Recreation Commission tapped to make decision on Skateboard stencil Art project

Last week during their Monday Council session, the Mayor and Council decided to shift a file of interest over to the newly created Recreation Commission.

Tasking that new community body to determine whether a proposed art project is suitable for the Prince Rupert skateboard location across from the Civic Centre.

The discussion came as part of the Correspondence for Action portion of the Monday session, as Council considered a letter from Charles Hays Secondary School Art Teacher, Antonio d'Emanuele who was seeking Councils approval for a project that would see students provide stencil art work for the park.

City Manager Robert Long provided the background on the proposal, which provided Council with the opportunity to discuss whether items such as this would be best forwarded to the Recreation Commission.

After a bit of conversation on that theme, Council decided to turn the proposal over to the Commission,
though Councillor Ashley did offer up the concern that the project is of a time sensitive nature with school about to end.

Councillor Garon also expressed her concerns that the previous art work at the site not be covered up as part of this new proposal and that the Recreation Commission examine that during their consideration of the subject.

Councillor Ashley also recommended that the Recreation Commission decision be the final word on the topic, with no need to return it to council for further action.

The Recreation Commission was to consider the proposal at their May 28th meeting, however no announcement has been made regarding their decision as of yet.

You can learn more about the stencil project from page 36 of the Council agenda.

The discussion on the topic is available on the City's Video Archive, it takes place from the one hour, one minute mark through to one hour, eight minutes.

For more items on developments at Prince Rupert City Council see our Archive page.

Council continues to have concerns about speeding issues

The driving habits of some residents of Prince Rupert were on the mind of City Council last week, as a number of councillors outlined their thoughts on issues of speeding in the community.

Councillor Judy Carlick-Pearson called attention to concerns of residents on the West side of the city, with the councillor recounting a number of complaints that she has received from residents of the Sloan, Pilsbury and Cassiar Streets , with motorists driving well above the posted limits.

Councillor Carlick-Pearson observed that the nature of the speeding on that side of town is leaving parents fearful for their children that are play in that area.

As part of her review of the situation, she also provided details on some of her frustrations in trying to provide that information to the RCMP, outlining how her calls on the topic were frequently being re-directed to Prince George.

The councillor asked that Council assist her in moving her concerns forward, which led to other councillors providing for their own items of interest on the speeding issue.

Councillor Ashley returned to a common theme of council of late, that being the speed of travel of Container and other truck traffic travelling through the downtown area. She expressed her ongoing concern over the high rate of speed that those trucks are travelling and how the issue could be one that results in a tragedy if not addressed.


Councillor Cunningham also provided a few thoughts on the topic as background on the issue.

At the end of the discussion, Council decided to task City Manager Long to make contact with the local detachment and seek more enhanced enforcement in the trouble areas.

You can review the discussion from the May 26th Council session, the topic of speeding issues arrives on the City's Video Archive for the session at the 1 hour, 26 minute mark.

For more background on items from Prince Rupert City Council see our Archive page.

One final question from Jennifer Rice before the Legislature session ends

The topic of the need for a shuttle bus along Highway 16 made one more appearance at the British Columbia Legislature this week, with North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice taking one more opportunity to ask the Liberal government as to their progress on the issue that has been at the forefront of her time in Victoria.

As she outlined her latest question on the theme to the Minister of Justic during the Thursday morning Question period, Ms. Rice recounted that by her math, she had raised the concern to the Liberal government ten times previous during the recent sitting, without receiving what she believes was a satisfactory answer.

Commissioner Oppal said the need for a bus along the Highway of Tears is clear and the support for these services "is so broad and undisputed that no debate or further discussion is needed." I have asked the Justice Minister this straightforward question ten times this session, and every time she has side-stepped. 

The minister's refusal to simply answer the question is a disservice to every missing woman, to their friends, to their families and to the countless women who can be kept safe in the future if the bus services are in place along the Highway of Tears. 

To the Minister of Justice, for the 11th time this session and on behalf of the victims, their friends and their families, will she implement safe and affordable bus service along the Highway of Tears? Yes or no?

We suspect that the reply from Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton, which touched on many of the Liberals past talking points won't tide her over until the Legislature next meets.

Among the usual points of rebuttal on the topic from the Liberals, Ms. Anton once again recounted the current transportation options on the highway corridor, as well as steps taken to improve policing methods and communication options for those that travel through the region.

The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry went to the north in British Columbia and heard from people in the north. It heard about the need for safety on all of the northern highways, because there were tragedies for women in many northern highways. 

That is why the recommendation is for safer transportation options on northern highways in British Columbia. That's why. It has to be looked at from two sides of that question. One is how much transportation and what kind of transportation, and the second is: what about safety on the highways the rest of the time? Indeed, there is transportation on Highway 16. 

There is bus, and there is train…. There's a health bus for people who need appointments. 

But, more important, all the rest of the time…. That is why it is important to have safe highways. That's why there is a partnership with Telus to have increased cell phone coverage. Now 70 percent of that highway has cell phone coverage. 

That's why our police in British Columbia have better communications between themselves than any other police department in North America — because it is safety at all times on those roads which is important. 

It's unfortunate for Ms. Rice that the Legislature session came to an end before a pair of writers from the Globe and Mail had posted the latest examination of the issues of Highway 16.

On Friday, Globe writers Sunny Dhillon and Ian Bailey outlined a fairly damning overview of the work of the Liberals when it comes to the Highway 16 corridor and the concerns that have been raised about it over the last decade.

As part of that review, the Globe article offers a startling, if not alarming, statistical review as to the nature of unemployment and poverty from Prince Rupert through to Prince George from recent years. 

And while those numbers from 2011 may have improved slightly in recent years, the work by the Globe shows that participation rates still make for a troubling aspect of the Highway 16 story, one that impacts on social issues in many communities Northern BC.

The review highlights many of the frustrations for those that have yet to benefit from the talk of boom times and how those frustrations have yet to be addressed, leaving many disillusioned at the lack of progress on any of the issues.

For those that may have given the topic just a cursory glance in the past, the Globe story makes for a good place to rejoin the discussion on the issues.

You can read the full article here.

Such work, outlining the many themes of concern in Northern BC, would have made for a powerful addition into the debate inVictoria.

However, the Legislature is now adjourned until the fall and with that,  MLA's and Government Ministers are returning to their various home constituencies.

Leaving the Globe article, as useful as it may have been to the discussion, be featured more as a thing of blog postings, twitter retweets and email forwards, before it may be entered into the Legislature debate at some future date.

The short exchange between Ms. Rice and the Attorney General can be found on the Legislature Draft minutes from Thursday morning it runs from the 1100 mark to 1105 on the timeline.

You can review the video Archive from the House Question period for Thursday from the Legislature Archive page. The Question and answer session starts at the sixty minute mark of the video player timeline.

For more items of note from developments at the British Columbia Legislature see our archive page.

Two from the Northwest to receive Order of British Columbia

This years list of honours for the Order of BC have been released by the Lieutenant Governor's office, with twenty five deserving British Columbians to receive the accolades for 2014.

Among those twenty five are two leaders from the Northwest who have provided dedication and inspiration to their communities.

From the Nisga'a nation, Chief Chester Moore has been named to the Order of BC, a hereditary chieftain and promoter of the Nisga'a culture. He has been recognized across the Northwest and through the province for his work towards the cultural survival of the Nisga'a through the years.

The second honouree from the Northwest is Chief Councillor Ellis Ross of the Haisla Nation, his leadership of the Haisla over the last nine years. His forward thinking and accomplishments on issues of  education, community facilities, job creation and economic partnerships were highlighted as part of the review of his work on behalf of the Haisla.

The two northwest members of this years Order join a rather impressive list of British Columbians to be honoured in Victoria on November 6th at Government House.

Among the who's who of BC for 2014: developer Bob Rennie, British Columbia hockey legend Pat Quinn, former Senator Len Marchand and author and artist Douglas Copeland.

You can review full biographies on Chief Moore and Chief Ross as well as all of the Order of British Columbia recipients from this item from Order of BC website.

More background on the Order of British Columbia can be found here.

The City provides its response to Watson Island case

The much anticipated City of Prince Rupert reply to the legal proceedings initiated by the Watson Island Development Corporation, has finally been delivered to the British Columbia court system.

A thirty four page response from the City's lawyers, that offers up a fair amount of background on the longest running story of the North Coast, with a good portion of the response featuring the City proclaiming the phrase "the city denies"...

In fact, over those 34 pages, that phrase is highlighted over thirty times. Covering off pretty well every item from the Watco Claim.

As the 48 points that make up the City's response to the legal issues come to its end, the key declaration has the City stating that "The City denies that Watco is entitled to the remedies claimed in the Notice of Civil Claim"

As well the filing concludes with the City seeking a discharge of the certificates of pending litigation registered by Watco on the lands, and costs incurred by the City as a result of the registration of the certificates of pending litigation.

As its final point, the City advises that it is seeking special costs or alternatively costs.

The Court document of Tuesday is the foundation of a recent story in the city's weekly newspaper, which uses much of the background from it for their review of the latest developments regarding Watson Island.

However, for some reason that story appears to be focused on one comment from 2009, reportedly from the Lax Kw'alaams Band.

Which as the city outlines in the court filing, states that the Lax Kw'alaams Band "threatened conflict".

That aspect of the review of the court document appears in the headline of the Northern View story, as well as a good portion of the opening paragraphs of the story.

It makes for an interesting focus for that review, considering that five years have almost passed since that original talking point. And for the most part, its relevance to the current situation that the city finds itself engaged in is never really made clear.

And while the remainder of the article touches on a few points to be found in the court filings, it's that theme of "threatened conflict" that most will probably make for the major take away from the article.

Neither the court document, nor the article however, provides any background as to what shape that potential for conflict may have taken. Making for a topic that Lax Kw'alaams representatives might wish to clarify for their neighbours at some point.

While those items make for an interesting side story to the topic, when it comes to the current setback on the Watson Island files, careful reading of the court filing might suggest that the clock perhaps starts a few years after that correspondence.

With late 2013 as the trigger point for the latest events that have us all heading back to the courtroom.

It's in December of 2013 where the two parties appear to find themselves on different pages when it comes to the future of the Watson Island, particularly when it came to interpretation of the status of the proposed sale of the industrial site.

Those disagreements on events moved through January and into March, with legal counsel representatives exchanging correspondences regarding a range of issues related to the Agreement under discussion.

All of which led up to the March 27th announcement that Watco had advanced litigation to the British Columbia Supreme Court, you can review some background on that development here.

Tuesday's filing of its response by the City (two months to the day from when the issue first became known) provides its opening rebuttal to those claims and lays the foundation for what could be another lengthy stretch of time in the courts for Prince Rupert's most infamous conversation topic.

Local residents with an interest in the theme can access the document for themselves through the Court Services Office website.

The cost of learning some of the intrigue behind the Watson Island story is a six dollar charge, with similar charges for further items if desired.

Those inclined can start the process here, type in watson island where it says organization and you will reach the CSO paywall to make your payment and then settle in for a little legal reading.

The full thirty four pages do provide a fairly useful recap of the travails of Watson Island, though this particular document is presented through the prism of the City's talking points.

The document is broken down into two key segments, the background to the dispute (25 and a half pages) and the legal response to the current course of litigation (8 and a half pages).

All of it makes the six dollar fee about the best investment an interested Rupertite might make, when it comes to a historical review of the recent issues of the one time pulp mill site.

Perhaps as a course of transparency for its residents, the City of Prince Rupert might wish to secure a universal licence for the court documents and post them to its newly refurbished website.

Such a move would be a very helpful step for interested members of the community, who no doubt are concerned about how a deal that seemed to be closing in on the homestretch but seven months ago, so suddenly went off the rails.

With the City filing their paperwork with the courts, the prospect of any kind of negotiated settlement between the two sides would appear to be slipping far beyond the horizon. Leaving us all to wait for the court dates to be set and then to stand by, as the drama of Watson Island once again plays out in a court room.

Perhaps while we wait, Council might offer up some background information for the community when it comes to this latest development.

As we've seen in the past, this Council is never shy to weigh in on topics of community interest (of late topics have included, the Port, Pinnacle Pellet and Environmental issues on LNG to name a few).

We would hope they might be equally engaged when it comes to the status of the current impasse over Watson Island, as well as to the ongoing costs of maintenance and legal fees regarding the current situation.

You can  re-familiarize yourself with the talking points of the past with our items of interest on the Watson Island files from our Archive page.

Lax Kw'alaams launches Marine Use study

With a growing number of LNG and other industrial projects proposed for the North Coast region, the Lax Kw'alaams Band is seeking consultation with their community, in order to document the ways that their members use and value the marine areas of their territory.

Towards that goal, the have begun the process of a Marine Use study, making use of two consultants to work with a team of researchers to get a better understanding of any issues of concern to
members of Lax Kw'alaams.

The two consultants, Julie Gardner and Tim Wilson, will be focusing on communicating the stories of the community by way of story documentation, pictures and maps.

To put together those information pieces, they will be conducting meetings with members of the Lax Kw'alaams in Prince Rupert, Terrace and Vancouver.

The finished product will be part of a report that the Band intends to use to assert their rights and title in any future negotiations and to ensure the protection of the Lax Kw'alaams marine environment over the long term.

You can review more on the project from the Lax Kw'alaams website.

For more items on developments with Lax Kw'alaams see our archive page.

North Coast MLA joins debate on Bill 24 with thoughts on democracy

Proposed amendments to Bill 24 dealing with the Agricultural Land Reserve have been high among the list of concerns for NDP MLA's in this spring session of the Legislature.

With many of our elected representatives engaging in discussion on the proposed changes to the Agricultural Land reserve and the impact that those changes could bring.

B. C. set to overhaul Agricultural Land Reserve

B. C. MLA's e-mail shed new light on ALR backroom politics
NDP accuse Liberals of 'vote-buying over Bill 24
Agriculture council would prefer one ALR zone for all
Shortsighted Bill 24: Don't Cut Ag Land, Help Farmers

The topic of Bill 24 is one that has clearly caught the interest of North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice, who as we outlined on the blog, spoke to the issue two weeks ago.

Ms. Rice once again joined in on that contentious discussion this week, taking part in House Sessions on the theme on both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.

Adding her name to those that would prefer to see the issue  referred to a Select Standing Committee and with the recommendation that witnesses be invited to those sessions to assist in those deliberations.

As part of her review of the topic for the House, Ms. Rice  recalled her concerns on the nature of democracy that spurred her on to politics, first as a city councillor in Prince Rupert and then in her bid for a seat at the Legislature.

In the course of her comments to the Legislature, she offered up her overview of the disengagement of the voter to the political process in recent years.

Many of the non-voting population that I engaged during my election campaign — of any generation — stated that they felt their vote didn't matter. 

I feel that when governments fail to listen to their constituents, we witness a disengagement and an erosion of democracy. An erosion of democracy ensues. Failure to consult on this crucial piece of legislation is an oligarchic move, in my opinion. 

My hope would be that we encourage, not discourage, civic participation.

They are comments which make for some interesting observations on the theme of democracy.

Though from her short stay at the municipal level, it was a topic that perhaps didn't get a full review from her council counterparts.

At least if we judge democracy and civic engagement by the string of in cameras sessions that she was a part of during her time on City Council. Something that surely contributes to the impression that the voter doesn't matter and offers up impressions of a lack of transparency.

One item in particular comes to mind on the theme of civic engagement. That being last years City Financial discussions, where Council held a public forum to seek guidance on their Budget deliberations, only to then disappear behind the closed doors to disregard most of that consultation.

As events of the time moved forward, Council instead worked out a deal with CUPE to seemingly solve the financial concerns of the day. Though terms of that deal were never delivered to the public either before, or after the public forum, our contribution to the process apparently no longer required.

You can review some of that discussion at the Council chambers from our timeline of May 13, 2013, though the contributions at the time from our now MLA were rather limited to the theme. Her thoughts perhaps focused on her quest for provincial office that was taking place last year.

Beyond that rather stark reminder of dis-engagement, near as we remember there were more than a few other issues to that theme during her time on Council.

Items that local residents perhaps might have wished to have seen a bit more transparency on from the local government that she was a part of at the time.

You can review her talking points on democracy to the Legislature from Tuesday at the 1820 mark of the Draft minutes of the Legislature session from Tuesday.

Her contribution from Wednesday can be found at the 1510 to 15 30 mark.

For more items on developments in Victoria see our Archive page.

Write to read builds libraries in First Nations communities

The story of a literary project that has taken off in British Columbia received some well deserved acclaim from the National broadcaster this week.

The CBC's flagship news program The National featured the story of "Write to Read" which brought Provincial Court Judge and former Lieutenant General Stephen Point and former RCMP officer Bob Blacker together, originally hoping to just promote literacy in First Nations communities in the province.

That early plan however grew impressively over the years, with the project now having provided for fully stocked libraries for six communities to date, with Bella Bella and Old Masset among those to benefit from the early days of the project.

Buoyed from that success, there are now plans in the works to deliver six more libraries to First Nations communities in the near future.

It's a story of marshaling resources, making connections and providing for a much required resource to communities that have struggled to have access toreading materials that such a project has provided for.

During the course of their efforts, Mr. Point and Mr. Blacker recruited retired librarians for their project and found that Rotary Clubs in British Columbia were also eager to lend their support to move the initiative forward.

Write to Read is much more than books however, it's a story about people coming together on a common cause, all of it a project that started with the simple process of bringing a box of books to a distant community.

You can learn more about the Write to read project from this story from the CBC website.

The story as featured on The National can be found below:



An overview of what the Write to Read Project is all about can be found from their website

Federal and Provincial governments to work with North Coast First Nations on energy engagement

As we outlined on the blog earlier today, representatives of the Federal, Provincial and First Nations governments all gathered in Prince Rupert on Tuesday afternoon.

Providing background on a pair of initiatives that will provide easier access  and engagement on energy infrastructure issues for First Nations of the North Coast.

Greg Rickford, the Federal Minister of Natural Resources outlined the nature of the twin approaches to community involvement.  With local participation in the Major Projects Management Office West, which serves to coordinate activities on energy infrastructure with BC First Nations.

As well, First Nations on the North Coast will become participants in a Tripartite Forum, sharing information with Federal and Provincial levels of government and identify common interests on issues that directly impact on Aboriginal participation in the development of energy and Natural resources on the North Coast.

Both Mayor Gary Reece of Lax Kw'alaams and Chief Harold Leighton of the Metlakatla First Nation heralded today's developments as a welcome addition to the dialogue between their communities and both Federal and provincial governments.

As part of the discussion on today's announcement, the success of the Rail-Utility corridor at Ridley Island was presented as a blue print of sorts.

Highlighting the cooperation and opportunities that First Nations on the North Coast are looking to continue on with, as they look for access to  energy infrastructure projects that are preparing to move forward in the region.

"Today's announcement by Minister Rickford is an important step forward in strengthening the relationship between the federal government and First Nations, including the Coast Tsimshian, on energy projects. Members of our community want to ensure projects are safe for the environment, our marine resources, and generate business opportunities and jobs for our members, as we have done successfully on initiatives like the Road-Rail Utility Corridor Project." -- Mayor Garry Reece Lax Kw'alaams First Nation . . . 

"We are pleased to see the federal government recognizes the importance of working with First Nations on issues related to energy infrastructure. The Coast Tsimshian are proud of its record as business partner on the Road-Rail Utility Corridor Project. Most of the workers on the construction site are from the region and about one half are from local First Nations communities. They are bringing the project in on schedule while gaining valuable work experience." -- Chief Harold Leighton Metlakatla First Nation.

Details of today's announcement can be found here.

You can review some background on the Major Management Office for the West from the Natural Resources Canada website.

Also available from that portal is a review of the Tripartite Forum process announced at today's media conference in Prince Rupert

Federal and Provincial Ministers to meet with North Coast First Nations on Energy today

The interpretive centre at the Port of Prince Rupert will play host to another announcement on energy development today.

As the Federal Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford and John Rustad, British Columbia's Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation  meet with representatives of the Lax Kw'alaams First Nation and Metlakatla First Nation.

Minister Rickford and Minister Rustad, along with Chief Garry Reece of Lax Kw'alaams and  Ryan Leighton of Metlakatla will outline the outcome of recent discussions, providing for background on the latest measures of what is being called enhanced engagement on energy infrastructure.

No details have been released as to the nature of those discussions prior to this afternoon's announcement, which is set to take place at 1 PM.

Prince Rupert Port Authority introduces new member to Board of Directors

The Prince Rupert Port Authority is adding one more name to its listings of the Board of Directors, announcing that Mr. Kenneth Clayton of South Delta has been appointed to the Board.

Mr. Clayton,  graduated from UBC's Public Civil Engineering Program in 1971 and has provided leadership on a number engineering projects in the province through the decades.

Since 1990, he has served as President of Humphrey Construction, providing general contracting experience to the fishing and port industry in the province.

“Engineering and construction have been a lifetime commitment and career, one that I have enjoyed — and one that I remain totally involved in and passionate about,” ... “It will be a privilege to be able to use my experience to help guide the Port of Prince Rupert’s growth and development in concert with its Directors and employees.” -- Kenneth Clayton on what he will bring to the Board of Directors of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

His announcement was made by Mr. Bud Smith, Chairman of the Board of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, you can review the list of other members of board here.

Details on yesterdays appointment of Mr. Clayton can be reviewed here.

For more items of interest on developments at the Prince Rupert Port authority see our archive page here.

Rotating Teacher Strikes Underway today, as the Education Minister enters the fray!

Education Minister Peter Fassbender offered up his first comments on the launch of rotating strikes across the province today, outlining the latest discussion points from the BC Liberal Government when it comes to the ongoing labour dispute in the education sector.

His opening remarks on the first day of the week long rotating strikes, pointed the government's finger of blame towards the BCTF as the picket lines appeared at a number of schools in the province.

“It is unfortunate that the BCTF leadership is shutting down schools with their rotating strikes - it is always students and parents who bear the greatest brunt when the BCTF orders teachers to walk out.-- Education Minister Peter Fassbender with the Government response to the start of rotating strikes at BC's Public schools

Mr. Fassbender also provided a list of concerns that the Government has on the nature of the dispute, carrying on the theme of the dueling press releases that made for much of last weeks back and forth between the BCTF and the BCPSEA.

For those looking to read the full statement from the Education Minister, it is available on the BC Government website.

The labour disruptions today, mark the start of four days of teacher walkouts across the province, Prince Rupert parents and students will find School District 52 teachers on the picket lines on Tuesday.

As we outlined last week on the blog,  School District  52 provided parents with a heads up as to its plans for tomorrow's local walkout.

As Monday's picket lines formed in those School Districts affected by today's strike schedule, the BCTF received support from a string of provincial and national union leaders, as well as from a list of NDP MLA's, many of whom took to twitter to offer their support to those off the job today.

Much of that support and the ongoing discussion on the theme of the dispute over education can be found on the twitter feed of #bced

And while the BCTF counts up those that are offering up their support so far. Of interest perhaps to the Prince Rupert District Teachers' Association, is the lack of commentary on events from North Coast NDP MLA Jennifer Rice.

As the dispute heated up over the last few weeks, the North Coast MLA has yet to have offered much, if any contribution to the theme of the labour dispute on any of her many social media portals or through her work at the Legislature.

While the back and forth plays out through media releases, the actual negotiations are set to resume this afternoon. With the first session since last week's developments set to bring both sides to the table again, looking to find some common ground, where at the moment little of it would appear to be in sight.

To keep up to date on developments in the dispute, check our archive page on the issues of the negotiations, which is updated regularly through the day.

Rupertites ready to take to their two wheels for Bike to Work week

The prospect of Bike to Work Week normally involves a careful scan of the long range weather forecast, our unpredictable weather patterns offering up more than a few challenges to the truly devoted.

Still, late May should be better than late March (though you wouldn't have known it last week) so with fingers crossed Prince Rupert residents that signed up for the week long celebration take to their bicycles this week.

The Ride your Bike to Work event  was officially kicked off on Saturday, with registration taking place at the Ice House Gallery.

The One week challenge will see individuals or teams competing from Monday May 26th, to Saturday May 31st.  Participants need to only ride their bicycle once during the week to qualify for a number of prizes, with a range of activities planned for the week ahead.

The wrap up to Bike to Work week comes up on May 31st with a BBQ and awarding of prizes to take place at the Salmonberry Farmer's Market at the Prince Rupert Courthouse.

Here for your bike riding planning, is the week long forecast for Prince Rupert from Environment Canada.

You can find out more about the Challenge from the facebook page created for the event.

City of Prince Rupert website gets a makeover

It's shiny and new and with a click of your mouse it is waiting for you!

Prince Rupert residents, as well as those from afar interested in learning more about the City of Prince Rupert are going to find a whole new visual presentation on the City's website.

The on line portal now features a brand new look, providing for a modern presentation compared to the old version, a time capsule of a website which looked very much lost in the early days of Internet information delivery.

The updated portal provides much the same information as the old version, however it looks quite impressive in design and provides for an easy to navigate home page.

The new site offers an easy to use  interface which directs users to whatever kind of information they wish to access.

The home page is divided into a number of key information options, Opening with a rotating review of what the City has selected as the top items of interest located at the top of the page.

For most residents and out of town visitors the Popular Links destination probably will deliver the bulk of desired information.

Among some of those information links are:

Emergency Information, News Releases, Online Services, as well as items from the Mayor and Council, Bylaws and Policies and Recreation items all make up part of the main focus.

You can also access information on Community Events as well as view the latest session of Prince Rupert City Council from the home page.

In addition to the main information items dedicated to the website, the redesigned home page from the city offers up links to it's Facebook page and twitter feed.

At the very top of the new web page is a task bar that provides for a drop down menu of other items. Providing a wide range of options that residents and visitors may find very useful as they seek out information on any number of topics.

The new design moves the City's information portal into the modern era of information delivery, though in the end, the website will only be as good as the information that is provided for it.

In past months, the City has not made the best use of its Internet options, information was slow to be delivered to their portal and news releases and notices were decidedly of the dated variety.

Hopefully, with a shiny new website will come the opportunity to provide much more information to public and offer it up in  a timely manner.

A whole new concept to the term "stuffing the box"

The prospect of a fast increase in economic development on the North Coast has provided for some concern as to how to accommodate the large volume of workers anticipated to arrive with the start of some of the many project proposed for the region in the years to come.

During the course of this weeks LNG in BC conference, BigSteelBox Structures of Kelowna have set up shop at the Trade Fair that is running as part of the conference.

The company is providing a hands on display model for conference participants, as well as some background on a unique solution to the prospect of employee housing at large scale developments.

The company is offering the prospect of 10 by 40 foot Steel containers, described as high end condo style accommodations, easily transported to various work camps simple to set up and offering a wide range of accessories that could make camp life as enjoyable experience as possible.

You can review some of the specs on the container housing model from the company website.

BigSteelBoxes recently announced their plans for Northern Expansion, to service the Northwest and North Coast, with an eye on the many projects projected for development in the region.

Some background on their presentation at the LNG in BC conference can be found below:

Steel boxes outfitted as luxury LNG work camps
"Luxury" Shipping Container Rooms Unveiled for B. C. LNG workers

Over 2.8 million dollars in Infrastructure funding available to Prince Rupert from Federal Gas Tax Fund

The shovels can hit the ground shortly for any number of Prince Rupert infrastructure projects, as an agreement has been reached on funding through the Federal Gas Tax Fund.

Thursday, the Province of British Columbia outlined the terms of a renewed agreement on the Federal Gas Tax Fund, which will provide local governments across BC with the opportunity to choose and plan infrastructure projects based on their priorities.

“Renewing the Gas Tax Agreement sustains support for key local infrastructure projects in British Columbia over the next ten years. Achieved by a partnership between the Government of British Columbia, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and the Government of Canada, the agreement provides significant funding to help B.C. communities continue to prosper as great places to live, work, invest, play and visit.” --  Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development speaking to the Gas Tax funding agreement with the Federal Government 

James Moore, the Federal Minister of Industry, Provincial Minister Oakes and Rhona Martin, President of the UBCM all heralded the agreement as a key aspect of municipal funding for infrastructure concerns across the province.



The news will be a welcome development for the City of Prince Rupert, which has a long list of projects to address some of the aging infrastructure in the city.

According to the table distributed yesterday by the UBCM, Prince Rupert will receive $2,873,131.74  in funding over the next five years.

2014-15 -- $552,519.10
2015-16 -- $552,519.10
2016-17 -- $580,145.38
2017-18 -- $580,145.38
2018-19 -- $607,802.78

Port Edward has been allocated $373,772.31 over the same five year period.

2014-15 -- $71,855.64
2015-16 -- $71,855.64
2016-17 -- $75,448.44
2017-18 -- $75,448.44
2018-19 -- $79,162.15

The full list, featuring amounts for other Northwest communities can be found here.

Details on the Gas Tax Fund Announcement can be found here.

The UBCM explains more on the program through this item in the Compass.

The nature of infrastructure requirements in Prince Rupert have been a frequent discussion topic at Prince Rupert City Council, the short list of what's in the works for the year ahead can be found below.

City Engineering Department outlines its "To Do" list for 2014

For more on developments at City Hall see our Archive page.

CEAA reportedly requests more information regarding Petronas Environmental Assessment

PacificNorthwest LNG will apparently have to do a bit more research when it comes to their bid for environmental approval for their Lelu Island Terminal Proposal.

According to an item posted today from the Bloomberg News Group, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has asked Petronas/Pacific Northwest LNG to provide further details regarding questions about the impact of the proposed project on marine resources, air quality and how it may affect aboriginal groups in the region.

The request was reportedly made by way of a correspondence to the company on May 9th.

The time that is required by PacificNorthwest to compile the additional information will not be held against their 365 day time limit for the assessment.

However, the need for more information by the CEAA could mean a delay when it comes to any final approval decision from the Federal Regulator.

You can review the Bloomberg News item here.

The CEAA page for the Pacific Northwest LNG Project can be found here.

Our archive of items on the Pacific Northwest LNG proposal can be found here.

Update:

By way of his twitter feed, Globe and Mail reporter Brent Jang, provided some background on the  response by Petronas/Pacific Northwest LNG to the CEAA developments.

Calvin Helin reviews his Eagle Spirit Energy project for VICE

For television viewers looking for cutting edge news documentaries these days, HBO Canada's VICE contributions are making for must watch television.

With the reporters from VICE taking on stories and offering background that sometimes is missed by the more traditional media groups.

Beyond their weekly productions for HBO Canada, VICE also hosts a website  and YouTube site full of much of their work and other items that their editorial and reporting staff have found to be worthy of follow up.

One item we came across on the Vice website this week, is the proposed pipeline and oil terminal project proposed by Calvin Helin through the Eagle Spirit Holding Group.

Discussion on that proposal has started to percolate in recent months, particularly after the vote in Kitimat that provided for a less a rejection of the Enbridge project by those that voted.

Mr. Helin touches on the Northern Gateway proposal and the Kitimat vote as part of his interview, providing his observations on the setbacks that the project has faced in communities across Northern BC.

He also makes mention of the term "social licence" the new talking point it appears when it comes to any form of development in Northern British Columbia.

"Social Licence" was a term that first came up last fall through a household mailer sent out by NDP MP Nathan Cullen.

Since that time, the concept of the Social Licence has been used in discussions ranging from any number of proposed developments in Northern BC, focusing mainly on the mining, forestry and LNG extraction proposals of late.

How that Social Licence concept may impact on the large scale projects proposed for the region has yet to be fully outlined thus far however.

As for the Eagle Spirit Terminal project that is proposed for the Grassy Point area of the North Coast, Mr. Helin provides much the same background on it as he has in previous interviews. Highlighting the Grassy Point option as a better location than what Enbridge had proposed in Kitimat.

He also reviews for VICE the concept of the proposed synthetic crude oil upgrader that would be built to ship the processed product to world markets.

The interview doesn't offer up much in the way of new information on the project, nor does it outline the fact that not everyone in Northern British Columbia is on board with the Eagle Spirit proposal.

However, it does suggest that the project is gaining some interest beyond the Northwest, which should serve to move the conversation further in the months to come.

You can review the full interview from the Vice website here.

For some of our background items on the Eagle Spirit Holdings project see our archive page here.

Mayor Mussallem wants region to stay in the LNG Race

As LNG proponents and government officials continue to outline the future of LNG for the province at the LNG in BC convention this week, Mayor Jack Mussallem it would seem has made note of the comments from the CEO of Petronas Energy on Wednesday.

As we outlined on the blog yesterday, the Petronas CEO issued a warning shot of sorts on LNG Suggesting that the LNG industry needs a bit of certainty over the province's plans on taxation and for good measure, gently suggested that the price point from the province should not be at a level that will drive investment away.

Mayor Muasslem picked up on the theme of those words for Vancouver radio station CKNW,  expressing the opinion that Prince Rupert has a bit of interest in the ongoing conversation, offering up the thought that moving LNG forward should take place in a seamless manner.

The Mayor's comments have been replayed through this morning on CKNW, you can listen to his observations from the Audio player for Friday morning ( the first sample of the day can be found at 6AM see 1 minute 55 seconds)

"There is a window of opportunity here, this is a great amount of awareness, and I don’t think anybody wants to miss that.” -- Mayor Jack Mussallem, speaking to CKNW about LNG development for the North Coast.

In recent months, the Mayor and Council have spent a fair amount of their council sessions discussing the potential impact of LNG terminal development and how it could make for a major shift in the economic fortunes of the region.

For now, the prospect of LNG development appears to be the main planning option that the City has been focusing its future towards.

To have some cautionary words provided by the main proponent of the project which many believe is the most advanced on it timeline, probably is providing for a fair bit of interest and maybe even a bit of concern from City Hall this week.

Background on the proposed Petronas project known as PacificNorthwest LNG can be found here.

You can review more of the developments from the LNG in BC conference from our archive page here.

Terrace Airport receives grant for apron expansion

With an increase in passenger levels reported almost monthly these days, Terrace's Northwest Regional Airport is preparing to add more  room on the apron for aircraft to park.

Towards that project the Northern Development Initiative Trust has provided airport officials with a 250,000 grant, which will allow for three commercial aircraft to be serviced at the terminal at the same time.

The expansion will also result in reduced waiting times for passengers in the terminal building and reduce congestion in that area. The apron project is expected to get underway before summer starts.

It's not the only change to the Terrace airport in the planning stages, Airport officials also have proposed renovations to the airport building, with plans in place to eventually expand the terminal building, which would feature a new holding area for passengers and provide for three separate passenger gates.

Those changes are all related to a surge of use at the airport in recent years, between 2012 and 2013 passenger levels for the Terrace airport increased by 38 per cent.  A potion of that increase has come from North Coast residents making the 90 minute drive to Terrace to take advantage of the larger volume of flights out of that location.

As the growing number of industrial projects proposed for the Terrace and Kitimat region continue to develop, Airport officials expect that airport usage will grow with equally impressive numbers in the years to come.

You can review more on Thursday's announcement here.

For background on other Air Transportation items across the Northwest see our archive page.