No bounty of jobs from herring fishery for local shore workers

While the topic of the herring fishery is proving to be controversial on Haida Gwaii and the Central coast, for the North Coast the season is in full swing as we head into April.

As most residents of Prince Rupert have no doubt noticed this past week, a large volume of transport trucks have started to make their annual trek from the city's remaining fish plants, destined for industrial popping locations in the Lower Mainland or off shore.

An ongoing issue of concern that Councillor Joy Thorkelson raised with Council members last Monday evening.

Ms. Thorkelson made use of time at the end of the council session to provide an update to the community on the current status of that herring fishery, calling attention to the continued process of trucking the frozen herring to locations outside of the North Coast for further processing.

That shift from the past practice of local popping, she observed has resulted in a number of job losses to the community as shore workers remain at home without work, as the product caught in northern waters is transported south or taken off shore for further processing.

She pointed to a change in regulations by the Federal Government as the main cause for the shift in processing procedures for the industry.

This year she estimates that the practice of shipping the herring out of town for further processing, mainly to non-union plants she observed, has resulted in sixty to eighty local workers losing out on roughly six weeks of work.

The practice of shipping product out of the city, has made for a shift in the direction for the local fishery, one that has had a significant impact on what once was a key portion of the local fish processing industry in the community.

You can review her presentation to council on the issue from the City's Video Archive, it starts at the one hour thirty five minute mark and continues on for about a minute.




For more items related to City Council discussions see our archive page here, we also have a page dedicated to items regarding fishery issues which you can access here.

Quickload shift to old Canadian Freightways yard heads for public hearing stage

Rezoning proposal for the old
Canadian Freightways location

A proposed move for Quickload Terminals to the old Canadian Freightways site was the subject of a portion of last weeks City Council session.

As council members heard of the need to rezone the land in question to allow for container stuffing and other operations related to the container service in the city.

Quickload recently announced that they were preparing to shift their operations from Watson Island, apparently settling on the location that once housed the Canadian Freightways operations in the city, located at Frederick Street and Highway 16.

In order to locate in that area however, the city will have to rezone the land in question, a process which they put in motion last Monday, following a report from the City Planner Zeno Krekic.

As part of his overview, Mr. Krekic also noted that the proposed shift of purpose for the area will be outlined for the province's highways ministry, in order to hear comment from them regarding the change and any impact on traffic at the Frederick Street entrance to the highway.

Councillor Thorkelson had questions regarding the rezoning proposal, with concern raised over what other kind of industry might be able to locate on the land, should Quickload at some point decide to leave.

To address those concerns, the City Manager suggested that Council could put in place covenants to exclude other uses, beyond what is specified with the current proposal.

Council voted to move forward with the process, putting forward a timetable for a public meeting to consider the issue further.

The public hearing will take place on Monday, April 13 at 7 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall, background on the process can be reviewed here.

You can examine the proposed relocation to the Canadian Freightways yard from the City's Video Archive, the discussion starts at the one hour twenty two minute mark.



For more items related to discussions at City Council see our archive page here.

Rushbrook Floats issues received by City Council

City resident Wes Baker with a
presentation to council
regarding Rushbrook Floats

Concerns over a number of issues at Rusbhrook Floats caught the attention of Council last week, with the comments from a local resident making the case for action for the local facility.

As part of the Committee of the Whole Session from last Monday's City Council meeting, Mr. Wes Baker delivered a petition of concerns in the community related to Rushbrook Floats on the east side of the City.

Mr. Baker highlighted the need for a more equitable pass process for local residents and expanded on the nature of repairs required for the boat ramp for the heavily used facility.

He suggested that Council reduce the current year round pass was too expensive for local residents and recommended that the rate be cut to one hundred dollars a year, under a category to be known as resident taxpayer. In addition he called for Free Parking for all daytime users of Rushbrook Floats from October 1st to May 1st.

As for the condition of the boat ramp at Rushbrook, Mr. Baker described the deteriorating condition of the facility as embarrassing for the City, seeking to have something similar to what is currently in place at Port Edward provided for the Rushbrook area, adding that the repairs should be made before the summer arrives.

Repairs for the boat ramp are apparently in the works for the City, with the Mayor advising that the public would be advised through Facebook and other options as to when those repairs will be taking place.

He also noted that a full report on the nature of parking is due to be provided to Council shortly, where all of the issues related to not only Rushbrook Floats, but the Atlin terminal lot and Fairview may be reviewed.

He added that Mr. Baker's petitions and presentation to council would be added to that information archive. More background on the presentation can be found from our Council Timeline for March 25th.

Mr. Baker's concerns and suggestions for Council can be examined by way of the City's Video Archive, he makes his commentary at the five  mark of the evening's proceedings.



For more items related to discussions at Prince Rupert City Council see our archive page here.

City will not make use of Legacy Fund for budget shortfall issues

The City's Financial Officer made a short presentation to Council last week as part of the final public consultation session on the city's budget preparations.

One aspect of Corinne Bomben's overview to Council included an answer to questions raised during the last public session of March 9th.

Last Monday evening, particular attention was directed towards the potential use of Legacy Corporation money to fund the budget shortfall, a proposal that the city is seemingly not inclined to make use of.

Instead it would appear that the City prefers to allocate any Legacy Funding towards staffing requirements and other items related to development of the land in question along Tuck Inlet related to the proposed LNG development for the area.

As part of her presentation she suggested that using Legacy Funding to offset operational increases would have as she put it "dire consequences".

Explaining that should the major projects proposed for the region not go ahead, the Legacy funds  would become depleted over the course of an eight year timeline.

Should the city use the Legacy Fund during that time to keep mill rate increases to zero until the fund is exhausted, the result would then be a required 23 per cent increase to the mill rate to fund operational purposes at the end of that period.

She outlined that the city believes that the current method of an incremental approach to taxation that the city is using towards operational costs makes more sense. As it allows for smoother rate changes and keeps pace with normal increases such as contractual and statutory obligations as well as to normal increases to supplies and services.

She also offered up an explanation on the process of determining the mill rate for taxation, making note of the current proposal of a 1.9 percent increase for 2015.

The Mayor further expanded on the proposed use of the Legacy Fund revenues later in the council session, as part of an answer to Denis Rowse, a city resident who had posed a question related to the city's plans to increase taxes once again.

The Mayor outlined some of the challenges that the city is facing when it comes to accessing tax revenues on the industrial side of things, as well he offered up a snapshot of the City's plans when it comes to uses for the Legacy Fund revenue stream.

More background on issues related to the Legacy Fund discussion can be found from our Council Timeline from March 23rd.

Ms. Bomben's presentation to Council can be found from the City's Video Archive, the presentation runs until the five minute mark.

Mayor Brain's thoughts on the Legacy Corporation can be found at the 30 minute mark.




For more items related to City Council discussions see our archive page.

Time for a Break

Spring has sprung and we're going on the run!!

Time to recharge the batteries for a bit, so we're taking a break from blogging starting today, with plans to return to our efforts in about ten days, give or take.

With our sabbatical, our regular review of Council issues and many of our other features that require attention on an ongoing basis will be in hibernation for that period.  

We'll play a bit of catch up upon our return. Filling in the gaps as best we can.

Feel free to wander through the various topics listed on the right hand column, you may find some items of interest that you may have missed when they first came out.

Council to consider Zoning issues related to proposed housing development off of Park Avenue

Location of proposed housing
development off of Park Avenue

Those that have taken a drive along Park Avenue in recent months may have noticed some land clearing taking place in the area between the Park Avenue campsite and the BC Ferry Terminal, a bit of activity that has had more than a few in the city wondering what might be up.

Tonight, we get a bit of a preview, as City Council reviews a report from the City Planner, who will outline the nature of a proposed housing development for about 25 per cent of the land in that area of the city.

And while the meeting this evening is only a preliminary look at zoning issues related to the area, the scope of what may be under discussion is fairly interesting to look over.

The report that City Planner Zeno Krekic will present, will offer up some details on a proposal from The Bryton Group Development Corporation, highlighting their plans for property along that stretch of Park Avenue, a section of Prince Rupert real estate that they recently purchased from Oceanview Developments.

Zoning change will be
required for proposed development

Among their plans for one section of that land, is the extension of Graham Avenue to provide for up to 30 single family residential lots created,  a number of which could have potential views of Prince Rupert harbour.

That extension of Graham Avenue would also create a secondary access route into the existing Section Two residential area.

Should City Council approve the various zoning changes that would be required, it's anticipated that work on the first stage of the redevelopment of the area would get underway immediately.

Further plans into the future would see the applicant look to  further develop low density residential housing and single story residential developments as part of the remaining 75 percent, with a portion of the land also allocated for a possible park with trails connecting to Highway 16.

You can review the full report from the City Planner from the Council Agenda package for tonight, it starts on Page 3 and continues through until page 26.

For more items related to City Council discussions, see our archive page here.

Province debuts 10 year transportation plan through BC on the Move program

Earlier this week the Province of British Columbia introduced its 10 year Transportation plan known as BC on the Move.

A 2.5 billion dollar project designed to grow the economy, as well as to maintain and replace aging infrastructure across the province  and provide support to B.C.'s expanding resource sector.

The final document delivered this week, was created through engagement sessions across British Columbia, where Ministry of Transportation officials heard concerns and received suggestions on transportation issues from a number of communities.

There were three sessions of interest from the North Coast and Haida Gwaii, opportunities for the province to gain some insight into what local residents were looking for, when it came to transportation issues of the region.

The thumbnail reviews for Prince Rupert highlighted concerns related to truck traffic both on the highway and on surface streets related to Port and potential LNG projects, with Highway 16 identified as a key link for any potential LNG development.

As well transportation issues related to the Prince Rupert Airport and a desire to see a walking/cycling trail created along Highway 16 were some of the other items outlined at those community sessions of last October and November.

You can review those items in more detail below.

(To enlarge the engagement points listed, click on each section, that will open the discussion points in a separate window)

Prince Rupert

Masset/Queen Charlotte City

Terrace

Considering the amount of time dedicated to the Terrace stop and the volume of interest from that community, it's probably not a surprise that one of the first of the major projects announced following the launch of the program features improvements for that community.

As the Ministry of Transportation outlined details regarding a project designed to improve the Sande Avenue - Highway 16 intersection at Keith Avenue in Terrace.

To this point that project, has been the only improvement project announced for the Northwest region.

You can review more of the findings from the Northwest community sessions, as part of the Northwest Report.

The larger document for BC on the Move can be reviewed here.

More items on issues related to Highway 16 across the Northwest can be found here.

Prince Rupert Library to offer two programs through Spring for children under 5

The Prince Rupert Library is putting the finishing touches to the launch of two new programs this spring designed for children under the age of five, both of them at no cost to parents or caregivers.

Tales for Twos is a lively participation program for two year olds and their parents or caregivers, providing a mix of stories, songs, rhymes and activities to keep the younger set engaged.

The second program is Story Hour, designed for those three to five, the hour long program finds Library staff exploring a different theme each week, making use of stories, songs, action rhymes and colouring activities.

Both programs start on March 24th and continue on until May 7th at the Library located at Sixth West and McBride.

While the program has no fees, the Library does ask that those interested in either of the two programs pre-register by either dropping in at the Prince Rupert Library or contacting them at 250-627-1345.

CityWest shares plans for Internet improvements in the Smithers area

Improved Internet opportunities for the Bulkley Valley was the topic, as  a Smithers Chamber of Commerce luncheon crowd welcomed CityWest CEO Don Holkestad to their gathering on Thursday.

During the course of his luncheon address, Holkestad  outlined the CityWest plan ahead and explained how the introduction of fibre optic technology will create a much faster and reliable Internet experience for the company's customers in the Smithers area.

An enhancement that he stressed would be very beneficial not only to home users, but to businesses in the community as well.

The expansion to bring faster access to Internet services, could make for a valuable selling point for Economic development in the Bulkley Valley community.

The introduction of  the Fibre to home technology to Smithers is something that CityWest has been working on over the last year, first making mention of the prospect one year ago, when the CityWest CEO wrote this letter to Smithers Business owners.

CityWest hopes to have the fibre optic cables in place and the service up and running by the end of this year. In addition to the well received technology announcement, CityWest also outlined their plans to move into new offices in Smithers on April 7th.

It's the latest move in expanding the footprint of the Prince Rupert based communication company in the Northwest.

A program that CityWest, which is owned by the City of Prince Rupert, launched a number of years ago, taking their brand and offering communication and entertainment services to many other communities of the region.

CFTK TV 7 covered the CityWest speech to the Smithers Chamber, you can review their report below.



For more items related to developments with CityWest see our archive page here.

Metlakatla, Alaska First Nation makes plans for "return" canoe journey to British Columbia

Canoes will take to the water once again in a celebration of shared heritage as First Nations residents of Metlakatla, Alaska move forward with their plans to retrace a trek of two years ago, one which saw a canoe journey take place from Metlakatla, BC to the Alaska community.

As we reviewed on the blog back in August of 2013, the Gathering Strength Canoe Journey was a highly anticipated event that was well received in both communities, you can review some of that journey from the Facebook page that was created for it.

This years project which is being organized around Founder's Day in Metlakatla, Alaska will see the canoes transported to Ketchikan by ferry before the travelling party takes to the water at Saxman,.

From there the group will travel to Annette Island in time for the festivities surrounding the celebration that heralds the founding of the community on August 7th, 1887.

Those participating in that first stage of what will become the larger trip to British Columbia, will be joined on that day by Dayna McKay, the acclaimed Tsimshian long distance swimmer, who will have been making her way to Alaska by that time.

She plans to take to the water just over the US/Canada border and swim from Canada to Annette Island, a swim that she anticipates will take between three and possibly six days depending on tides.

Following the Alaska event of the 7th, the canoes will then launch phase two of the adventure, returning to the water, this time destined for Metlakatla, BC.

A journey that organizers believe will take two weeks to complete, which would bring them to the North Coast sometime in the third week of August.

The Tsimshian paddlers will also be joined by those from Tlingit communities and from the Haida in Southeast Alaska.  As well, there are plans for paddlers from seven villages in British Columbia to take part in the summer time journey.

You can follow their plans from the Liwaayda website and Facebook page.

You can learn more about the plan for August from this item from KRBD Radio in Ketchikan

Shovels hit the ground for Phase Two expansion

They aren't wasting much time in moving the Phase Two project for Fairview Terminal ahead, as a number of local officials descended on the Container Terminal on Thursday for the ceremonial first digs into the dirt.

Groundbreaking ceremony at Fairview Terminal on Thursday,
photo from the Prince Rupert Port Authority

The project was announced on March 10th, as Port CEO and President Don Krusel outlined the much anticipated project would create space for another four cranes to be located on land that the Port acquired at the old Co-op fish plant site.

Maher Terminals will invest an estimated 200 million dollars in the expansion, which when completed in 2017, will bring the capacity of Fairview Terminal to over 1.3 TEU's annually.

Once the new addition is in operation, Fairview Terminal will feature a seamless 765 metre wharf stretching across the Prince Rupert waterfront, capable of receiving two container ships at the same time, as we'll as the expansion to the east will create increased holding space for containers.

Overview of expansion plan for Fairview Terminal,
new area to be constructed is in green

Thursday's photo opportunity signalled the start of the year and a half project , the more intensive shovelling and construction will be handled by Fraser River Pile and Dredge working with BEL Contracting.

For more background on Fairview Terminals see our archive page here, items related to overall port development can be found here.

Drive BC adds third highway camera to Prince Rupert to Terrace stretch of Highway 16

Travellers between Terrace and Prince Rupert have one more resource available now whenever they go to check highway conditions along the Skeena portion of Highway 16.

On Thursday, Drive BC debuted a third highway camera between the two communities, with the introduction of a video link to the Kwinitsa area of the highway.

Kwinitsa highway camera is now operational
along Highway 16

The Kwinitsa monitoring station joins one at the Port Edward turnoff and a camera at Kasiks, all offering wider coverage for the highway.  Allowing for motorists to see road conditions related to the  unpredictable Northwest weather, particularly as Pacific storm fronts come ashore.

A sample of some of the nature of those changing road conditions can be found on our archive page.

Travellers can access Drive BC information from their website and the  DriveBC NW twitter feed.

Pacific Future Energy makes Prince Rupert's ocean access a selling point for its refinery proposal

The British Columbia proponents of an oil refinery for the North Coast continue to work on their plan to make this area the centre of their focus for development, using Prince Rupert's unobstructed access to the Pacific Ocean as one of their main selling points to potential overseas clients.

Representatives of Pacific Future Energy recently took their message to Asia, where they outlined their proposal for a refinery and shipment terminal project for the North Coast. A major industrial venture which would see Alberta bitumen refined here and then shipped to Asian markets.

Senior Advisor Stockwell Day who led the group, also outlined the advantage that company officials believe Prince Rupert has over Kitimat when it comes to any form of oil terminal project.

During their Asian presentation, the company highlighted the difference in approach that it is taking when it comes to the concerns of British Columbians, suggesting that the Enbridge Northern Gateway proposal approached their engagement from an Alberta perspective.

Though it would seem that Pacific Future Energy's observations of a BC focus, might be one for a bit of discussion on the North Coast.  As so far, the project hasn't moved much beyond the talking points phase, with little public engagement by Pacific Future Energy with anyone on the North Coast regarding their proposed refinery and terminal project.

One other aspect of their plan that may add to any potential conversation ahead, is the prospect that the company may make use of rail to transport bitumen from Alberta to its proposed terminal. 

It is a subject that in recent months has proven to be fairly controversial for small communities on rail lines across Canada, particularly after the derailment of the Lac Megantic disaster of 2013.

Still, an energy consultant for the company suggests that once a West coast refinery is added to the full overview, the prospect of shipping oil either by pipeline, or by rail will find some public support.  

As for the idea of launching an ambitious oil refinery project in a time of low oil prices, the consultant suggests that even in the current atmosphere the project would still make economic sense.

Brent Jang of the Globe and Mail, a long time observer and correspondent on the theme of energy projects in the province, has provided two instructive background pieces on the direction that Pacific Future Energy is looking to take for their proposal.  

You can review his work here and here

There hasn't been much in the way of an update provided to the Pacific Future Energy website in recent months, and what has been posted only speaks to general information, with little in the way of direct information for the North Coast as of yet.

The Pacific Future Energy concept is one of two proposed major oil related projects for the region.

The other from Eagle Spirit Energy would see the construction of a shipment terminal near Prince Rupert, with the actual upgrading of the bitumen to take place somewhere in Northeastern British Columbia, or Northwestern Alberta.

For more items related to Pacific Future Energy's plans see our archive page here.

Frank Slubowski's time at WMU nearly up, as season comes to an end

For graduating Senior Frank Slubowksi, there will be no more hockey in Bronco colours, the Prince Rupert goaltender  played his final game for WMU on Sunday.

With the Broncos finding themselves on the outside looking in, when it comes to the remainder of the NCAA hockey playoffs for this year.

The Broncos lost a must win game against Miami of Ohio on Saturday, knocking WMU out of the NCHC tournament, bringing their hopes for a shot at the famed Frozen Four championships to an end for 2015.

The Broncos made it to Sunday's showdown, thanks to a strong effort on Saturday, with Slubowski entering the game in relief and holding off the Miami attack to secure a the Bronco's 7-5 victory, setting up the Sunday Showdown.

For the Rupertite, his hard work of Saturday earned him the Sunday start, with his final appearance for the Broncos ending at the midway point of the second period.

With the Bronco's trailing by three goals, Head Coach Andy Murray switched out his goaltenders to try and add some spark to the Bronco lineup, as Lukas Hafner took over for the final twenty five minutes for the Broncos for the year.

Western Michigan however did not mount the hoped for counter attack, never quite finding the mark in the Miami end of the rink and with a 4-0 loss, the Broncos season came to its end.

The accounts of the final weekend for Bronco hockey for 2014-15 can be found below:

WMU hockey season falls at Miami, 4-0, in NCHC tournament to close out the season
WMU hockey uses big second period to beat Miami, 7-5, force deciding third game
WMU hockey unable to hold third-period lead, falls to Miami 5-3 in NCHC tournament opener
Broncos Season ends with 40 Loss at Miami
Broncos Force Game Three After 7-5 Win Over Miami

Frank Slubowski's stats sheet over the last four years points to his strong work ethic in the Bronco nets, arriving at WMU from his time with Port Alberni of the BCHL.

Frank Slubowski tending the nets
for the WMU Broncos

His NCAA hockey career was launched in 2011-12, as he led a talented Bronco squad onto the ice as part of the then CCHA conference.

2012-13 was his year of prominence for the Broncos, starting in all 38 games and nominated for consideration for the Hobey Baker Award, the most prestigious award in US College Hockey.

The last two years saw his workload reduced, as he and Lukas Hafner began sharing the duties in the Bronco nets, with Hafner receiving the majority of the starts in the 2014-15 season.

Through his time at WMU, Slubowski played in 101 games, seeing over 5700 minutes of action and 98 game starts.

As the 2014-15 comes to an end, he holds a 47 - 35 -15 record, with an overall GAA of 2.30.

Those that counted the shots directed his way through his four years at WMU, recorded a total of 2,203 saves made on Slubowski's watch, providing for an impressive career save percentage of .909.

Mr. Slubowski's studies at WMU have been in the field of Management, he joins Will Kessel, Matt Stewart and Justin Kovacs as the four Graduating Broncos of 2015.  

You can review the full profile of his career from the Broncos website.

For more items related to Prince Rupert Athletes playing sports at the University or college level see our archive page here.

Canadian College Tournament features a Prince Rupert connection

For basketball fans, March is a month that features one tournament after another, the recently completed high school basketball showcase of Langley is one high profile example, as well as the always entertaining University tournaments in Canada and the USA that are broadcast on television.

This week, the Canadian spotlight falls on the Canadian College Women's Basketball Championship, which this year is being hosted by the Vancouver Island University Mariners from Nanaimo.

There is a Prince Rupert connection to this years season finale for the college game, as Rupertites will want to keep an eye on the score sheets from Nanaimo, as former Charles Hays Rainmaker Celina Guadagni's Mariners look to claim the CCAA title.

Guadagni and her team mates take to the court at 6 PM tonight in their first game of the tournament, as they face Holland College from Prince Edward Island.

Along with the VIU squad, Montmorency, Mount Allison, Humber, Sainte-Foy Holland, Lethbridge and Quest are all participating in the College Basketball season finale.

Events got underway on Wednesday with the CCAA Awards, first as the All Canadians were announced, as well as the Coach of the Year.

The tournament awards announcements wrapped up with the naming of the CCAA Women's basketball player of the year.

The highly competitive tournament tips off with Four Quarterfinal Games starting at 1 PM today.

The Full Schedule for the three day tournament, along with live streaming links can be found here.

You can also follow the tournament through Facebook, twitter and flickr

Nanaimo offered up a welcome to the participants of the 2015 CCAA Championships with the video below:




News items related to the three day tournament can be viewed below:

March 18 -- VIU set to host hoops nationals
March 17 -- College basketball championships coming up
March 10 -- Women's basketball first-round match-ups set
March 8 -- VIU Hosts Women's National Basketball Championships

More items related to Prince Rupert athletes playing away from the North Coast can be found on our archive page here.

RCMP hail work of volunteers for clean up mission at unauthorized gun range

Positive Prince Rupert
on clean up duties
off Highway 16
(from RCMP media release)

A group of Prince Rupert residents who are doing their part to try and change local attitudes when it comes to the environment, received a shout out from the local detachment of the RCMP this week.

The group headed by Prince Rupert resident Chantal Bolton, recently tackled the debris field of the unauthorized gun range off of Highway 16.

As we reviewed earlier this month, that location had become pretty much a garbage dump of sorts of late, as those using the illegal range left large amounts of trash during their time at the site.

Ms. Bolton who organizes area clean up sessions through social media and the Facebook page "Positive Prince Rupert" was recognized by the RCMP for the work her group did over the weekend.

"It is so refreshing to see community members taking such initiative to create and foster an environment for positive change. On behalf of the Prince Rupert RCMP we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Chantal and her team for their amazing accomplishment and hard work. "-- Constable Matt Ericson, spokesman for the Prince Rupert RCMP Detachment

Over the course of the last few months, Chantal and her Positive Prince Rupert group have cleaned up a number of other areas around both Prince Rupert and Port Edward, looking to promote positive change through their efforts.

You can learn more about their work at the unauthorized gun range, as well as how to contact the group to help out from this media release from the RCMP.

BG makes change at the top of its Canadian Unit

Madeline Whitaker from the BG Group
at one of her many past appearances
at Prince Rupert City Council

Some mixed messages regarding one of the proposed LNG projects for the North Coast, as  the BG Group shifts Madeline Whitaker away from the Canadian unit.

The company made its announcement on Tuesday, with word of it relayed through a number of business news websites in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Ms. Whitaker a familiar face at many BG functions and information updates in the community, is heading to England to take on duties at the energy giants headquarters.

The announcement of Tuesday added that the company at this time has no plans to hire a new President for BG Canada.

Two BG employees have been assigned to watch over the Canadian interests for the moment, Matt Sullivan, a Houston, Texas based director and Simon Nish, a VP for sustainability with an office in Vancouver.

The two are familiar with the Prince Rupert LNG project, having worked on it at times over the last five years.

As part of the announcement, company spokesman David Byford told the Reuters news agency that the move does not signal any change to the Prince Rupert LNG project.

Still, removing the main point person for the project, certainly doesn't suggest that there is any shift in thinking towards the timeline for any final investment decision on the project.

The Proposed BG Group
LNG project for
Ridley Island

Those familiar with our archive page, will remember that BG put it's British Columbia plans on pause in October of last year.

Since that time, there has not been much in the way of information released related to what was previously thought to be one of the region's front runners for LNG development.

Earlier this month we reviewed the 2015 Global Overview that was released by BG and noted at the time that the Canadian unit was not mentioned as part of that information update for the year ahead.

Background on the announcement can be found below, as more items become available regarding the move we will add them here.


Reuters -- Head of BG Group's Canadian LNG project leaves, not being replaced

For more items related to the BG Group's Prince Rupert LNG project see our archive page here.

Pacific NorthWest LNG project one of three to participate in development agreement negotiations with BC Government

The process of delivering some forward momentum towards development of some of the province's LNG Terminal proposals is bringing the provincial government and three of the province's would be LNG Terminal developers together.

With the provincial government seemingly looking to create certainty for the would be investors, particularly when it comes to such items as tax rates, gas royalties and other issues related to the large scale developments.

Among the three groups reportedly engaged in those discussions are representatives of Pacific NorthWest LNG, which has proposed an LNG terminal to be developed on Lelu Island near Port Edward.

This weekend, the Vancouver Sun's Gordon Hoekstra provided some background to the under the radar process of those discussions, with this item posted to the newspaper's website yesterday.

In his review, Hoekstra interviews a number of industry observers, who offer up some analysis that notes that agreements such as these are more common in countries with high political risk.  The process often used to reassure large investors, designed to provide certainty over concerns that a change of government could result in revisions to business arrangements.

For the moment British Columbians apparently won't learn much about those discussions, as according to Hoekstra's work, Natural Gas Minister Rich Coleman, has said that the details will not be made public until after a company makes a final investment decision.

The latest timeline regarding the Petronas led bid for the Pacific NorthWest LNG project anticipates a mid summer announcement regarding their Lelu Island proposal.

However, in recent weeks, the Environmental Assessment process for that project has been put on pause, as the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency seeks out more information on aspects of the proposed development.

Any  potential delay to the end of the EA process, could  have some impact when it comes to Petronas selecting a date for that highly anticipated Final Investment Decision.

For more items related to LNG development in the province see our general information archive, for notes related to the Pacific Northwest project see our archive of items for that proposal here.

Prince Rupert delegation heads north for Marine Highway discussions

You  might have heard some of Willie Nelson's On the Road Again wafting through the Prince Rupert air on Sunday afternoon, as Mayor Lee Brain and a delegation of Rupertites headed north to Alaska to take part in mid session discussions of the Southeast Conference.

This years event is being held in the Alaska capital of Juneau, taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. A full review of the draft agenda for the Mid-Session summit can be found here.

The Prince Rupert group heading for Juneau includes: Mayor Lee Brain representing the City of Prince Rupert, John Farrell, Herb Pond and Rosa Miller on behalf of the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce, Scott Farwell from Tourism Prince Rupert and Maynard Angus representing the Prince Rupert Port Authority

The six  North Coast travellers, have plans to join in on discussions regarding the Alaska Marine Highway and other items of shared interest across the A-B line.

The Mayor posted a photo to his twitter feed and Facebook page on Sunday, making note of the delegation as they prepared for their flight.

The Prince Rupert delegation to the South-East
Mid Session summit prepare for their flight
to Juneau for meetings March 17 and 18
(photo from Mayor Lee Brains, community
Facebook page)

According to the Mayor's twitter account, among the other events related to their northern travels will be an opportunity to meet with Alaska Governor  Bill Walker and other Alaska Government Committee members.

Occasions, where Transportation concerns will make for much of the talking points for the trip.

The Alaska Marine Highway has been a frequent topic of discussion on both sides of the border in recent months, particularly with planned service reductions and the controversy related to the proposed renovation of the Prince Rupert Terminal.

Topics which we imagine will be among some of the points for discussion during the journey north for the Mayor and his travelling party.

For more background on those Alaska Marine Highway issues, see our archive page here.

To learn more about some of the discussion points and topics of note at these gatherings, some background on last years Summit can be reviewed here.

Prince Rupert's Posh Pirates showcased in provincial review

The Success of Cow Bay's Posh Pirates
was recently featured on the
BC Jobs Plan website

One of Cow Bay's newest shopping attractions has found that its arrival on the Prince Rupert commercial scene has gained attention from far beyond the boarded sidewalks of the city's east side shopping district.

Post Pirates, a children's clothing and accessory store has been featured online through the Province's of British Columbia's News portal, part of the BC Government's ongoing features related to the BC Jobs Plan.

In the short overview of what Posh Pirates is all about, a focus is put on their green initiatives at the store, from selling cloth diapers, re-usable nursing pads and snack bags. To the practice of providing receipts only by email and making use of a wide number of recycled items throughout the store.

The child friendly nature of the store is also given prominence, particularly by way of its top attraction of the pirate ship play area.

For would be entrepreneurs, the snapshot also provides some advice from co-owners Denise Everett and Kim Brownlee, who have found the business world a rewarding place and offer up that the key to the balance between family and business is to find something you're passionate about that fits your lifestyle.

“We love being moms, but we are also both strong women who find being in the business world rewarding,” ... “Opening a child friendly business has provided us with an ideal way to balance it all.” -- Kim Brownlee explaining the business view that she and co-owner Denise Everett take towards their enterprise.

The store is one that has clearly found its niche in the North Coast commercial scene, having secured three nominations in the regions recent  Business Excellence Awards.

You can review more about the Posh Pirates story here.

For more items related to the commercial sector on the North Coast, see our archive page here.