Prince Rupert Boil Water advisory to last over the weekend

The current Boil Water order in place for residents of the Westview area of the city will remain in effect at least through the weekend, that according to the latest advisory to be delivered from the City of Prince Rupert.

The City updated the status of the current situation on Tuesday evening through this notice to their website.

Advising that they will performing "uni-directional flushing of the water mains in the area over the next few days in order to refresh the system."

In addition to the City's update, Northern Health provided their first review of the situation through a pair of twitter notices posted to the Northern Health Twitter feed on Tuesday.

You can review our original item from Monday on the Boil Water Advisory here.

Included in that item is the scope of the region under the advisory and the recommended precautions to take as outlined by the City.

So far, only one candidate remains consistent on issues in Prince Rupert Election Campaign

With six weeks until the November vote for Prince Rupert Council, the flow of information from incumbent candidates would seem to be off to a very, very slow start.

A situation that leaves us with little in the way of discussion points for the campaign coming from those that have been in the thick of municipal affairs over the last three years.

That lack of communication from the incumbents is leaving the campaign agenda to the newcomers in the race to this point and with that, some questions about how Council has handled some past issues are slowly making their way into the discussion.

One interesting theme came as a  result of the past week of UBCM meetings in Whistler, and the lack of information from the Mayor and Council regarding their plan of attack for that late September trip.

Council Candidate Blair Mirau has been running an ask the candidate forum on his website since he started his quest for a Council seat and last week one participant on his Q and A forum called attention to the convention and the city's participation at the UBCM event.

You can review the full  Q and A section of Mr. Mirau's website here

The question on UBCM and information from Council that was asked of the candidate is one that probably hits home for many others in the community as well, considering the lack of updates at to what the city's goals and agenda items might have been as they made their way down to Whistler.

In the lead up to UBCM there were occasional mentions of the trip to come at Council, for the most part however they were observations made in passing during past Council sessions.

The most recent comment was on the theme of Council hosting a workshop prior to the meeting, suggestion which was offered up by Councillor Anna Ashley as part of the September 2nd Council session.

However, beyond that brief mention of the planning stage for the North Coast trek, little other information was provided by Council in the weeks leading up to their journey.

No update from Council was provided prior to departure, as to who was planning on attending on behalf of the City, or what they hoped to bring to the attention of their fellow councillors in convention.

Something which Mr. Mirau had thoughts on, particularly as it relates to the issue of how Council delivers information to the public. He then went a bit further on the topic of the city's UBCM contributions, highlighting the controversial topic of Port payments and the discussion that the current situation provided for during council sessions this year.

That was one topic that Council did take to UBCM this year and as we noted last week, it was a theme that LNG Minister Rich Coleman addressed in his opening address to the convention.

With the  Minister seeming to reject the belief that the current situation is flawed, in fact suggesting that the Rupert system may prove to be the provincial blue print for LNG industry development.

Mr. Mirau tackles the port payments issue on his website, offering a different viewpoint of the current council thinking on the topic.  His commentary on the issue, offers up a review that would certainly put him on the other side of the table, from what in the most part is a solid block of the current council that is in lock step with the Mayor when it comes to their discussions with the Port.

As we outlined last week, the would be candidate has also tackled the topic of more cooperation with other communities in the region, a theme he has expanded on through a YouTube video presentation, a form of message delivery which we believe might be the first use of that information portal in a municipal campaign in recent years.

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Mr. Mirau's thoughts on those themes and many others, might be a valuable asset for Council after the November vote, the prospect of taking a different look at current issues is one that might provide for a welcome change from the last number of years.

Should he find success on election day he might actually be able to help turn the Council chamber into an actual place for lengthy discussion of key issues in public, something that hasn't been very common in recent years.

If nothing else, his comments through his website offer up the topic for discussion right now before we vote, issues that should become part of the campaign through the next six weeks.

As we head into October, Mr. Mirau is pretty well the only candidate for office that is offering any kind of narrative of items of importance in the campaign.

Mayoralty candidate Lee Brain's contributions thus far are spotty at best, after an initial burst of information at the start of his campaign, he has been fairly silent of late. With few updates on issues for the campaign posted to any of his information portals.

Of those currently serving on Council, the flow of information from the Mayor has been limited to ad spots in the weekly newspaper, while the rest of those on Council have had little to say about their plans for November, let alone offering any kind of topic for discussion.

More than a few of those seeking our vote in November could take a page from Mr. Mirau's council quest notebook.  For the moment, he seems to be the only one looking for our vote that is offering up information on his candidacy and asking the voter what they think is important to them.

Both of which would seem to be the purpose of the election exercise.

You can follow our Municipal election coverage from our archive page.

Fukasaku Restaurant Chowder goes to the finals of Vancouver's Chowder Chowdown!

It's one of the more popular of dishes at Prince Rupert's Fukasaku Restaurant and by mid November the secret of the North Coast may be know to larger circles.

The "Rupert Chowder" is one of the finals in a Vancouver competition known as the Chowder Chowdown which features sustainable Ocean Wise Chowders.

The Chowder Chowdown is sponsored by the Vancouver Aquarium and takes place on November 19th at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Should you find yourself in Vancouver at that time the event, you can cheer on our local celebrity chef as the judging begins, the event starts at 7 PM, with tickets going for 50 dollars.

More on the competition, including biographies on all of the chefs involved in the event, including Fukasaku's Dai Fukasaku can be found from this item on the Vancouver Aquarium website

The excitement of the road ahead, as well as reviews of some of the other tempting dining options from the restaurant can be found on the Fukasuka Facebook page

You can find more on developments with Prince Rupert's commercial sector from our archive page

School District outlines application process for Education Support Program payments

With school now back in session, the Province is about to begin processing applications for the 40 dollars a day education support payment, the controversial reimbursement program for parents of children affected by the recent education labour dispute.

Parents on the North Coast who are looking for more information on the application process for the program can turn to the School District 52 website for a bit of help.

As part of the home page of the SD52 information portal is a short background item on the project and what North Coast parents need to know about it, as well as the process required for registration for reimbursement.

Payment dates from the program were in effect from what would have been the start of the school year, through to the date of the ratification vote by the British Columbia Teachers Federation.

Parents are only required to register once for the program.

More on the program, including the full review of the program from the Ministry of Education can be found here.

Third Avenue Commercial strip set to see more change in October

The fall is shaping up to be a month of closings and openings for the Third Avenue shopping area, with two more stores putting up the Going out of business signs along the 300 block, with the prospect of a few new businesses in the process of arriving on the scene.

Kix's shoes and 3 C Clothing recently started the process of wrapping up their operations on Third Avenue, the latest of commercial outlets that have decided to call it quits on the main shopping street in the city.

They follow Rainforest Books up the block, which closed its operations over the summer, a potential
sale to keep a book store in operation in that location seeming to fall through in recent months.

However, the Rainforest  location may not be empty for long. As it appears that someone is  preparing to open that location up with a new business opportunity.

The early indications seemi to suggest that it will either be a collectible shop for a range of items, or a second hand or thrift shop kind of business.

Details for what may be ahead have yet to be revealed, while work continues inside the doors and behind the mysterious brown paper.

That new location, will join the Little Anchors consignment shop on that same block, the most recent  addition to that stretch of our downtown shopping area opened its doors earlier this year in March.

You can review some of our past items on the commercial sector of the city from our archive page here.

Airport Transportation the subject of short survey from Chamber of Commerce

As we mentioned earlier in the month, Prince Rupert now has a shiny new Airport shuttle terminal in the downtown area, a welcome (and dry) alternative for Air Canada passengers and those awaiting them to make use of beside the Rupert Hotel.

With the shuttle terminal situation taken care of,  moves continue to make the passenger experience a bit more enjoyable for North Coast residents and visitors.

Towards that goal, residents of the region are being asked to turn their attention towards the ground transportation option that takes us to the Digby Island airport.

The Chamber of Commerce is currently conducting a survey, asking those that participate if they would be willing to spend one dollar extra per round trip to and from the airport to help offset the cost of purchasing new buses.

If the plan is put in motion, the cash added on project to provide for more modern transportation options to YPR  would last for five years.

The rather rustic nature of some of the bus transportation to the airport has made for much discussion in the past, with Mayor Mussallem once mentioning the prison bus nature of the current transportation model.

The airport bus initiative is the latest in moves in the community to make the flight experience out of YPR a little more enjoyable.

The recent opening of the shuttle terminal and ongoing renovations to the Terminal building itself also are contributing to the make over to the image of the airport in the community.

Something that local airport officials no doubt are hoping will keep Prince Rupert travellers close to home, rather than taking the ninety minute trek to the Terrace airport and the flight options that it has to offer.

You can take the survey through the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, or by clicking on this link.

For more items of interest regarding Air transportation in the region see our archive page.

New Cash Mob destination to be revealed in October

The popular Cash Mob project will return to Prince Rupert in October, with organizers currently reviewing the growing list of potential stops, as they make plans to target a local business for a surprise surge of customers.

Saturday, October 18th appears to be the day that they have settled on for the next edition of the Cash Mob experience for the city.

On that day, participants prepared to spend at least twenty dollars will head off to the selected location, making for a fun filled spurt of business for the day.

Previous editions of the Cash Mob proved to be well received outings, with the Argosy Gallery and Ice House Gallery finding their shops filling up with customers, some who perhaps may have never been in the store before.

The program which is co-sponsored by the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest makes use of social media to advertise when and where participants should gather to launch the invasion of the target store.

You can nominate a local business for the October Cash Mob by using the Facebook page or twitter feed and marking your nomination with the hash tag #Spend20

More information on the October Mob scene will be delivered to the Rupert Reigns website, twitter  feed and Facebook page as the excursion date of the 18th gets closer.

For more on developments in Prince Rupert's Commercial sector see our archive page.

School District 52's financials could be reduced as the Province claws back strike savings

Like many of British Columbia's School Districts, SD52 probably thought that some of that money that was saved in the District during the course of the labour dispute of the last four months, could make for a small little nest egg to put aside for future use this year.

However, if local administrators and Board members had plans to allocate some of those savings into required work or services around the district, the provincial government is about to deliver some bad news.

Friday the Ministry of Education advised School Districts across British Columbia that they would be reclaiming those savings from the dispute, with what appears to be a plan to fund the 40 dollar a day payment plan for parents that was in place while the schools were closed.

That take it all approach by the provincial government, is one that is not being received well by  a number of school districts across the province.

Many spoke out over the weekend, reminding the Ministry that they have suffered financial losses due to the dispute and that taking all of that available money back is just wrong.

In particular some districts are pointing out that they are now being required to pay for a program (the 40 dollar payment plan) which they had no say in.

Many are fearing that School Districts may struggle to balance their financial picture as result of the requirement to turn over the cash to the province.

In its letter to the School Districts, the Ministry of Education is reported to have stated that any District with a particular financial difficulty linked to the strike will be addressed on a case by case basis.

The claw back of money is just one indication as to how the strike may be over, but the effects from it will be mostly now felt by those in administration across the province.

A situation that leaves the School Districts to deal with the many issues that are left behind as the result of the acrimonious dispute.

Some notes on Friday's announcement from the province can be found below:

Province reclaims money saved during teachers' strike
B. C. looks to claw back all savings from school districts
B. C. school districts ordered to return all strike savings
Two levels of government fighting over teacher strike savings

4.7 earthquake rumbles along Haida Gwaii

The earth shifted a bit under Haida Gwaii on Saturday afternoon, as the twin islands were rattled by a 4.7 magnitude temblor centred 143 kilometres south of Masset, with the epicentre located just off the western shore of the Islands.

The first reports of the rumble on the Islands started to come in shortly after 2 PM, with the USGS reporting that the time of the incident was 2:05 PM.

The seismic event featured a depth of 11.8 metres.

The Tsunami Warning Centre for Alaska, British Columbia and Washington State issued a notice advising that NO Tsunami would be generated from Saturday's quake on Haida Gwaii.

It follows by two days, the large 6.2 quake that struck south-central Alaska near Anchorage.

You can review our archive page of past seismic events here.

Update: Note quake intensity was reduced by USGS on Saturday afternoon to a 4.6 magnitude

Rainfall WARNING issued for North Coast - Inland sections

A moisture laden Pacific front approaching the North Coast, is set to make the rest of this weekend a very wet affair for the Prince Rupert and points inland, so much so that Environment Canada has issued a Rainfall Warning for the region.

For Prince Rupert rainfall levels are listed to total 45 mm through Saturday and a further 50 mm on Sunday, with winds increasing through the day Saturday to 80 km/h tonight and into Sunday.

Similar rainfall amounts are anticipated inland, with Stewart in particular to receive the most of the rain for inland locations. The system is setting the stage for a wet week for the North Coast, with rain and showers anticipated through the next seven days.

You can review the full forecast below.

Updates to the Weather Warning status and forecast can be found here.

Premier Clark closes UBCM with a bit of history and a bit of forward thinking

The 2014 edition of the UBCM convention came to an end on Friday, as Premier Clark brought the curtain down on the annual gathering of provincial and municipal politicians and their staff members from across the province.

The Premiers' address, which traditionally closes the week long get together, this year featured a review of some of British Columbia's past history , with the theme of consultation and dialogue a key point for reflection, pointing to the past as a way of finding a better way to discuss the concerns of today.

It was a speech that touched on current issues such as education, First Nations discussions, resource development, including that of the LNG industry, as well as the process of government at both the provincial and municipal level.

The Premier also outlined her thoughts on leadership at both levels of government and how all had to work together do a better job if the province is to find success.



Before she was finished, the Premier had provided a list of communities that she sees ready to thrive with new opportunities, "good stories" as she called them.

Locations where the Premier sees positive things happening with the promise of even better days to come.

For the Northwest the Premier had a pair of observations on the change taking place in some of the communities of the region, the majority of that change related to resource related activities, a theme she would touch on throughout her address.

She gave a nod to Terrace and the boom in housing in that community which according the Premier  has seen 190 homes built in the last two years, compared to years before 2012 where she observed that the average was 1 residence built per year.

Also on that list of good news stories was Port Edward, where Ms. Clark continued to show her affection for Mayor Dave McDonald, highlighting the spurt of real estate interest in the community.

"Dancin’ Dave MacDonald says there’s a house on the market in Port Ed for $445,000. Probably the highest listing ever in the town."

The Premier's shout outs to Port Edward and Terrace offers up an interesting contrast to how the thoughts of her Natural Gas Minister of just a few days previous, might have been received by Prince Rupert's representatives at the convention.

As we outlined in this item from earlier this week, when Rich Coleman opened up the convention on Monday, he offered up some tough talk on the nature of municipal revenue issues and pointed to the current system on Port taxation in place in Prince Rupert, as a potential blue print for other communities.

There was no reference to a dancin' Jack Mussallem as part of that review and for good reason, for much of this current term of Prince Rupert council, the Mayor and Council have made much comment on their desire to change that very same financial system on port issues that was praised by the LNG  minister.

Judging by Mr. Coleman's words of Monday, any revision to that system, or increase of revenues from it seems rather unlikely in the near future.

Other themes from the Premier's address that might make for a conversation on the trip home for the Prince Rupert delegation, were her thoughts on municipal financials.

During her speech, Ms. Clark highlighted such items as compensation levels at the municipal level, property taxation and municipal expenditures. Pointing out to the delegates that in some cases, the municipalities are spending at a higher rate than what the province does.

Those financial concepts are items that Ms. Clark would like to see discussed as part of this year's Municipal election campaign. With the Premier reminding the municipalities that the provincial government has no intention of raising taxes and won't commit to items that they cannot afford, declaring to the delegates that the Province "won't kick the ball down for the next generation to figure out".

With the November vote fast approaching the Premier observed that municipalities have decisions to make, with a need to understand the reality of our times.

Throughout her address, the Premier returned to the conversation and dialogue theme. Looking to use recent engagement in such issues as the recent education dispute, First Nations issues or discussions related to resource development, as a bench mark for the future.

For many of the municipal delegates at UBCM however, that theme of a quest for better dialogue may not be quite apparent at the moment.

The five days at Whistler provided for a fair amount of frustration for many attending the convention, as the Province rejected their thoughts on issues related to BC Ferries and delivered a hard hitting rebuke when it comes to seeking a larger municipal return from any potential LNG windfall.

Both of those are topics of much importance to Prince Rupert and after this week, on those issues and probably a number more, it would seem that there is going to be a need for much more dialogue and understanding between the two levels of government.

You can review the full text of the Premier's speech here, a look at some of the reviews of her address to UBCM can be found below.

Fiscal standoff between province and municipalities dominates UBCM convention
Don't pay your staff so much, Premier Christy Clark tells B. C. municipalities
In UBCM speech, Clark says path of peace shapes B.C. future
Premier says path of peace of schools, resources shapes BC's future
Premier delivers message on fiscal restraint to UBCM
Christy Clark tells UBCM dialogue will shape province's future
Premier wants municipal pay to be election issue
Clark says path of peace on schools, aboriginals, resources, shapes B. C. future

For a full review of the week at Whistler, see our UBCM archive page here.

Council candidate urges quick movement on Northwest Alliance initiative

A candidate for Prince Rupert City Council is offering his thoughts on the recent discussion at Prince Rupert City Council regarding potential membership in the Northwest Alliance initiative, with Blair Mirau suggesting that Council move sooner, rather than later in joining in with the Northwest collective.

In a media release from Thursday, the City council hopeful outlined his thoughts on why Prince Rupert should move quickly to line up with other Northwest communities.

Highlighting how the collective regional approach to shared issues, may provide some assistance towards the city's infrastructure debt and the stresses that future development may provide for the community.

Mr. Mirau also stressed how the concept of building partnerships and sharing knowledge with other communities was a key part of his city council campaign, suggesting that the City should not miss out on the opportunity to work with and learn from other Northwest communities.

The Northwest Alliance initiative, which was created in July of this year to start revenue sharing discussions with the Provincial government, was first mentioned at Prince Rupert City Council at the September 15th session.

During the session, Mayor Jack Mussallem provided a short description of how it worked, with the Mayor advising that Council would soon receive a report on the initiative for further consideration on the theme.

You can review the Mayor's presentation to Council and look over some background information on the Resource Benefits Alliance program from our item of September 18th.

More on the 2014 Municipal election campaign can be found on our archive page.

After a week of UBCM setbacks, City Council might have some new additions for the Provincial Budget Consultations

Considering how things have gone at Whistler this week for the City of Prince Rupert delegation, the deadline to make further submissions for the upcoming Provincial Budget Consultation sessions may be one date that the City won't want to miss.

During this week's UBCM gathering in Whistler, the City has seen a number of the key concerns they had prior to the convention more or less  swatted aside by the provincial government.

One involved the recent UBCM Ferries review and the call for a return to previous levels of funding and service for the ferry system, a recommendation from the municipal body that for the most part was dismissed by the BC Liberal government.

Transport Minister Todd Stone's rather vocal criticism of the UBCM review appeared to set the tone of the week, suggesting that the two levels of government in the province appear to be very far apart on a key transportation issue.

Then there was the Monday speech from LNG Development Minister Rich Coleman, where  he cautioned against expecting too much out of taxation on the LNG industry as it seeks to find its footing in the province.

A review which even had the Minister highlight aspects of the current port taxation system in place in Prince Rupert, observing to the larger UBCM audience, that it perhaps would make for a good blue print for the province to put in place when it comes to LNG development.

A declaration, which as the city's past comments on the port revenue situation indicate, would be a system that doesn't quite deliver the level of financial reward that northern cities might be hoping for.

Those cautionary notes from Mr. Coleman however, were but the preamble to the larger bombshell delivered on Thursday from far off Malaysia.

Comments from Petronas chair Shamsul Abbas, provided for some serious sabre rattling yesterday, points of concern from the energy giant that appear designed to deliver a message to the provincial government on financial expectations and the lack of progress on moving the LNG files ahead.

The threat of outright cancellation of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project for Lelu Island, which at the moment is the most advanced of all the proposed developments for the region, was a talking point that echoed across the North Coast for most of Thursday.

It has been a week of rather faced paced developments, many which suggest that the financial picture today for the region, could change with very little warning.

Offering up the  prospect of the City having to revise their own budgetary expectations for the years ahead, as well as to again address what they might wish to see the Provincial Government take action on when it comes to issues of concern for the region.

All of which leads us to the Provincial Government's budget consultation process, as the All-Party Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services continues with their current public engagement efforts.

The Prince Rupert public hearing session appears to have slipped under the radar this time around, taking place earlier this month according to the schedule posted to the Committee website.

Leaving interested North Coast residents or groups to provide any further contribution by way of a written submission, or sending an audio or video file submission to the committee.

Participants can also make use of an online survey available on the finance committee website.

For the City, the race to the deadline on the consultations could provide one more opportunity to deliver more background to their concerns, as well as to deliver their thoughts regarding the impact that the Provincial budget planning could have on the community.

The key date for Prince Rupert Council and any other local groups interested in making a submission is Friday, October 17th, which is the deadline for submissions.

You can learn more about the process from the Standing Committee on Finance Website.

Sports: Swimming and Aquatics in Prince Rupert 2014-15

An archive of items about developments with Swimming and Aquatics at the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre.

Rupert Rapids Amateur Swim Club website

2016

February 2 -- Rapids take second in regional championships

January 30 -- Stronger strokes for Terrace Bluebacks

2015

November 4 -- Rapids take second at Invitational

August 11 -- Recreation Centre seeking applicants for Lifesaver Apprentice Program NCR

June 17 -- An Olympian in Prince Rupert's midst?
June 15 -- PRASC Rapids take last regional meet of the year

May 4 -- Rapids victorious at the Earl Mah

March 16 -- PRASC members find success at AAAs in Surrey
March 9 -- Rupert Rapids capture third
March 4 -- Hagen qualifies for Age Group Nationals

February 4 -- Hagen, Rapids claim Terrace swim meet

2014

December 24 -- Kish, Movold dominate Kitimat Swim Meet

November 12-- With water back in the pool Rapids recruiting for new members NCR
November 3-- PRASC playing catch-up in pool opening days

October 31-- Recreation Department to celebrate Earl-Mah Aquatic centre re-opening November 3rd with free admission  NCR

September 26-- A new season to dive into the pool with the Prince Rupert Rapids  NCR
September 23-- Earl Mah Aquatic Centre to remain closed until mid October  NCR

August 20-- Paavola, Bedard return from World Masters
August 6-- Prince Rupert's Golden Girl
August 4-- Earl Mah Aquatic Centre shutdown for annual maintenance  NCR

Other Notes from Northwest Swimming

December 10 -- Bluebacks back in action at first meet

Archive of past years

A new season to dive into the pool with the Prince Rupert Rapids

They may not have anywhere to train at until at least the middle of October, but the lack of pool time at the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre won't slow down the recruiting drive for the Prince Rupert Rapids.

The popular and successful swimming program in the city is seeking new members, with Registration for the new swim season set to take place on Tuesday, September 30th in the lobby of the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre.

The registration session is scheduled to run from 5 to 6 PM.

And while evaluations as to swim skill levels will obviously have to wait until the repairs to the pool complex are complete, the opportunity to learn more about the program will provide newcomers to the Rapids with some background on the level of instruction available, as well as the commitment for travel and fundraising that is required.

Providing all works out on the repair end of things at the pool, the Rapids will be making their splash into the new season on October 14th.

Those seeking more information on the program can call 250-624-8023

More items of inters on the swim and diving scene in Prince Rupert can be found on our archive page.

Local environmental group fears oil terminal development bound for Ridley Island

In a week of talking points out of Alberta suggesting the need to re-think the Northern Gateway strategy (see this item from Wednesday), the prospect of any shift toward Prince Rupert for development of an oil shipment terminal has local environmentalists raising their alert levels.

Thursday at the Civic Centre, the Prince Rupert Environmental Society hosted what seems to have been a timely meeting to go over that topic. With the group ready to share a collection of items that they believe suggests that the foundation for oil shipments out of the North Coast may be in motion.

Their discussion points which suggest that the Ridley Island industrial area may one day host a shipment terminal can found on the website SaveOurSkeenaSalmon.org.

From their on line presentation, a section called BC Oil Terminal Plans hosts a link to what the organization believes are indications that their worst case scenario is getting closer.

Among their main item of note, the recent development of the Ridley Island Rail-Road utility corridor, which is now nearing completion.

The Environmental group has made note of the similar nature of the North Coast corridor, to one created in Washington state. A transportation network which originally was created for a potash terminal development, but apparently is now destined to host an oil by rail yard and terminal.

A scenario that the Environmental Society seems to suggest sounds very familiar and highlights their fears of the prospect of a similar plan for the North Coast as well.

Along with the Rail and utility concerns, the Society also finds cause to worry over the fate of Ridley Terminals and potential re-purposing of land there for possible use as an oil terminal.

Beyond their website offerings, the group is also looking to promote viewings of a documentary feature on the BP Oil Spill, a film titled Pretty Slick, They hope to share the documentary widely in the community, looking to provide more background on their concerns over the impact of oil on seafood.

As we outlined on the blog yesterday, Mayor Jack Mussallem was quick to knock down any thoughts of an oil terminal development for Prince Rupert, a collection of talking points for the Globe and Mail that would seem to put him firmly in the corner of the efforts of Prince Rupert Environmental Society.

In particular, his focus on the fishery and comments as to his thoughts on the importance of the industry to the region, surely will have been noticed by the Environmental movement on the North Coast.

The Mayor certainly won't be alone on those issues, in recent months at least half of the members of Prince Rupert City Council have weighed in a number of times on issues related to Industrial development and the impact on the fishery and other aspects of North Coast life.

Making for a vocal group that at least to this point, don't seem interested in welcoming any form of oil related development in areas of their overview.

The Port has repeatedly stated in the past that at this time no oil terminal or shipment plans are in development, suggesting any such discussions were more of a concept than a project.

The latest declaration on the topic coming in the same article as the Mayors No Oil in Rupert review in the Globe and Mail, where the Port deflected talk of oil terminals, advising that at the moment the bulk of their available industrial lands were targeted for other industrial uses.

Should that situation change in the future, it would seem that the push back towards any form of development will have a fairly strong platform against the concept already in place.

Our archives host a number of items on Port of Prince Rupert related items, as well as information related to the concept of Oil shipment and terminal development,  you can review them at these links:

Oil Terminal Proposals for the North Coast
Northern Gateway Archive
Port of Prince Rupert

Petronas threatens to pull out of Pacific Northwest LNG project

In unusually blunt language, the head of the main financial backers for the planned LNG development on Lelu Island is threatening to shut down his consortium's plans to develop a terminal operation on the North Coast.

Comments that no doubt will deliver a bit of a shock to those that were looking to LNG to provide a key shift to the economic landscape of the region.

Seemingly pointing the finger at the slow development of a taxation and incentive plan for LNG, Petronas Energy CEO Shamsul Abbas is quoted in a number of news reports today as stating that the Malaysian Energy giant, "needs to be assured that the project is economically viable and satisfies its investment criteria before going ahead with the project"

Other comments from him that will send alarm bells ringing for those on watch for Premier Clark's ambitions LNG strategy, include observations on what he sees as Canada's dithering on the issue. Calling our apparent lethargy on the theme a lack of action that has left the Canadian landscape of LNG development as one now of uncertainty, delay and short vision.  

To emphasize further the frustration on the Malaysian side of the LNG debate,  he commented that Canada has to buck up real fast to be a credible global LNG player and if it wants to be taken seriously.

The comments from Mr. Abbas were first delivered through the Financial Times website, with this article from Jeremy Grant in Singapore.

The topic of LNG taxation was a theme at this weeks UBCM meeting, as we outlined on the blog yesterday, Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman outlined some thoughts on the planned release of the province's taxation plans for next month.

At the same time the Minister fired some warning shots to the municipalities on Monday regarding any covetous eyes that local communities may have on taxation from LNG.

While those comments caused a bit of a stir through the week at Whistler, we imagine that today's announcements from Malaysia will steal much more of the headlines from the UBCM convention.

Premier Clark is to provide the closing address to UBCM on Friday, comments we imagine which will now have to be reworked a bit to reflect the sudden shift in attitudes towards her LNG strategy.

Mr. Abbas is set to make a trip to Canada on Friday, where we imagine the topic of taxation, financial incentives and the future of his North Coast plans most likely will make up for most, if not all of the discussion.

While the energy giant awaits further news on the twin concerns of taxes and incentives, the prospect of a final investment decision, which would launch the giant economic shift for the region will seemingly remain in question.

As at the moment does the fate of the project itself.

More on the surprising twist in the North Coast LNG story can be found from the dispatches of Canadian media sites below:

Globe and Mail -- Petronas threatens to 'call off $10 billion B. C. LNG project: report
Globe and Mail-- Petronas plays hard ball with B. C. over Pacific NorthWest LNG
National Post-- Petronas chief warns it could pull out of Canadian LNG project
Vancouver Sun-- Petronas threatens to pull out of $10 billion LNG project near Prince Rupert
CTV-- Petronas threatens to pull out of B. C. gas project: report
CBC-- Petronas may pull out of B. C. LNG project, reports suggest
CKNW-- Big new problem for the Premier's LNG strategy
CKNW-- LNG discussion on Simi Sara Show ( audio vault 10-10:30 Sept 25 )
CKWX News 1130-- Petronas threatens to pull out of LNG Project
Global BC-- Petronas threatens to pull out of LNG project
Business in Vancouver-- Petronas warns it could pull out of $10B B. C. LNG project
BC Business-- Christy Clark unconcerned as Petronas teeters on $10-billion LNG investment
CBC Daybreak North-- What could Petronas considering pulling out of B. C. LNG mean for local investment? (audio)
Georgia Straight-- Straight writer foreshadowed trouble Petronas would have financing B. C. LNG project
Victoria News-- Coleman plays down Petronas LNG threat

For a review of all items from our Pacific NorthWest LNG file see our archive page here.

Discussion on BC Ferries issues highlights gap between Province and coastal communities

Wednesday delivered a bit of a Whistler stand off to the UBCM convention, as the Provincial Government and municipal representatives attending Wednesday's session seemed to be on very different sides of a contentious debate over Ferry service on coastal BC.

By the time that the mid week festivities came to an end, the distance between the Province's position and that of coastal communities would appear to be about as wide as the travel distance on the Northern Expedition between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert.

One of the main discussion points for the convention was the anticipated review of the UBCM commissioned report on BC Ferries, a policy paper which examined the socio economic impacts of the Ferry Fare increases and the impact of them on coastal communities.

It was a document that more or less set the stage for Wednesday's showdown at the convention between delegates and the provincial government, with few surprised at how the day evolved.

Even before the issue came to the convention floor in Whistler, the province appeared to be telegraphing their talking points on the topic, suggesting that the UBCM were working with a flawed document, rejecting the findings of the author.

The Transportation Minister outlined his thoughts on the report through a letter to the UBCM president on September 19th. Looking to set the table for the convention, in the letter, Mr. Stone expressed his disappointment that the UBCM had not taken a leadership role in facilitating discussion on the issue.

When convention week started up on Monday, the pushback on the UBCM study continued

BC Ferries won't get more government subsidies: Todd Stone

Transportation Minister, critics disagree on ferry ridership analysis
Analyst stands by report on ferry fares impact
UBCM call for ferry changes a long shot
Victoria, municipalities trade insults and dollar figures

As the day's events moved along on Wednesday afternoon, it became rather clear that despite the unanimous endorsement of the concerns of the municipalities from the delegates, the Provincial government was planning to stick to its course on the Ferry transportation issue.

The vast difference of opinion on the topic, is easily reviewed through the surge of media items related to the Ferries issue that were created once the day's discussions, such as they were, came to an end.

Transportation Minister rejects call for ferry-fare rollbacks, restoration of service to 2013 levels
Cities Reject Minister's Proposal they help pay for BC Ferries
Stone rejects fare rollback at BC Ferries
UBCM ferry report makes for awkward talks
Transportation Minister, critics disagree on ferry ridership analysis
Civic politicians want BC Ferry rates reduced
Transportation Minister promises to keep BC Ferries fare hike in line with inflation
No plans to roll back ferry fares or services, transportation minister says
UBCM upset as B. C. blows off talks on uncertain municipal finances

For more items of interest on developments with BC Ferries see our archive page

41st Annual Filipino Night set for Saturday

It's one of the most popular nights on the Prince Rupert Social Calendar, a mixing of cultures hosted by the local Filipino Community, a celebration that lasts long into the evening with humour, music, dancing and fine food.

This year, the Filipino Night festivities are set for the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre on Saturday evening with the doors opening at 5 PM.

Catering for the evening is courtesy of Number 1 Fast Foods, with Music provided by local favourites Triple Bypass.

In addition to the evening of entertainment and dancing, there will be a number of prizes to be handed out as the night moves along.

The evening provides for an interesting mix of local celebrities, politicians and those in the community that return year after year to take in the party atmosphere that marks the much anticipated social event.

Tickets for Saturday night's event go for 40 dollars each.

Those that want more information or wish to pick up tickets while they last can learn more about the evening by calling 250-622-2019 or 250-627-1573

Mayor Mussallem rejects role for Prince Rupert in re-routed Northern Gateway project

The theme of the Northern Gateway pipeline and any potential shipment of Alberta oil through Northern British Columbia, found a bit of space at the UBCM sessions on Wednesday, with a number of representatives from the Northwest making comment on the controversial issue.

Yesterday we outlined how Jim Prentice, the new Premier of Alberta had suggested that Northern Gateway officials might need to revise their map drawing skills, reviewing how the Province of Alberta believed that the pipeline to transport bitumen may have to find a new destination.

Through a number of interviews with media in Alberta Mr. Prentice offered up a few ideas as to where a shipment terminal might be directed, with Prince Rupert and Lax Kw'alaams among two of the options listed by the Premier.

The Prince Rupert option apparently doesn't sit well with Mayor Jack Mussallem who was reached for comment by the Globe and Mail on Wednesday at the Whistler conference, providing the national
publication with what appears to be a definitive no thank you.

Basing a good portion of his pronouncement on a review of what he described as the thriving local fishing industry that employs hundreds of people and is critically important to the local First Nations.

For good measure, the Mayor went further relaying how that it was his belief that that the community would not be willing to put the fishing industry at risk for any oil terminal proposal.

Adding some additional thoughts that overwhelmingly people in the community are much more comfortable with liquefied natural gas, with wood pellets, with coal, than any oil product.

The Mayor offered up no particular research on the topic for the Globe, other than we imagine what was his gut feeling as to how he believes the community might think. Or perhaps he called on some remembrances of past discussions around the Council chamber, where some councillors have expressed concerns over land development and

They Mayor's emphatic declaration for the Globe, calls to mind the commentary of Councillor Anna Ashley back in June of this year.

At that time during a Council session, she advised Council that she was making plans to introduce a motion to ban the development of any oil refinery or oil shipment terminal projects for land within the City borders, a motion that never quite made it past the thinking out loud stage it seems.

And while Council members are free to express their opinions on topics such as this kind of development for the region. Perhaps before the Mayor, or anyone from Council makes that final call, they may wish to consult the residents back home, just to be sure that the presumptive support for their positions that they suggest is indeed as overwhelming as they believe.

For it's part the Prince Rupert Port Authority also seemed to deflect any prospects of an oil terminal project locating on any port related lands,  with the port describing their current land situation as "fully subscribed".  Adding some background regarding two vacant lots currently which are in the port authority's jurisdiction, with both designated towards other energy companies related to LNG projects.

That's a convenient talking point for the moment, taking the pressure off the Port as it does in regard to a controversial issue on the North Coast.

However, the consensus by many observers of the LNG file, is that when all is said and done in this great LNG rush of 2014, that of the eight proposals currently under consideration for the Prince Rupert region, there may only be one, two, or possibly three of the LNG developments that actually move forward.

Which, when all the current speculation on LNG settles down,  may we imagine free up some of that land already spoken for to be directed to other options.

The Globe's review of the current land use situation on the North Coast goes on to note that earlier this year Enbridge purchased a parcel of land for 20 million dollars at Grassy Point, designated for future business opportunities.

That land acquisition from March, continues to stoke much in the way of discussion as to what Enbridge may have in mind for that land.

All of the moving pieces in the story provide for much in the way of a guessing game as to who has   what plan for the region and how development issues will be handled by both provincial and local governments.

You can review the full Globe article here.