Airport Ferry and Recreation facility usage and revenues up; Watson revenues down in June Financial report

As part of Monday's Regular Council session, Ms. Corinne Bomben, the City's Financial Officer provided a review of the financial picture as recorded in June.

From her notes, she highlighted a number of positive trends to report.

With usage of the Airport and Airport Ferry increasing and with it providing for a positive impact on the revenue stream from the Airport Ferry, with an increase in revenue of 40,000 dollars owing to the improving passenger numbers.

As well, compared to numbers from 2013, she advised that use of Recreation Facilities at the Civic Centre and Earl Mah Aquatic Centre have increased, providing an additional 40,000 dollars in revenue from the facilities.

However, she did advise as to the ongoing nature of declining revenues from the 9-1-1 service, as more residents migrate away from land based lines to mobile devices, a situation that is one of concern for many communities across the province.

On the topic of Watson Island, her report to Council provided details on the decrease of revenues by some 475,000 dollars at the site in the wake of the expiration of the exclusivity agreement with WATCO.

She outlined that the city continues to work towards finding a way to offset those decreases through it's current efforts related to the industrial site.

For those looking for progress on capital projects in 2014, she had positive news, with all capital purchases and work projects for the summer of 2014 currently underway.

You can review her presentation to council from the City's Video Archive, her overview of the June report can be found at the 1 hour 20 minute mark, it runs approximately three minutes.

For more items of interest on developments at City Council see our Archive page.

Mr. Krekic's DPA proposal heads back to the shelf

The plan of City Planner Zeno Krekic to bring the Fraser Street area into the Downtown Permit Development Area was brought to a sudden halt on Monday evening, as Council engaged in a wide ranging discussion on the proposal and the impact that it many have on some of the property owners and businesses operating on the street.

The discussion came following a public hearing into the proposal prior to the Regular Council session, at that public forum a number of interested observers from the area provide their review of the proposal, which for the most part was a negative reaction to the plan.

As Councillor Thorkelson is involved with Fisherman's Hall, she excused herself from the conversation, leaving the discussion on the topic to the remaining councillors in attendance for the topic.

From the public participation aspect of the evening, Jim West and a representative of the Fisherman's Hall provided a fairly enthusiastic rebuttal of the proposal, highlighting the current state of repair of the roads, sidewalks and utilities of the area, as well as concerns over maintenance of city space in the area and snow removal issues to name a few.

Mr. West for his part outlined that had the city provided the long promised repairs to Fraser Street of the past, he might have been more inclined to support their plan at this time. Suggesting that should the city follow through on the plans for redevelopment, he could be swayed towards the proposed
amendment.

The public hearing portion of the review came to an end after 51 minutes of discussion among Council members and those from the public that participated in the hearing.

When the process returned for Council's consideration later in the Regular session, Councillor Thorkelson again excused herself, while those others in opposition to the project began to make their points regarding the proposed amendment.

The cause of Mr. West, Fisherman's Hall and other business operators in the area was taken up by Councillors Cunningham, Kinney and Ashley, who all spoke to the need to address some of the concerns of the non-profit organizations that make up that portion of the area.

Only Councillor Garon appeared to hold to the original theme of the proposal from Mr. Krekic, that the amendment was designed to address an oversight of the past. One which had left Fraser Street outside of the DPA zone, she observed that Mr. Krekic's plan would bring the Fraser Street area into the guidelines that the city was trying to introduce regarding consistency in the downtown area.

As the conversation continued it became rather clear that the proposal was not going to find any traction with Council, with Councillor Cunningham in particular returning time and time again to the prospect of un-necessary potential burdens for some of the non-profit groups of the block.

The Mayor provided perhaps the final declaration on the issue, advising that he was also going to vote against the amendment to move the area into the DPA at this time. Highlighting the need for a wide range of improvements to Fraser Street before council should consider moving that street into the Development area requirements.

He suggested that the prospect would have a better reception from area residents and stand a better chance of approval in fourteen months or so, once the required repairs to street, sidewalk and utilities were started and completed.

As a closing comment on the theme of the DPA proposal, Councillor Ashley thanked Mr. Krekic for his work on the file and hoped he would not take the opposition to the amendment personally.

With that a majority of council members voted against the amendment.

You can review the discussion on the theme from our City Council Timeline and view the process from the City's Video Archive, the public hearing portion runs from the 6 minute mark to the 51 minute mark.

Council's deliberations from the Regular Council Session run from the 2 hour 8 minute mark to the 2 hour 29  minute mark.

Fore more items on City Council developments see our archive page.

With Northwest Transmission Line now live, Northwest development proposals may spring to life

Considering the high profile that BC Hydro gave to the project when they first announced it and as progress was made in its construction, the turning of the switch that activated the Northwest Transmission Line appears to have come and gone with little in the way of public celebration.

The word that the NTL was now active came through a press release last week, the notice of the energizing of the transmission line, mentioned almost in passing as part of an information package for Prince Rupert Council.

The project started up in January of 2012 and features 1,100 transmission structures and 2,100 kilometres of wire starting north of Terrace and continuing up through Nass and then on towards Meziadin Junction  for some 344 kilometres.

The cost of the first phase of the project is 746 million dollars, with 310 million received from the Federal Green Infrastructure Fund and from Alta Gas.

Plans are in place for a  further 92 kilometre extension of the project north to Bob Quinn Lake.

The electrification northwards is anticipated to help service the growing mining and exploration industry which is developing in areas of the Nass and north beyond Stewart.

Some background on the Northwest Transmission Line can be found from the BC Hydro site, which has this blog item on the project.

For other items related to Hydro Electric developments in the Northwest see our Archive page

Past items related to mining activity in the region can be found here.

Petronas seeks out some Federal incentive before final investment decision

At the moment, the one LNG proposal for the North Coast that appears to have the most momentum is that of the Pacific Northwest LNG project, a major industrial terminal development that is proposed for Lelu Island.

 Petronas the Malaysian based energy company has been a presence in the region since the prospects of terminal development first started to be drawn up. Since Pacific Northwest LNG opened their downtown office on Third Avenue, Prince Rupert has seen a string of other proposals from a wide range of proponent outlined for the region.

However, for many, the Pacific Northwest LNG proposal seems to be the one that is the most advanced along the Environmental review process and the Petronas project is the one that appears to have lined up the right amount of partners in investment, clients for product, pipeline providers and gas field deposits.

All of which would seem to offer up some sign that they are getting close to their final decision on the reported 11 billion dollar investment required for the Lelu Island project.

Before they get to that point however, it would seem that Petronas is waiting for a sign from Ottawa that their investment is welcome on the North Coast.

The Financial Post outlines the nature of discussions that will take place in Ottawa this week, as a consortium led by Petronas seeks to obtain capital cost allowances for LNG development. Changes to federal agreements that could provide for a significant jump in the amount of tax concessions and allowances that the LNG proponents could realize for any projects that may get underway.

The full article on the Petronas push for the Feds and the many aspects required before the Federal government can consider the changes can be found here.

It isn't the first time that Petronas officials have issued a cautionary note towards government officials in Canada.

During a high profile LNG summit in May, the CEO of Petronas warned of the potential to break investment models through any excessive tax regimens.

We highlighted some of those discussions from the May conference here.

Part of the frustration for the International investors for the range of British Columbia LNG proposals is the nature of Canadian bureaucracy and the unknown tax situation that they might face, should they decide to move forward with their investment plans.

While on the other side of the fiscal argument, both Provincial and Federal governments are looking to find some financial reward to their coffers from the accelerated level of development of Gas reserves and the placement of terminal facilities in British Columbia.

The province in particular has made much of the financial windfall that LNG could bring to the province, though it appears that their financial notes and those of the proponents of the industry may feature a bit of a difference of fair value.

The discussions and negotiations that seem to be taking place at the moment offer up a glimpse into the many factors that go into such high stakes investment decisions and how we for the most part are just observers to the process.

Somewhere we imagine, is the sweet spot of an agreement, whether both sides find it will probably in the end decide as to whether any of the North Coast LNG proposals ever make it to the construction phase.

You can review our extensive listings of items related to LNG development here, for a more detailed review of the Pacific Northwest proposal for the North Coast see our archive page here.

When it comes to the Watson Island proposal, few details yet to be delivered

Perhaps it's just a matter of asking the right question, or maybe with the first opportunity of a public forum, the City may volunteer a bit more background when it comes to the July 16 exclusivity agreement with a company that wishes to develop a small scale LNG terminal at Watson Island.

The topic does not appear on the Agenda of items for Tonight's Prince Rupert City Council session, but the evening could offer two opportunities for a bit of disclosure from the Mayor and Council if they are inclined.

The first through the Committee of the Whole session, which allows for public questions. Where perhaps an inquisitive citizen may pose a question that allows for the City to shed a bit of light on the plans of Watson Island LNG and what that company offered that made their proposal so tempting for the City of Prince Rupert.

If Rupertites remain shy during that public opportunity, there is always the Regular Council session where perhaps one of our six elected councillors may wish to act as our advocates in the quest for just a bit more information.

When it comes to the proposal and the exclusivity agreement that was first announced last week by way of a press release from the City, there really hasn't been much in the way of expansive review of what to expect moving forward.

The plans of WILNG as the proposed developer is called, seem fairly limited for the moment when it comes to their proposal for a small scale LNG development on the Watson Island site.

That small scale of project on its own might raise a few eyebrows, considering the cost recovery issues related to the large scale proposals already in the works for the region. Many might wonder how a small scale LNG project would generate enough revenue and provide for a high level of employment in an industry where it seems that large and expensive is the norm.

Perhaps Council might be able to advise if or when the proponents behind WILNG, are preparing to provide for an open house or public presentation on their proposal,  similar to many of the other LNG proponents that have done so.

A review which would better outline their project and what the region may anticipate from it.

The July 16th media announcement does seem to provide for the need of more information, particularly when it comes to such issues as a timeline of development, financial backing for the project, export contracts for the LNG when shipped or supply of gas to feed the terminal, just to name a few of the many questions that pop into mind when it comes to LNG.

Last week, the weekly paper reviewed that there may even be questions when it comes to access to the site by LNG ships, something that if not addressed, would probably bring the export terminal project to a fairly quick end.

From the City side of the discussion, other than the usual statement as to the goal of returning Watson Island to the tax rolls and its hoped for return as an active economic engine, there had been little in the way of an update on that file of many layers.

The Mayor touched on the ongoing legal proceedings regarding the site, but did not provide any timeline or update on progress on those issues.

Likewise, the City mentions that they are seeking assistance on the wish to remove some of the environmental problems from the site, yet again there is no particular listing of the steps they are taking to address the situation.

No mention of the results of any meetings with government officials, or even if Jennifer Rice, the region's NDP MLA has been enlisted lend a hand and to try and find some movement from the provincial government on the issue.

The media release of last week seems to have left us with more questions than answers when it comes to the developments from every one's favourite coffee shop topic of "what's going on with Watson Island".

Public sessions of Council and the opportunity for more information seem few and far between in the summer months, tonight's is the first gathering of our elected officials in three weeks, with the next one not scheduled until the third week of August.

If City Council is looking to engage the public in their approach to the issues of Watson Island, Council's session of tonight offers up the podium for a timely explanation of the City's side of the latest news from the island.

There are more items on the Watson Island file available on our archive page.

Train/Logging truck collision results in derailment west of Burns Lake

A Friday morning incident between an eastbound CN Rail train and a logging truck near Decker Lake has resulted in a train derailment.

The result of which has left some twenty containers and a large volume of logs strewn across both tracks and a neighbouring field in the area.

Around 7 AM, Burns Lake RCMP responded to the collision between Burns Lake and Decker Lake near the Decker Lake Sawmill.

Upon arrival, they advised that beyond the damage to the train cars that have left the track, a small amount of diesel fuel had been leaking onto the tracks from the logging truck as a result of the collision.

RCMP photo of collision site

The driver of the logging truck was taken to Burns Lake Hospital for evaluation.

The incident took place on a private road and has not had an impact on travel along Highway 16,

However travel along the rail line between Decker Lake and Prince George has been shut down until further investigation takes place.

No information regarding the incident has been posted to the CN Information portal as of yet.

There has also, as of yet, been no advisory issued by the Transportation Safety Board regarding the Friday morning collision.

Media accounts of the incident can be found below:

Global BC--  Train derails after collision with a logging truck near Burns Lake
Moose FM-- Train collides with logging truck near Burns Lake
CFTK-- Truck-Train Collision Closes CN LIne West of Burns Lake
CFNR-- Train and Logging Truck crash near Burns Lake
CKPG TV-- Train and Logging Truck Collide Near Burns Lake
CBC-- Logging Truck crashes into CN Rail train near Burns Lake

Prince Rupert Crime Stats improving, while Terrace spikes upwards

The latest review of the Crime Severity Information has been released by Statistics Canada and for the Prince Rupert detachment of the RCMP, the most recent numbers appear to indicate that the efforts of local members of the Force have found some success.

Of the four largest communities of the Northwest, the North Coast still has its issues to deal with, but progress has been made in reducing the impact of crime on the community.

Continuing a trend that has seen the numbers drop from 2009 when Prince Rupert's Severity Index ranking hit 209.

However while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done when it comes to Prince Rupert's placement on the Crime Severity Index.

Prince Rupert continues to remain on the high side compared to other communities in the region, though for now, we no longer lead the Northwest rankings.

Terrace, is now the community that stands out from the numbers of the most recent Stats Canada review.

That community has seen an increase in a number of categories and at the moment  would be the community with the most troublesome ranking of the region, with its Violent Crime Index even higher than that of Prince George in the Central Interior.

Those numbers place the Northwest city within the top 10 of Canadian communities that are dealing with both Violent Crime and Overall Crime Severity on a per capita basis.

For the Northwest the Index numbers look like this:

Crime Severity Index (all figures for municipal forces)

Terrace              153 (2013)   141 (2012)
Prince Rupert    143 (2013)   167 (2012)
Smithers            135 (2013)    113  (2012)
Kitimat                90 (2013)    97  (2012)


Violent Crime Severity Index

Terrace               174 (2013)  126 (2012)
Prince Rupert     155 (2013)  179 (2012)
Smithers              135 (2013)  119 (2012)
Kitimat                 90 (2013)    97 (2012)

Those numbers have provided for almost a 14 percent reduction on the Crime Severity Index recorded in Prince Rupert between 2013 and 2012.

When it comes to the Violent Crime Severity Index, Prince Rupert once again saw an impressive reduction in crimes of violence, compared to recent years of statistical review.

That however is not the situation for Terrace, which not only tops the listings for the Northwest, but for this year at least, sits among the upper levels for both BC and Canada.

The Breakdown for each Northwest Community can be found below:

Terrace
Crime Severity 2013-- 153
Violent Crime Severity 2013-- 174 

Prince Rupert

Crime Severity 2013-- 143
Violent Crime Severity 2013-- 155 

Smithers

Crime Severity 2013-- 153
Violent Crime Severity 2013-- 135 

Kitimat

Crime Severity 2013-- 90
Violent Crime Severity 2013-- 90

Data for the Prince Rupert Rural District was not available for the review.

When it comes to they range of crimes that affect Prince Rupert residents the statistics provide for a thorough review of the incidents recorded in the last year.

There were 3,050 incidents recorded in the last year, compared to the 2012 numbers of 3,615.

Of the recorded incidents, Criminal Code Violations totalled 2,761 while Violent Criminal Code incidents were noted at 482.

You can review the individual breakdown by crime Table  252-0081 found at the bottom of this item.

In 2013 377 adults were charged, while 48 youth were charged for offences in the last year.

Making for a total of 425 persons charged with offences in the 2013 survey year.

A further 178 youth were not charged in the last year, which marks an increase in that category from the 2012 number of 151.

As mentioned, British Columbia continues to find itself as a focus point when it comes to the statistical review of crime across Canada. With cities in both the Central Interior and Northern BC making up five of the the top twelve communities in Canada listed for Crime Severity in Canada.

In recent years, the communities of Quesnel, Williams Lake and Prince George have been ranked near the top of the Crime Severity Index, and that is a trend that continued in 2013.

With Williams Lake marked as the British Columbia community that seems to be the one requiring the most attention.

Crime Severity Overall (municipal forces only)

Williams Lake        216 (2013)   238 (2012)
Quesnel                  189 (2013)   216 (2012)
Terrace                   153 (2013)   141 (2012)
Prince Rupert         143 (2013)   167 (2012)
Prince George        137 (2013)  150 (2012)

Violent Crime Index (municipal forces only)

Williams Lake      223 (2013)  269 (2012)
Quesnel                203 (2013)  244 (2012)
Terrace                 174 (2013)  126 (2012)
Prince Rupert       155 (2013)  179 (2012)
Prince George      148 (2013)  166 (2012)

The breakdown for the entire province in the two categories can be found below, you can select the community of interest to you, by using the add/remove data button which will then sort the data

Incident based crime statistics for British Columbia (Table 252-0081)

Crime Severity Index for British Columbia (Table 252-0089)

The full Review of statistics and observations can be found here

Media attention to the annual review of statistics can be found below, we will add to the file as more items become available:

Prince George Citizen--  City crime score continues decline
Opinion 250-- Prince George Drops on Crime Severity Index
Opinion 250-- North District Communities High on Crime Severity

Amakusa Island arrives at Northland Terminal for repair work

Amakusa Island at Northland Dock --- NCR photo

Judging by the number of people that were hanging over the railing at the Atlin Terminal on Wednesday afternoon, for the next little while,  the Amakusa Island is going to be Prince Rupert's latest tourist attraction.

On Wednesday, the Prince Rupert Port Authority outlined the process of bringing the damaged vessel from anchorage off of Ridley Island, to its repair site at the Northland Terminal.

It's from that location that the coal carrier will be patched up by teams of divers and marine workers, making the vessel seaworthy for its journey back to Japan.

Those working on the ship will use metal plates to seal a tear in the outer hull, it's anticipated that the repairs will take two weeks to complete before the vessel will be able to set sail.

To transit the vessel through Prince Rupert harbour to dock, required the use of two tractor tugs from SMIT Marine and with a Marine Pilot on board to assist the vessel's master and crew.

The still visibly listing ship, is currently tied up at the cruise dock, making for a conversation piece and photo backdrop for local residents and visitors alike.

Work is taking place as those ashore watch and make comment from the Atlin Terminal as work continues on to repair the damage from the incident off of Ridley Island on July 14th.

Work will stop on the 29th of July when the ship will be moved to anchorage, so as to allow the Oceania Regatta cruise ship to take her berth at the Northland Cruise Dock.

According to the media release from the Prince Rupert Port Authority, inspections following the grounding confirmed that no environmental contamination occurred, though no government agency has as of yet, provided a public report on the nature of the incident.

The Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team to investigate the grounding, no updates have been provided from their work to this point.

Prince Rupert RCMP arrest man on Child pornography charges

Wednesday afternoon, the Prince Rupert detachment of the RCMP released details regarding a number of charges recently made related to a Child pornography investigation in the city.

On July 3rd, members of the Prince Rupert RCMP Plain Clothes Unit executed a search warrant  for a Sloan Avenue residence on the city's west side.

As a result of the subsequent investigation, a Prince Rupert man has made his first appearance in court to face number of charges related to child pornography.

According to the RCMP media release from Wednesday, Facing charges of possession of child pornography, importing or distributing child pornography and making or publishing child pornography is 30 year old, Edmund White of Prince Rupert

As part of the media review of the case, Constable Matt Ericson of the RCMP, was quick to reassure local parents that at this time in their investigation, the RCMP does not believe that any local children have been victimized related to the current charges.

 "All of these offences are related to illegal Online activities and at this time, we have no reason to believe that any local children have been victimized. Electronic devices were seized during the search warrant and are currently being analyzed."

White was released from custody following his initial court appearance, with strict conditions governing his contact with children and related to his access to the Internet.

He will next appear in Court on July 30th.

As the investigation is still in its early stages, RCMP investigators continue to analyze the electronic devices that were seized as part of the search warrant.

The Prince Rupert detachment is asking that anyone that may have any further information regarding the incident, to contact the RCMP at 250-627-0700 or through Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

You can review the full media release here.

For more items related to Emergency Service activities on the North Coast see our archive page.

Search called off for missing boater

Search officials at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria have brought to an end the search for a missing boater last seen on July 11th off of Haida Gwaii.

The man in his seventies, described as an experienced outdoors man was making his trip by rowboat having left Prince Rupert destined for Port Hardy.

The comprehensive search of waters between Haida Gwaii and Port Hardy was called off today, after

no sign of the missing boater was found despite the efforts of both air resources from Comox and surface vessels of the Coast Guard on the North Coast.

As we outlined on the blog earlier this week, the man was last seen when he left Aristazabal Island on July 11th, he was reported overdue on the 20th at which time the full scale search began.

The file has now been turned over to the Prince Rupert RCMP as a missing persons case.

Should anyone have information to assist in that investigation, they are asked to contact the Prince Rupert RCMP at 250-627-0700

Update: The Prince Rupert RCMP issued this media release  featuring more details on the missing person file. Included in the update is the identity of the missing boater who is Mr. Paul Clark of Victoria, British Columbia.

Media items of note on the latest developments can be found below:

Vancouver Sun-- Search called off for solo rower missing off BC's rugged north coast
AM 730-- Search called off on North Coast
CKNW-- Search called off on North Coast

Port Edward proposals point path towards expanded Growth for the District

When it comes getting into place to reap the benefit of LNG growth in the region, Port Edward it would appear is clearly Open for Business.

For the moment, the District is looking to be the hot spot for the North Coast, set to make the most of the opportunities that may arrive with the development of LNG shipment facilities.

A number of land filings with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources offers up a glimpse of what growth may soon look like for the District.

With no fewer than four different proposals outlined in the last week providing for what would be a wide range of potential development for the District.

Much of which would clearly change the impression that many on the North Coast may have of Port Edward.

From Housing Developments to a Commercial strip mall, campground and Mobile Home park, the District is looking at a major shift in its focus, when you look over the range of proposals recently put forward for public comment.

Among the most recent proposals:


Expansion of a Mobile Home Park

An application by Stonecliff Properties for a grant of Crown land to allow the existing Manufactured Home Park to expand in the Port Edward area.

The detailed review of their plans would see the the total land purchase acquisition come to 14.90 hectares, all of it to the North of Evergreen Drive in the District. Stonecliff provides a short background to the proposed developed of the Petronas LNG site as the main thrust towards their plans to expand the existing mobile home park which Stonecliff purchased one year ago.

As part of the background to their plans, Stonecliff has outlined that all potentially vulnerable tenants will be protected by the company throughout the process to prevent any displacement of seniors or tenants on social or income assistance.

At the moment there is currently space for 65 homes in the park, though not all of that space is currently in use. The expanded park would provide for an additional 327 units to be constructed on the land if the purchase is approved.

Stonecliff estimates that the expanded park would be completely full within 20 months of its completion

The company makes its case in its prospectus for the Ministry. (see here)

Comments on that proposal will be received until August 28th, 2014.


Commercial Development for Skeena Drive Area

Catla Enterprises has filed their application to purchase a single parcel of land with a total area of 1.01 hectares. Which would provide opportunity to develop a new highway commercial node consisting of a   commercial strip mall featuring a restaurant, motel, laundromat all geared towards LNG construction workers anticipated to arrive in the region should LNG proposals go forward.

The application from Mr. Cameron Stolz, the Prince George based proponent of the Catla proposal points to the lack of services currently available in the Port Edward area.

The location of the proposed development would be at the corner of Skeena Drive and a future road to be named Wampler Way.

The commercial space would be some 5,000 square feet and feature a coffee shop, laundromat, liquor retail store and a convenience store on the south end of the property.

As well an 80 unit motel would be developed, along with a 60 seat restaurant.

The Catla prospectus outlines how the proponent has already been contacted by would be establishments, many of them looking to locate commercial properties on their proposed site.

You can review their full proposal here.

Comments for the Catla application will be received until August 28, 2014.


Campground Proposal for Port Edward

Catla provides a second application to acquire Crown Land, in this instance to provide for a Campground / RV Park development for the District which would be placed on 2.88 hectares.

The facility would feature 35 sites as well as washroom, shower and restroom facilities, included in the park development would be park area and green space allocations. The location again would be along the proposed road to be called Wampler Way and would be close to their proposed commercial development.

In their proposal Catla acknowledges that their proposal would not be the only campground project in the community, with Kinnikinnick campground already established in the District, however they suggest that the anticipated growth for the Port Edward region would make their proposal compatible with existing facilities for the region.

The campsite would be serviced through Municipal Water, Sewer, Electrical and Wi-Fi connections.

The complete proposal for the campground project can be found here.

Comments on the Campground proposal from Catla will be received until August 12, 2014.


Residential Housing Development 

The final of the four proposals recently submitted would provide for increased housing stock in the District of Port Edward.

Odyssey Homes provides for the third of the applications, making their request to purchase a parcel of land with a total area of 7.71 hectares.  The purpose of that land purchase outlined as to provide for development of a 63 lot single family residential subdivision.

In their prospectus for the development, Odyssey outlines how their subdivision would constructed and developed in four phases, the first starting in April of 2015 with completion by November of 2016. The middle phases would start in April of 2017 with completion by November 2020, while the Final phase of the development would commence in April of 2012 with completion timetable for November of 2022.

The primary access to the residential development would be from the proposed road of Wampler Way, with secondary access through Rainbow Drive and Evergreen Drive.

You can review the full extent of the proposal here.

Comments on the Odyssey Homes proposal will be received until August 28th, 2014.

Whether all, or any of the proposals outlined above ever come to pass remains to be seen. However, the interest in development in Port Edward is an indication of the growing impact that the many industrial projects is having on the region.

And for the moment, it would seem, at least judging by the flurry of applications for Port Edward, that the District is placing itself in a solid position to capitalize on some of those industrial projects should they received a positive financial investment decision.

Woodside seeks export permit for proposed LNG terminal at Grassy Point

Add Australia's Woodside Energy to the list of those actively moving forward their plans for an LNG presence on the North Coast.

According to the National Post, Woodside made its application to the National Energy Board on Friday, seeking permission to export 20 million tonnes of LNG for a period of 25 years from their proposed terminal location at Grassy Point.

Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman was quick to highlight the development as yet another milestone in LNG development in the province and today offered up comments as to what Woodside brings to the province when it comes to the province's LNG strategy.

“This is a company with experience operating natural gas projects around the world, and they have chosen British Columbia to invest in tomorrow’s energy potential. 

 “We look forward to working with Woodside to create jobs and economic prosperity in our province as part of a sole proponent agreement signed last year.”

As of today, the full filing has not yet been added to the inventory of listings at the National Energy Board.

When the Woodside filing is updated the listing will provide a short term blue print as to the process ahead for the Woodside application.

We have more on the background to the Woodside proposal for Grassy Point available on our archive page.

Search continues off Port Hardy for elderly man missing in small rowboat

Twin search assets dispatched out of 19 Wing Comox  by the Joint Rescue  Coordination Centre are back in the skies off of Northern Vancouver Island, searching for a man in his seventies who left Prince Rupert on a journey by rowboat to Port Hardy.

A Cormorant helicopter and Buffalo Rescue airplane are working a search area some 225 kilometres north of Port Hardy.

The rowboat and its lone occupant were last heard from on July 11th, near Aristazabal Island.

Since that time he has not checked in with his family and is now considered to be missing,  the search for the missing boater began on Saturday.

In addition to the air search, two coast guard vessels are searching the scene looking for indications of what may have happened to the man.

To assist those conducting the search, Joint Rescue Centre officials are calling on those travelling by boat in the area to contact them if they have crossed the path of the traveller since July 11th.

Anyone with information regarding his travels is asked to contact the RCMP at 250-627-0700 or Joint Rescue Coordination Centre at 1-800-567-5111

Some news items on the search can be found below:

CBC-- Solo rower missing north of Vancouver Island
CKNW-- Search continues for elderly boater north of Vancouver Island
Times Colonist-- Man, 70, in rowboat missing between Port Hardy, Prince Rupert

Update: On Wednesday, July 23rd the search for the missing boater was called off and the file handed over to the Prince Rupert RCMP as a missing person's file.

North Pacific Cannery Historical Site launches a YouTube channel to share Cannery life stories

The experiences of the North Pacific Cannery Historic site are expanding to the Internet, with the launch of a  collection of short video presentations for the Historic Site's You Tube channel.

The short moments in time offer up a collection of stories of the past, featuring the recollections of those who once worked at the Port Edward cannery during the days when it was an active part of the North Coast Fishing industry.

The video vignettes first started to show up last week  on the You Tube page for the Historic Site.

The first two snapshots of Cannery life, featured Ian Shopland and Ron Kadowaki, providing a look at the topic of growing up at the Port Eeward site.

Two more submissions were uploaded in recent days, as Victor Mowatt  delivered a short review of  his work experiences at North Pacific, as well as a brief look at some of the traditions and culture of the Gitxsan First Nation.

The videos help to provide for a fascinating multi media experience for both residents of the region and those that are visiting the North Coast.

The presentations offer up the opportunity learn more about the importance of the Cannery to life to the region and bring to life some of the background to the many exhibits that visitors explore when they make the trip to the site.

For those from afar that may be thinking of a trip to the North Coast in the future, the video channel will also provide a bit of a preview of what  they may find when they arrive at North Pacific.

For locals, the stories offer up very entertaining lessons on a part of our history that helped to shape the region over the last 100 years.

A link to the video work in progress from the North Pacific You Tube channel can be found here.

Nathan Cullen's summer projects

Summer vacation as we all know is dedicated to a fair bit of relaxation, combined with a bit of work around the home front.

The political version of tending to the work around the home riding for the NDP's Nathan Cullen, would seem to include a pair of high profile issues.

While Mr. Cullen takes advantage of the Bulkley Valley sunshine during the summer break from his duties on Parliament Hill, his office is making sure that some his themes continue to stay among our thoughts during the summer season.

And if our recent household mailers are any indication, the Member of Parliament for Skeena-Bulkley Valley is set to rally his constituents to save a pair of high profile organizations.

The first mailer sought the help of constituents in the goal of preserving Canada Post services across the nation, that project was outlined in the late spring, with a short item delivered door to door through the Mail.

The second in the NDP's summer awareness campaign arrived with last weeks mail, as we learned more of Mr. Cullen's wishes to see the the Conservative Government provide better opportunities for financial security for the CBC.

More background on the Postal Service mission can be found on the MP's website, which offers up a few talking points to the theme.

Along with the information review, the link also features a petition for those Canadians that share the NDP's views on the importance of Canada Post to our daily lives.

The NDP campaign to "Stand up for the CBC" appears to still be somewhat in the early stages of development. With the household mailer following up on Mr. Cullen's comments of April on the theme of how the CBC cuts impact on rural communities.

Much like the Post Office campaign, the NDP website provides a link to a petition to seek out multi year financing for the public broadcaster.

Our archive of past items on Mr. Cullen's work in Ottawa can be found here.

Amakusa Island grounding provides Enbridge opponents with a visual aid

Photo of Amakusa Island courtesy of 
Transportation Safety Board of Canada Twitter feed

As word of the grounding of the Amakusa Island began to spread beyond Prince Rupert by

Wednesday, those who have long offered up their concerns on the theme of oil shipments along the North Coast found much to review from the incident in Prince Rupert harbour.

For those opposed to the Northern Gateway proposal, the focus of the grounding of the coal ship has shifted,  offering a visual aid for the what if scenarios.

The picture of the listing Amakusa Island providing opponents with an opportunity to once again warn of their concerns over the prospect of bitumen or refined oil shipments from any proposed terminals on the North Coast to World markets.

The theme of environmental  concern was the subject of items from a number of media outlets yesterday, with the Vancouver Sun leading the way with a focus article featuring comments from a range of opponents to the Enbridge proposal.

CFNR provided a short piece on the incident as well, highlighting the concerns of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation which used the Monday incident as a cautionary note.

As we outlined on the blog on Tuesday, the incident took place in the late evening hours of Monday, the vessel was re-floated at high tide in the early hours of Tuesday, after which  it then proceeded to anchorage.

Port officials continue to monitor the situation at the anchorage position.

A full marine inspection of the vessel will determine the extent of the damage and what repairs will be required to the vessel before the Amakusa Island is to set sail agin.

Officials from the Transportation Safety Board have arrived in Prince Rupert and continue on with their investigating the incident. They have posted a number of photos to their twitter feed highlighting the current status of the vessel and offering a view of the extent of the list that the Amakusa Island is suffering from.

Monday evening's incident calls to mind a similar situation from November of 2012 when the Hanjin Geneva became grounded upon approach to Prince Rupert Harbour in somewhat the same location as the Amakusa Island grounding.

Though in that incident there did not appear to be any visible damage to the container vessel, which also was re-floated at the high tide.

City of Prince Rupert targets Watson Island for LNG development

The latest rebirth of the industrial site at Watson Island may involve the current rush towards LNG development, as the City of Prince Rupert revealed some background into discussion that it has been holding with a company now known as Watson Island LNG Corporation.

In a press release from Wednesday, the City reviewed the nature of their discussions that led to the exclusivity agreement with WILNG, that would see the Watson Island site transformed into a small LNG export terminal.

"After many months of investigation Council believes the City has found a company with the vision for Watson Island that will bring jobs and a substantial new economy to Prince Rupert,” ... “We recognize the City has gone down this road before, however, we have never given up on our vision to repurpose Watson Island and get it back on the tax-roll. We are optimistic this project will be an economic generator that will bolster the City and create new jobs in the region.” -- Mayor Jack Mussallem on behalf of Prince Rupert City Council on the theme of development of Watson Island as an LNG export terminal.

As part of the announcement, the City also outlined how they are proceeding with the decommissioning of the old Pulp mill and are also working to obtain provincial assistance for the removal of industrial chemicals and managing a number of other environmentally dangerous substances.

Little background was provided on Wednesday about the would be developer of the export terminal at Watson Island, with few details revealed as to financial backing,  where the required natural gas would be accessed from and what kind of client base has been solicited for export of LNG.

In a brief comment as part of the City's announcement , Mr. Ed Neibauer, the Director of WINLG observed as to the hope of his company to bring the plans to fruition.

“We are looking forward to establishing good working relationships with the community, First Nations and regulators to bring the company’s development plans to fruition.” -- Mr. Ed Neibauer, Director of WILNG

Still to be resolved for the city and no doubt of interest to WILNG officials will be the status of the ongoing litigation between the City and the Watson Island Development Corporation, a process that is still apparently in front of the courts and has prevented the City from selling the lands.

In their announcement, the City offered up little on the theme of the current state of those legal proceedings, other than to advise that the City continues to work to have the litigation resolved as quickly as possible.

The newest entry into the percolating LNG scene in Prince Rupert, joins six other high profile projects currently under consideration for the area.

Including a project proposed for within the newly expanded municipal boundary at Tuck Inlet, a proposal that the City has expressed much interest in over the last few weeks.

You can review the full background to the announcement from this link to the City of Prince Rupert website.

For a review of all of the proposals currently under consideration for the North Coast see our archive page.

Industrial Development 2014 -- Watson Island LNG Terminal Project (WILNG)

Our Archive of items regarding the proposed Watson Island LNG Terminal development

WILNG website (none available yet)

2014


July 23-- Watson Island Saga Continues
July 16-- City of Prince Rupert offers Watson Island LNG exclusive rights to former pulp mill site
July 16-- Prince Rupert working to get Watson Island back on Tax Roll

July 17-- City of Prince Rupert targets Watson Island for LNG development  NCR

Fire Bans Now in place across much of the Northwest

While the North Coast portion of the Northwest has been spared the blistering heat of the last week, many communities from Terrace through to Prince George have been baking in the hot summer sun.

And from all that heat come tinder dry conditions for many forest areas of the Northwest and points eastbound, with the Wildlife Management Branch putting in place a number of fire bans for the much of Northern British Columbia effective today.

While the conditions of the Northwest are not as dire as those of the Prince George Fire Centre and further to the south into the Kamloops Fire Centre region, the situation remains of concern across the Highway 16 corridor as well.

There is one major fire of concern currently burning in the Northwest, with Wildfire Management Officials keeping a watchful eye on the Chelaslie Arm region of the Bulkley-Necacko District.

With the Fire Danger in the Northwest Fire Centre listed as High to Extreme, the quest to reduce any human caused fires is now underway.

Yesterday, the Northwest Fire Centre outlined the prohibitions on open fires and campfires tha t go into effect as of 4 PM Thursday.

Among the activities now banned are:

-- Category 2 Open Fires
-- Category 3 Open Fires
-- Campfires, as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
-- Outdoor Stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA or ULC approved
-- Open Fires in an outdoor stove
-- Fireworks, tiki torches and Sky Lanterns

Those prohibitions continue until September 15th or until the public is further notified.

The affected region of the Skeena Forest District can be reviewed from the map below:

Beyond the obvious dangers posed by ignoring the fire ban, the cost to those that do will be stern.

Anyone in contravention of an open fire prohibition could be issued a ticket for $345, if convicted in court, those who ignore the ban face a fine of up to 100,000 dollars and could be sentenced to one year in jail.

Should the contravention of the fire ban lead to or contribute to a wildfire, those responsible could be subject of a penalty of up to 10,000 dollars and be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

With conditions as they have been in recent days, the Northwest Fire Centre relies on reports from the public to provide proper action to any opportunity for a wildfire to start up, to report a wildfire or unattended campfire you can call 1 800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cellphone.

Updates on the latest wildfire situations across British Columbia can be accessed through a variety of social media options, with details available through the Wildfire Management website, twitter feed or facebook page.

Beedie School of Business turns focus to Northwestern British Columbia

The growth of the Northwest and Prince Rupert's placement as a major trading centre has caught the attention of the acclaimed Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University and from that attention comes a fascinating new program opportunity from SFU.

On Wednesday, officials from the Beedie School of Business will be holding an information session at Northwest Community College, outlining the background to their Executive MBA program for Northwestern British Columbia.

The program, which will be run in collaboration with Northwest Community College is designed to provide Prince Rupert residents with the opportunity to possess the advanced business skills that are required to  benefit from the increasing level of investment in the
region.

The program follows the success of similar and popular offering in Kitimat, which was provided in partnership with Alcan and other community organizations.

Through the remainder of 2014 the Beedie School of Business will be assessing the level of interest in the communities of the Northwest, with the intention of starting the program in April of 2015.

Towards that goal, the school will be working with progressive employers in the region who see the need to help their employees grow into the new opportunities that are arriving with their organizations.

As well, the MBA program will be available to individuals, who wish to expand their knowledge through their individual study.

The school is seeking to establish an awards program that would help offset the cost of the program for those who may be well qualified, but lack the financial support of their employers.

Before the program gets off the proposal board however comes the information sessions.

The first of which takes place on Wednesday evening at the Prince Rupert campus of Northwest Community College. 

The  Overview presentation and Question and Answer session starts at 5:30.

To contact the Beedie School of Business for more information on the session call 778-782-9698,  or RSVP by email at embanorthern-inquiry@sfu.ca

To learn more about what the Executive MBA Northwestern BC program is all about see this background page from the SFU's Beedie School of Business website.