms. Bomben provided some details on the results of the May variance and noted of some of the impact of reduced flights on the Airport Ferry. On that theme she noted how some of those issues can be offset by the use of the province's COVID 19 restart program.
Councillor Cunningham had one question following the report asking if the COVID restart money could be used for other departments, such as the Recreation Department. Ms. Bomben noted that the program is provided towards impacts that COVID has had on civic operations and as of yet those are not known until after they have experienced them.
( 34:00 -- 35:00 ) Report from the Corporate Administrator releasing an announcement from the Closed Session of Council on June 28th -- Ms. Rosa Miller announced that the City has posthumously awarded the Freedom of the City Award to Dr. Frank Parnell and that the Civic Appreciation Award be awarded to Ms. Margaret Lester Lorette.
Mayor Brain observed that normally those awards are presented on Canada Day, with the City to perhaps invite the families to a future City Council session.
( 35:00 -- 36:00 ) Report from the Corporate Administrator providing some background to a request for a letter of support and some funding from the City towards an initiative on home energy from Ecotrust Canada -- Ms. Rosa Miller outlined the theme of the letter request, as well as to the request for $7,500 in funding an in kind support towards a study into community energy opportunities in the community.
The Mayor observed how he believes the initiative is a great process to undertake and how it would be good for the community.
Council then voted to adopt the motion.
( 36:00 -- 42:00) Report from iPlan, Mr. Robert Buchan provided a short overview of the rezoning request for a property on Park Avenue related to a proposed modular hotel. -- Prior to the discussion, Councillor Randhawa excused himself owing to a conflict.
As for the topic, with the public hearing having concluded earlier in the night and with no public comment received, Council made quick work of the third reading for the rezoning request.
As part of the short discussion the mayor asked for some further background on the nature of the covenant on the land in question to ensure it is only used for a hotel development. Mr. Buchan provided the timeline for that covenant as part of the rezoning process.
( 42:00 -- 47:30) Report from iPlan, Mr. Robert Buchan provided a short review of the process ahead towards the proposed apartment complex along 11th Avenue East --
The contract planner from iPlan provided an update on the progress forward towards the application for development of an apartment complex along the 11th Avenue East corridor at Edwards Avenue.
Councillor Mirau opened the conversation on the topic noting how the proposed development is on the topic of the need for more housing in the community, with the Councillor observing as to the urgency the issue has provided to the rental market.
He also acknowledged the scope of the interest in the community and the neighbourhood towards the project, calling attention to some of the past issues on parking and traffic and how it has been addressed as part of the latest information on the proposed development.
As part of the process, the topic now will move to the Public Hearing stage, with the mayor indicating his preference for it to take place on the same date as a Regular Council session.
Councillor Cunningham also noted of some of the controversy that the project has generated and noted how transparency is a key element towards the proposal and how its moving forward.
The prospect of the public hearing provided for some further conversation, with Councillor Nick Adey noting that considering the nature of the development and the interest that has been expressed towards it, that perhaps an alternative venue other than the City Hall chamber may be required towards addressing any potential interest in the development.
That was a theme that Mr. Buchan from iPlan concurred with, noting that if Council believes that a crowd larger crowd than what City Hall can hold was anticipated, then they should address that topic now.
That feedback was enough for Mayor Brain to instruct staff to explore alternate venue opportunities for the Public Hearing for the proposed development.
It was not clear On Monday night if the Public Hearing would still take place on a City Council Night, or if it will be a separate event; City staff advised that the advertising for the Public Hearing would be provided to the local newspaper with enough time for the required two notices.
The date and location of the Public Hearing to be confirmed by that point.
( 47:30 -- 50:25 ) Report from the Corporate Administrator on amendments to the City's Recreation Fees bylaws -- Councillor Cunningham led off a short conversation on the fees assessed to mobile food vendors for space at the Civic Centre Parking lot, with the Councillor noting how the current fees are making for a situation for potential vendors to decide not to set up at the parking lot as they don't make enough money from the current arrangement.
City Council voted to approve the new Recreation Fees as previously noted, not wishing to have to return to a new process of approval.
It was noted that if the parking lot fees prove to be a problem or limit participation then an amendment could be considered at a future date.
( 50:25 -- 54:57 ) Questions, Comments, Reports or Inquiries from Council
Councillor Adey led off the comment period, taking up the theme of the City's recycling program which he observed was a giant step forward, though he did relay some comments from the public over the size of the city supplied garbage cans and asking for some clarity from city staff as to the policies in place towards additional garbage need.
Mr. Pucci spoke to the topic, noting that city staff is considering a program for those residents who have more garbage that one container can hold, a proposal which would see those residents purchase a second bin from the City, and as time goes on they can return the bin to the city and the charge will be taken off.
The Manager of Operations further explained how the idea is one that notes at the that time residents may need the additional bin and they can use the second bin for as many number of years as they wish, but as time goes on they may find that they no longer require that additional capacity and how their service would return to the city's standard service.
Mr. Adey observed how he and his household had explored ways to adjust their footprint, however he also raised the topic of how there needs to be a level playing field for those living at home alone and for larger families.
In reply, Mr. Pucci outlined how staff would be coming back to Council shortly with something for a review for the program re-roll out, observing of the net positive that the new program offers, outlining how the amount of airspace within the two bins make for a more positive process, as well as to how the city no longer has a bag limit in place anymore.
He further noted how residents can drop as many bags as they like in the new city black bins which makes use of a dumping mechanism and can thus have more loosely put in and compacted garbage placed into the city supplied cans.
Councillor Adey once again reinforced his enthusiasm for the new program and was relaying questions that he had heard.
Councillor Adey called attention to some recent events, paying tribute to the Prince Rupert Ladies Soccer club's success at a Kitimat tournament where they went undefeated.
He also noted of the success of the recent North Coast Community Service fishing derby which raised 15,000 dollars with that money to be directed towards child care centre and development of a
child care development centre in their facility.
And with that the July 26th session came to an end.
You can access our Council Session Archive page, where a number of items regarding the Council session, including links to local media coverage can also be found.
As always, our Council Timeline is only a reflection of our observations from the Council Session of the night. Be sure to consult with the official minutes from the City, when posted to their website for further review.
Official minutes of the Regular Council Session from July 26th, 2021
(not available yet)
The next scheduled Regular Council session as part of their reduced summer schedule will take place on Monday, August 23rd.
