An evening of Haunting ahead for the streets of Prince Rupert and the Civic Centre

Prince Rupert's HalloweenFest is almost ready to open the doors
to the 25th Annual Community celebration

It's been a day for dress up from the Schools to City Hall, for businesses and their staff and now the night is turned over to the youngest of ghosts and goblins running into their teens.

Beyond the traditional door to door trick or treating, there is the Community Celebration at the Civic Centre set for its 6:00 PM start, the night coming to a conclusion with a Halloween Fest Fire works Show.

Best vantage point for the pyrotechnics display will be from the Civic Centre parking lot area, with the show using Mount Hays as its backdrop for the bursts of light and noise.

The night of Fun at the Civic Centre brought together by the volunteers for HalloweeFest and the suponser who have supported it listed above.

More notes on community events can be reviewed from our archive page.

BC Government introduces new payment model for doctors

It's been a busy day of clearing some outstanding labour issues for the incoming Premier Designate David Eby.

Earlier today we noted of some progress on Education, that with an announcement of an agreement with the BCTF quickly followed by one for the health sector.

That as Health Minister Adrian Dix introduced some changes ahead towards how the province pays medical professionals, a new payment model that the government is hopeful will retain doctors, as well as to help reduce the backlog of patients seeking family physicians.

As part of today's announcement outgoing Premier John Horgan noted of the work taken on with the Doctors of BC to reach a solution to the long running issues towards compensation.

“We know how important family doctors are in B.C., Rising costs, pandemic-related pressures and staffing shortages required action for doctors on several fronts. Working with the Doctors of BC, I am pleased that we have come up with a new payment model that makes B.C. a province that attracts, retains and supports family doctors, and ensures they can focus on what matters most – providing care to patients when they need it.”

There are two elements to the announcement from this morning, the first an outline of the scope of the Master Agreement.

That was followed by some background towards the new Full service family doctor payment model that the province will put in place by February of 2023.

Health Minister Adrian Dix, spoke of commitment and takin action towards the health care system coming out of the agreement.

“In January, as our B.C. pandemic entered a new phase, we said it was time to renew, rebuild and strengthen our health-care system. And the actions we’ve been taking, including the new payment model, come from working so closely with Doctors of BC and BC Family Doctors to find solutions that strengthen our health-care system, that renew its essential function, and that build on our support for doctors and the patients who count on them. Today is about commitment, action, and collaboration, and all they make possible in our health-care system.”

The Doctors of BC have provided for this backgrounder for their membership.

The full press conference introducing. the new agreement can be reviewed below:

The Province's statement and links to more background on the agreement can be reviewed here.

More notes on health care in the Northwest can be explored through our archive page.

Significant pay bump on the way for BC Teachers, if contract agreement is ratified

Public school teachers in Prince Rupert and across BC are on the
cusp of a new three year labour deal according to the BCTF

There seemingly be labour peace in the education sector for the next three years, with the BC Government and BCTF coming to terms on a deal that the teachers' union says will make for some significant pay gains for British Columbia teachers, taking them to the top of the national pay scale.

The BCTF advised its members today of the success at the bargaining table, breaking down the deal further through a social media thread that provides some key elements of the labour agreement.

Towards the salary advances, the BCTF notes By the end of the three-year agreement, new members’ annual salary will be approximately $6,000 to $8,500 per year higher than it is now. 

For those teachers at the top of their grids, the annual salary will be $10,000 to $13,500 more per year than it is now by the 3rd year. 

Something the BCTF notes will  see its members get close to, or even exceed, teachers in places like Calgary and Toronto. An element that the BCT notes is critical for recruitment and retention. 

So far the Ministry of Education has not issued any comment related to the weekend agreement, the BCTF is holding its ratification vote in mid November.

Should they offer up some background to the conversation, we'll add it to the story as it arrives.

***********************************Update******************************

The BC Government provided a short information  update on the agreement reached with the BCTF, noting how it fall sunder the Government's Shared Recovery mandate.

More notes from the Legislature can be explored here.

A wider overview of education in the Northwest can be found from our archive page.

Joy Thorkelson interview for BC Labour Heritage Centre one of a number of features on Prince Rupert labour history now available for viewing

Former UFAWU President and Prince Rupert City Councillor
Joy Thorkelson is featured in two video presentations by
the BC Labour Heritage Centre

A short note on the UFAWU-Unifor Social media feed last week, offers up a lead for those with an interest in local history to pair of rather extensive interviews with Joy Thorkelson, the long serving union rep and former president of the union, as well as a former city councillor in Prince Rupert.

There are two,  hour long plus interviews  that make for the history trip into the city's past, you can review them from this link to the BC Labour Heritage Centre. 

The interviews for the project date back to 2019, and were conducted by Rod Mickleburgh and Donna Sacuta and they recount some pivotal moments in Prince Rupert labour history, along with some of the key moments from Ms. Thorkelson's time as City Councillor.

The first of the hours explores her arrival in Prince Rupert and some of the key moments on the waterfront in the early 70's through the 90's with the focus then shifting to what propelled her to City Council.

That portion of the interview takes us the the days of the Port Expansion and how Thorkelson felt that Council needed some representation from someone from the fishing sector to keep the discussion on the struggles there.

As that part of the first of the two sessions, Ms. Thorkelson observes how her focus while on council was to be the one who spoke for the working class and those at the lower end of the social spectrum who were being ignored and marginalized.

She also speaks of her advocacy in 2005 as housing was beginning to become a key issue for the community; with the costs increasing and stock declining. 

Some foreshadowing then, towards housing concerns that still resonate to this day.

The second hour returns to the state of the Fishery and some of the changes of corporate agendas and government oversight of the fishery of the past that led to where the industry is at today.

The interview with Joy Thorkelson is just one of a number of presentations to review as part of an evolving library of Prince Rupert  labour related video presentations to be added to their work in recent months.

Included in the listings, the. 1919 Prince Rupert General Strike, the organization work of Mary LaPlante and the reminiscences of the fishing industry by Arnie Nagy.

You can explore those themes here.

More notes on items of interest on the labour scene in Prince Rupert can be explored through our archive page.

Time to shift into winter driving mindset, with slushy conditions reported between Prince Rupert and Port Edward

A quick glance up at Mount Hays shows that winter is fast a coming, and this morning finds the first of some road advisories for the region, with reports of slushy conditions for motorists along Highway 16 heading out of Prince Rupert towards the Port Edward area.

 

For those travelling further east, Drive BC reports slippery sections between Prince Rupert and Terrace, with snow and compact snow making for advisories for communities to the east of Houston to Prince George. 

You can review those advisories from the Drive BC website here.

Should there be any significant incidents to relay to motorists you will find them from the Drive BC NW social media feed.

You can find some helpful suggestions towards Winer Driving requirements from the TranBC Shift to Winter page here.

Notes on transportation along Highway 16 and its feeder routes across the Northwest can be explored from our archive page.

Fewer local news items for TV7 after recent departures

All's quiet around the TV7 newsroom in 
Prince Rupert following the departure of former
Bell Media North reporter Eddie Huband

If you're a follower of CFTK TV7 in the Northwest you probably have noticed a decline in the number of local features and interviews, particularly from the Prince Rupert outpost, that after a string of departures for the regional Bell Media broadcast outlet.

screen shot from CFTK TV

For the most part TV7 anchor Brandon Cassidy appears to be the news department at the moment, holding onto his newscast duties and for the most part doing voice overs on stock video footage from the North Coast and other locales.

screen shot from CFTK TV

The exodus from the Terrace station began in August, when news director Hannah Schmidt departed for new adventures in Ontario, currently as a reporter with CTV News and Bell Media in Kitchener.

Heading further east in the early fall was Zack Power, who now works the news beat with Global TV in Saint John New Brunswick.

screen shot from CFTK TV

The most recent departure came in the last few weeks, when Eddie Huband who joined the TV7 staff in May and worked out of the Atlin Terminal studios of Bell Media, covering Prince Rupert stories, took his leave for anchoring duties at CKPG in Prince George.

For those with a satellite TV package, if you look through your listings you may be able to find their work on live feeds from each community, or through the websites for each TV station noted in red above.

As for the local news beat, so far there's no indication from Bell Media North in Terrace as to when they may be back up to full staffing for their positions and once again able to provide a bit more in depth coverage to the items of note from the Prince Rupert area.

At the moment their Career page is still seeking a News Director and  Video Journalist for the Terrace station.

For more items of interest from the local media scene see our archive page here.

CN Waterfront Station project work is moving along

 

The City's remaking of the old CN Waterfront Station into the new home for the Wheelhouse Brewing Company continues on with its steady construction pace.

We took advantage of a sunny day last week to check out the site, which proved to have a busy pace of work on the inside as workers take to their tasks after the gutting of the interior.

The Waterfront station project didn't make the list this time around for Operations Director Richard Pucci's Major project update this month.

However, the project was one of the items of note from the recent Farewell to Council by outgoing Councillor Blair Mirau who observed of the waterfront projects which will create waterfront amenities for the Community.

Originally the timeline for the project was marked for a fall move for the Wheelhouse, that move in date has since been extended to sometime early in 2023.

You can review some of the past history to the project through our Waterfront Project Archive page.

Real Estate Tracker: Week ending October 29, 2022

There was no change to our list of ten this past week, that as the market shifts into the fall season, a period which usually finds the listings starting to slow.

The tour of our top end remains at two for those currently atop the count in the million dollar plus mark this week,  The remainder of the week's listings are in the $799 - 900 thousand dollar mark.

The distribution of our list of ten finds  and six properties on the west side, four to the east of the McBride Street divide.

The real estate review below is purely a snapshot for information purposes and reflective of our weekly check on Sunday evening. 

Properties can ebb and flow from the listings through the week,  for further background on the properties recorded, see our links pages for access to the individual real estate listings, to consult them on a daily basis.

The Archive for our weekly review can be found here.   

Our list of the top ten priced homes for the week ending October 29, 2022 can be explored below:

Real Estate Listings for the West Side of Prince Rupert 
for the week ending October 29

Real Estate Listings for the East Side of Prince Rupert 
for the week ending October 29

The lowest mark for the review of the week is at $799,000  while our top end is marked  at the price point of   $1,295.000 

Total value of the listings for our ten this week is noted at $9,113,000

Below find our findings as of the Week ending  October 29, 2022

160  Van Arsdol Street                   $1,295,000 --   Remax

520 West 5th Avenue                     $1,200,000 --   Remax

1042 Edward Avenue                     $899,000  --     Realty Executives

535 East 4th Avenue                       $875,000 --     Remax

239 Heron Road                             $829,000 --      Realty Executives

128 Eagle Close                             $819,000 --      Remax 

1527 Atlin Avenue                         $799,000 --       Remax

1125 Summit Avenue                     $799,000 --      Remax 
197 Vanarsdol Street                      $799,000 --       Remax          

1531 Atlin Avenue                         $799,000 --       Remax     

Last week the Northern BC Real Estate Board released the third quarter statistics for home sales across Northwest BC you can review their findings here.

For more items related to Real Estate see our archive page here. 

For background on Housing issues in the Prince Rupert area see our past items here. 

Prince Rupert RCMP WANTED post gains wide attention on Social Media and beyond

Both the Likes and Followers count for the
Prince Rupert RCMP Facebook page should see a
rise after a weekend of trending  heavily related to a Wanted posting

The most recent call for assistance from the Public by the Prince Rupert RCMP is gaining quite a bit of attention, that after the subject of their search, responded to the detachment's Facebook feed. 

A contribution that has generated not only attention to his at large status, but a fair bit of commentary.

As we outlined on Thursday, the local detachment issued their Public Safety Notice to find the whereabouts of Cameron James Low, who it is thought may be in the Prince Rupert area.

The Mounties posting the notice to their local Facebook stream on Thursday, which is when Low decided to join in on the conversation asking a question as to why they have a Social media page.

The discussion so far has also called into question what apparently is a generous estimation of the subject's height, another area where the local constabulary is more than willing to verify, if Mr. Low were to drop by for a measurement.

The ongoing contributions to the discussion which you can review here, have made for a growing volume of views for the Prince Rupert detachment feed, though so far, it appears that the subject of the search has yet to turn himself in.

His days of freedom may be short however, such has been the trending nature of the Prince Rupert detachment's social media work; that the WANTED notice has gained some significant attention, with Global BC making note of it on Sunday morning.

Should you have information about his whereabouts, contact the Prince Rupert RCMP at 250-627-0700.

More notes of interest on the work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest can be explored from our archive page.

Blog Watching: Week ending October 30, 2022

Politics  dominated much of the week's most read items, with the last City Council session for the current membership arriving,  a gathering that provided for two of our five top items of the week.

Council's approval of plans to seek out grant funding for design work on the Second Avenue reconfiguration, along with the farewell comments for Council from Mayor Brain and Councillor Mirau caught the most attention from the Monday session,

Another civic item, that a tender call for some renovations on the Sherman GM facility on Portage Road also gained a larger readership.

A visit to the North Coast from NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also proved to be a widely read item.

And our stop by the construction site of the New Jehovah Witness Hall adjacent to the Civic Centre was also an item which delivered some strong readership over the last seven days.

From the weeks review however, the top item was our review of Council's approval to see out grant opportunities for a roads reconfiguration project for the city's main transportation artery through the downtown region.

Second Avenue Reconfiguration design plans to move forward; as Council approves quest for Grant funding -- There seemingly is much interest in the City's plans for Second Avenue, with our notes from Monday's Council session and our preview of the topic, both gaining large audiences this week.    (posted  October 26, 2022)

That article was followed by: 

City of Prince Rupert Opens Tender process for Public Works facility work on Chamberlain    -- Some forward momentum for the City's plans to move their Public Works facility to the Yellowed Centre, with the first tender document issued this week.   (posted October 27, 2022)

New Democrats set to gather  Friday in Prince Rupert for NDP fundraiser featuring Federal leader Jagmeet Singh   -- There was some curiosity towards the plans of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and MP Taylor Bachrach and their trip to Prince Rupert this week. The travelling duo had a change in plans following their Friday work in Prince Rupert, dropping plans for a trip to Haida Gwaii with a trip to Terrace instead added to the Travel agenda on Saturday.    (posted October 25 , 2022) .

 

New Jehovah Witness Hall moving along in construction. process   -- Readers must like to hear about projects making progress, our brief look at the status of the new Jehovah Witness fall at 9th Avenue West and McBride found a large audience this week.    (posted  October 24, 2022)

Praise for Council members and Staff, call to stay with 2030 Vision plans as Lee Brain bids farewell tl the Mayor's office --  With the final council session arriving for the current roster of Council members, Both the departing Mayor Lee Brain, and Councillor Blair Mirau had some parting thoughts for their colleagues on Monday.  (posted October 26, 2022) .

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.

A note for those that previously used our email alert delivery option, Blogger has discontinued that feature, so we direct you to our CharlesMHays Twitter feed, where we post updates to the blog as we post them.

Our archive of weekly Blog Watching can be found here.    

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

MLA's Week: October 24-27, 2022

British Columbians will have a new Premier by mid November, with the BC NDP Government having set November 18th for the transfer of Power from John Horgan to David Eby. 

The seemingly lengthy transfer process getting another nudge this week when the Lieutenant Governor asked Mr. Eby to form the next government following the soon to come departure of John Horgan.

NDP Premier Designate David Eby one step closer to taking oath of office following visit with Lieutenant Governor 

When he does take office the new Premier is going to find the Opposition ready to take him on with little in the way of a honeymoon period to enjoy.  

The BC Liberals and Green Party members warming up this week with a range of topics making for the narrative to come for the new Premier.  

The focus this week in the Legislature included opposition concerns towards Health Care to Housing and Crime 

The listings for the Northwest contingent featured participation from all three Northwest MLA's, with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Skeena MLA all part of the Legislature broadcasts as the week moved forward.

As for more on the recent week of work from the House, the four days unfolded as follows:

*************************************************************************

On the week, Ms Rice was mentioned twice  in the record for the week in the  Legislature from October 24-27.

Housing was the focus of some early discussion on Monday, with Ms. Rice speaking in support of government measures on rent control and also sharing some notes in the Legislature on some housing success in the Prince Rupert area.

North Coast MLA Speaks towards Rental increases and Prince Rupert housing initiatives in Legislature Session 

The North Coast MLA also provided her support towards the Provincial Government's new legislation of the Health Professions Act, that as part of debate on Wednesday.

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice shares strong support for Government's Health Professions Act in Legislature Debate 

Ms. Rice also spoke to a local Haida Gwaii issue through Social media this week, noting of some success when it comes to the addition of air service for the Masset region  

North Coast MLA/Skeena Bulkley Valley MP hail additional air service for Haida Gwaii

The North Coast MLA is also a member of the Following committees:

Select Committee on Children and Youth

Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs

Select Standing Committee on Education

Ms. Rice serves as the Government's Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness

The North Coast MLA also addressed a range of themes through her Social Media Stream.

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For our readers from the Terrace-Kitimat region, Skeena MLA Ellis Ross  was mentioned twice in the record for the week in the Legislature from October 24-27.

The Skeena MLA paid tribute to the work of the Kitimat Community Foundation during the Monday statements portion of the session, noting of their work and the success of the annual Aluminum City Telethon.

Skeena MLA Ellis ross pays tribute to Kitimat Foundation and Aluminum City Telethon with Legislature Statement

Mr. Ross also joined in on the  Tuesday debate on the Health Professionals Act, focusing some of his discussion of the health service the concerns of constituents in Skeena, as well as to how the BC NDP government consulted with First Nations towards the legislation

The MLA's Social media feed also notes of some of his work over the last week towards expanding BC's presence in the energy sector, with Mr. Ross meeting with German officials as well as appearing in a number of interviews towards the topic.

The Skeena MLA also used his social media platform to comment on the recent arson incident in the Smithers area, expressing his concern over the lack of consequences from previous incidents in other areas of the Northwest.

Mr. Ross serves as the Liberal critic on LNG and Energy

The Skeena MLA is also a member of the Following committees:

Select Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fish and Food 

The Skeena MLA also addressed a range of themes  featured as part of the MLA's social media work.

*****************************************************************************

For our readers from the Bulkley Valley area, Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen  was  mentioned twice  in the record for the week in the  Legislature from October 24-27.

The Stikine MLA also had comments of support for the Government's Health Protections Act, making for the third participant from the Northwest in the Tuesday debate on the topic.

Thursday, Mr. Cullen provided an update on the province's efforts and support towards Ukrainian Refugees as they begin to make their new lives in communities across the province.

Nathan Cullen updates Legislature on Ukrainian relief actions, as Prince Rupert prepares for local fundraising event in early November

As Mr. Ross, did, the Stikine MLA also used his Social media feed this week to comment and express concern over the recent incident of arson in Smithers.

The Stikine MLA is not currently assigned to any Parliamentary committees

Mr. Cullen serves as the Government's Minister of Municipal Affairs

The Stikine MLA also had comments on a range of themes through his Social Media stream this week

*****************************************************************************

There is more background on all three Regional MLA's available from our MLA's Week Archive,  as well as our constituency archives below. 

North Coast Constituency

Skeena Constituency

Stikine Constituency

MLA's return to the Legislature on Monday, October 31.

MLA's also participate in a number of Committee sessions scheduled through the week.

A larger overview of provincial issues can be found on our Political portal D'Arcy McGee 

Let the Haunting Begin ... Haunted Houses and a lot more on tap this weekend

Once the daylight fades today, the haunting starts as the
Gitmaxmak'ay Nisga'a Youth present their annual 
Haunted House at the Nisga'a Hall on Third Avenue West

With Halloween falling on a Monday this year, this weekend is a full on haunting experience with a number of activities set to spook and entertain through the lead up to the Big Night.

Things get off to haunting opening this evening with the annual Haunted House of the Nisga'a Hall. 

One of the popular stops for anyone on their Prince Rupert / Port Edward travels, with the youth of the Gitmaxmak'ay Society working hard over the last few weeks to try to top some of their past experiences.

A challenging task considering the success their Haunted Houses have had over the years.

The Doors Creak Open tonight at 6 with the ghouls, ghosts, goblins and more roaming the Hall through to 9PM. 

Funds raised from tonights Haunted House o towards the youth programs for the Gitmaxmak'ay Nisga'a Youth Group.

As we noted, tonight's Haunting is just the start of a busy three days and nights ahead.

Explore the events we have discovered through our listings page here.

City of Prince Rupert opens application period for two Volunteer Tourism Prince Rupert Board positions

The City of Prince Rupert is on a recruitment drive looking to fill Two Volunteer Directors positions with the Board of Tourism Prince Rupert, offering a chance to help to shape the future of tourism in the region.

The application period is open until November 18th at 4:30PM and as part of your application, you are asked to provide a written description of your skills and experience which are relevant towards the position.

As has been the case with many of the City's past Board opportunities, the City will consider applications with the following in mind:

The City appoints to our committees on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within our community. We especially welcome applications from visible minority group members, women, First Nations persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. 

Applications for the board positions are to be directed to Rosamaria Miller the City's Corporate Administrator, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 424 - 3rd Avenue West,  rosamaria.miller@princerupert.ca

If you require more information on the call for applicants contact the Corporate Administrator at 250-627-0934

The City's notice and the details towards the call for applicants can be reviewed here.

Those following the blog this week, will have noted of a number of summer season ending reports and updates on the Tourism sector, something that could give would be applicants a sense of some of the work for Tourism Prince Rupert.

You can review those notes and much more from our archive page here.

To keep up to date on developments and initiatives from Tourism Prince Rupert follow their social media feed here.

More more notes on past City of Prince Rupert calls for volunteers see our Council Discussion Archive page.

Rampage look to keep momentum strong as home date with Nechako arrives Saturday

After much of October on the road, the Prince Rupert Rampage
return to the Jim Saturday night looking to add to their 4-0 record so far

It's been a very successful start to the 2022-23 CIHL season for the Prince Rupert Rampage, the Rhinos finding success both at home and on the road, putting together a 4-0 record thus far with one more date on the calendar set for Saturday night.

The home side team is looking forward to a large and enthusiastic crowd on hand tomorrow night for their final home game of October, with the Nechako North Start in town, a mission in mind to not only bring an end to the undefeated streak of the Rampage, but perhaps to gain a bit back from a loss last week in Vanderhoof.

Last Saturday the Rhinos headed into the Nechako Valley and grabbed two points in convincing style, besting the North Stars by a score of 5-1, the victory marking the start of back to back wins for the weekend, the second half coming in a hard fought battle in Smithers on Sunday.

The Rhinos have spent a fair bit of October on the bus, so it's a welcome return to the frantic fans of the Jim on tap for Saturday night at 7 PM.

The visiting North Stars have struggled out of the gate for 2022-23 a roster violation rule costing them their only victory on the season in a match up with Smithers, that has left them with an 0-3 record on the year heading into tomorrow evening.

 

Players to watch for the visitors include Jim Silver, Tyrell Turgeon and Nolan Obriem the trio currently the top scorers for the North Starts.

On the Rampage side of the rink, Hunter Johnson, Jude Repole and Hunter Atchinson have had fast starts in the scoring parade for the first month of CIHL play.

The Rhinos head into the weekend at the top of the standings and offensive machine that has a league leading 23 goals and some strong defensive work that has seen but 8 opposition shots find the mark.

click to enlarge

The Preview page for tomorrow's game from the CIHL can be reviewed here. 

The Rampage/North Stars match up is one of five CIHL contests this weekend, as the league brings its first month to a wrap.

The North Stars will wrap up their tour of the North Coast with a Sunday contest in Terrace.

Tickets are available for Saturday[s match up at the door.  

With General Admission pricing at 10 dollars, Youth 5-12 get in for 5 dollars. Seniors 65 plus and Children under Five have free admission.

Doors open at 6 PM, the teams dig into the ice at 7 PM

As the Rampage prepare for Saturday's showdown with the North Stars, the team has announced their PRMHA Call up for the contest. 

Welcoming  Knox Knowlan to the lineup for the festivities tomorrow evening. 

More updates on the way to game time Saturday at 7PM at the Jim can be followed through Rampage Social media feed.

You can keep up with the Rampage results from our Schedule/Scoreboard page here.

More notes on the Rampage and the CIHL can be explored here.

New dining experience on tap for Prince Rupert residents to explore

The Pacific Inn on Third Avenue West has welcomed 
a new restaurateur to the community with Terrace based
Sonbada's taking up the restaurant area on the main floor

Prince Rupert residents can now check out a the fare of a popular Terrace dining establishment, with Sonbadas Steak House opening up a restaurant in the city, taking over the main floor space in the Pacific Inn on Third Avenue West.

The opening for the newest dining experience came this week as they relayed their launch through their social media page.

Should they follow the same menu offerings as their Terrace location, Prince Rupert diners are in store for a bounty of Greek, Mediteranean and Steak options for their night out planning.

So far it's been a warm welcome for the newest dining location, with replies to their introductory post to Prince Rupert gaining some appreciation for their choice to come to Prince Rupert, as well as for some residents from points to make some plans to travel to the city to stop in as well.

You can follow updates from the restaurant through their Social Media page.

More notes on the city's commercial sector can be reviewed through our archive page.

Detour in place for westbound travellers at McBride and Third Avenue West

Motorists travelling along Third Avenue west or turning from McBride
are facing a detour today for the busy corridor road

See update at bottom of story

Only recently returned to offer a left turn, travel westbound on Third Avenue West is currently being re-routed around the corner at McBride owing to a road closure. 

The westbound lane for traffic has. been closed for much of the day in the block where Northern Savings Credit Union is located. 

The Closure is also impacting on those travellers coming from the Cow Bay Area.

So far the City of Prince Rupert  has not advised as to the nature of the road closure, or for how long the traffic restrictions will be in place.

The left turn option from McBride had been eliminated for much of the summer during the waterline and road reconstruction work which wrapped up earlier this month.

Update: Monday afternoon the City provide an update on the work taking place in the area, noting that it was related to work on a fire hydrant.

More notes on Operations for the City can be reviewed from our archive page here.

Swimmers set to make big splash in Earl Mah Aquatic Centre Swim meet this weekend

It's a busy weekend ahead for the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre
as the Rupert Rapids host an invitational swim meet

Prince Rupert's Rapids will be welcoming swimmers from across the province this weekend as the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre plays host to the BC Martine Employer's Association Invitational Swim Meet.

The event makes for one of the big events on the northwest swim calendar this year as the swim season moves into the heart of their fall and winter schedule.

Club records and provincial marks make for some of the focus for the three day event which hits the water at 4:30 today will carry on through the weekend wrapping up on Sunday.

Competitors will be taking part in a number of categories for those from ages five to nineteen years.

The schedule of events for the busy three days looks as follows:

Additional notes on the event can be accessed here.

You can follow the Prince Rupert Amateur Swim Club's Social media feed for updates from the pool as the weekend moves forward.

With the swim meet, the City of Prince Rupert has advised of the Temporary closure of the facility for public swimming  during the course of the event.

More notes on swimming and aquatics in the Northwest can be explored from our archive page.