This past week was a Council week, featuring the first of two public sessions for Prince Rupert City Council for the month of April.
As it often is on Council weeks, many of our items found large audiences and for this week two themes dominated the focus for readers.
The first was the use once again of dividends from the City's Legacy financial instrument, this time Council using some of those resources towards topping up the cost of design work from the estimate of last year.
The other topic that generated significant attention was another round of the city's work on derelict or nuisance properties, though in this instance, the prospects of demolition for the old Mohawk site on Second West now seems very unlikely.
Also this week, the Prince Rupert Port Authority announced their latest Board of Directors appointment, with Hilary Cassady and Lee Brain announced as the appointees, Ms. Cassday from the Port Users Group and Mr. Brain to serve as the choice of the City of Prince Rupert and District of Port Edward.
The last of the list of five notes of the ongoing investigation into last weeks Fire at a townhouse complex on Immanuel, the incident sent one person to hospital with serious injuries and saw Prince Rupert RCMP take one male into custody.
When it came to the most read item of the week however, the latest dip in the funds of the City's Legacy accounts provided for our top article.
Former Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain one of two new appointments to the Prince Rupert Port Authority Board of Directors -- The City of Prince Rupert's nomination and selection process delivered a familiar name to a prime civic appointment. That as former Mayor Lee Brain was selected by civic officials in Prince Rupert and Port Edward, to serve as the City of Prince Rupert/District of Port Edward representative on the Port Board. Also selected by the Port Users Group for placement on the Board, was Hilary Cassady an accomplished businesswoman with Prince Rupert roots. (posted April 8, 2024)
You can find our weekly Blog watching feature posted every Sunday morning by 9AM, making for a handy way to catch up to the week that was, at a leisurely weekend pace.
You can also review the full listings of the week just past, from our Blog Archive index page found on the right hand side of the page.
For updates on new items posted daily to the blog, we direct you to our CharlesMHays Twitter feed, where we post notification of new stories as we post them.
Members of the Port Edward Volunteer Fire Department and other Volunteer services received welcome news from Ottawa this week. That of a doubling of their allowable tax credit for their work in service to their communities
Those who volunteer their services for fire fighting and Search and Rescue work can now gain a bit more of a tax credit at tax time.
That as the Federal Government has announced that the Tax Credit for those community minded residents has now been doubled.
"In recognition of this, today the federal government announced that Budget 2024 will propose to double the Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and the Search and Rescue Volunteers Tax Credit.
This means the tax credit will increase from $3,000 to $6,000 for 2024 and subsequent tax years, saving volunteer firefighters up to $900 per year. This increase will particularly benefit rural communities where firefighters are most often volunteers and they are confronting increasingly more frequent wildfires due to climate change.
Over the next six years, this represents about $105 million in new support for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers across the country.
Today’s announcement also includes $166.2 million over five years in new funding in support of First Nations emergency management and preparedness. Recognizing that many First Nations communities are especially vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters, this investment will better support First Nations to protect their communities."
The MP's shout out to Northwest volunteers missed out on the District of Port Edward fire fighting component who will benefit from the new tax credits, while the note towards the Prince Rupert Department was somewhat misdirected, as that is a fully paid professional force and won't qualify for the tax credit measures.
Mr. Bachrach nd Vancouver Island MP Gord Johns also provided a video to celebrate the announcement.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority has announced the two newest members of their Board of Directors, wth an accomplished businesswoman and a former municipal politician now set to join the collective come May.
Announced as new Directors by the PRPA today were Hilary Cassady and Lee Brain.
The Port provided for the official synopsis of their previous work as part of today' information release.
Ms. Cassady is a User Appointee, selected in consultation with the Port User Nominating Committee. Ms. Cassady has an extensive corporate background, having served in executive and senior roles for Danone in Asia and Europe, as well as Bentall Kennedy and QuadReal Property Group in Canada. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant with an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University and an ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. She also currently sits on multiple Boards of Directors, including the British Columbia Lottery Corporation where she was formerly the Chair of the Human Resource committee. Her three-year term commenced March 25th, 2024.
Mr. Brain is a Municipal Appointee and was selected by the City of Prince Rupert and District of Port Edward. He previously served as Mayor of the City of Prince Rupert for two-consecutive terms and currently works as a facilitator, mediator, and community engagement specialist. Mr. Brain completed the Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue Facilitation & Mediation program, in addition to a Certificate in Innovative Leadership, at Simon Fraser University. His three-year term commences May 1st, 2024.
The Former Prince Rupert Mayor will replace John Farrell who served as the municipal member of the board from 2015 until this month.
He was appointed as part of the process for the District of Port Edward and the Prince Rupert City Council that was led by Mr. Brain at the time.
Shaun Stevenson, PRPA President and CEO noted of the local roots for both the newest members.
“On behalf of our staff, I congratulate and welcome Hilary and Lee, Both were born and raised in Prince Rupert, and each bring unique experience and skills to PRPA’s Board of Directors as we continue to activate the port’s ambitious growth plan to strengthen its role as an economic engine for the community, region, and all of Canada.”
The City of Prince Rupert has yet to share word of their appointee's placement on the Board. Though they may share word of the appointment as part of tonight's City Council session.
Word today that a much respected and loved daughter of Prince Rupert has passed away, with the Province making note today of the passing of Iona Campagnolo at age 91.
The long time former resident of the city served this community as a trail blazer for many years, in many areas of public and civic life.
Much of her life has been chronicled in a number of past writings from local authors, noting of her rise in the community from her early roots at North Pacific Cannery.
From a resident of Cannery Row in Port Edward to her time in local media with CHTK, to both School District and civic politics and on to the federal scene, she had a long lasting impact on the fabric of Prince Rupert through her years of public service.
She was also highly acclaimed for her time as Chancellor of UNBC and then as Lieutenant Governor, Mrs. Campagnolo was a woman who claimed many firsts both in BC and Canada.
Among the official notices of her passing was one that comes from the current Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Janet Austin.
In memory of Mrs. Campagnolo the province has lowered flags at many buildings including the Legislature and the residence of the Lieutenant Governor in Victoria.
Funeral arrangements are currently being addressed though no formal outline of how the province will recognize her passing has been released as of yet.
The University of Northern BC Archives and Special Collections has an extensive library of material on the life and times of Mrs. Campagnolo which you can review here.
As the news of her passing is still fresh, the City of Prince Rupert has yet to provide for a note on her passing or to review some of the key moments from her time in the community.
As word begins to be shared of Mrs. Campagnolo's passing we will provide updates on statements and other items of respect below:
As news services received word of today's announcement they have begun to assemble some retrospective items and other notes of Mrs. Campagnolo's passing.
The District of Port Edward is once again looking to expand on its housing stock, with a new Request for Proposals for development of a new residential area on Alder Avenue.
The District posted the RFP last month noting of their hopes to partner with a developer towards development of the site.
The District of Port Edward invites experienced developers to submit proposals for a 7.25 acre ocean view residential development on Alder Avenue, in Port Edward, British Columbia.
Both the size and location of this property offer a unique opportunity to provide quality homes in a high demand housing market, driven strongly by exponential growth at the Port of Prince Rupert.
The District intends to partner with a developer to develop a high quality residential subdivision that fits into the beautiful natural, seaside landscape of Port Edward.
The RFP is inviting submission of non-binding proposals for the purchase of this property, design of a residential development and construction of single and multi-family homes.
The successful respondent will be invited to proceed with negotiations for the first phase of the Alder Avenue development.
The prospectus for would be developers notes of the District's 2020 Housing Needs study, Strategic Plan objectives and incentives available for the successful applicant.
The District acquired this property with the goal to facilitate development. Over the past two decades the District has made significant investments into a state of the art Water Treatment Plant as well as a sewage treatment facility so that Port Edward can continue to live up to its brand of being “clean, neat and green.”
Road reconstruction continues to be a top priority with 6.6 million dollars in roads projects completed between 2021 and 2024 to rebuild high traffic areas, upgrade utility lines and incorporate sidewalks as a safety and quality enhancement.
Moving forwards, in addition to more road projects, efforts are being made in revitalizing our core commercial area with a new Neighborhood Concept Plan, leveraging municipal lands around our general store to create a small town downtown that moves us closer to achieving the vision of being a complete, rural community.
To promote densification and address affordability concerns, the District of Port Edward can bring a $10,000 housing incentive per unit to the table from the existing Northern Development Initiative Trust housing incentive program for multiplex units (4 units minimum) if the development meets the program criteria.
Across the street from the 7.25 acre property, the District has maintained significant greenspace for public use including a playground and park and a bus stop is located there as well.
Respondents are encouraged to review the District’s Development Servicing Bylaw available online on the District of Port Edward website for further details on the works and services required for development.
The timeline for development brings a May 3rd deadline for applications, with the execution of the Sales Agreement to be reached by August 7th.
Port Edward residents will be looking at a 3 per cent property tax increase for 2024 should the District council approve of their Budget plans as part of their schedule of April meetings, with the Final Reading of the Five Year Financial plan Bylaw to come April 23rd.
An update for residents has been posted to the District website that notes of some of the spending by the District, as well as their plans for adding amenities through partnerships.
The Report for the public also notes of the development of a framework with Prince Rupert towards future partnerships for both communities.
Residents the District who wish to comment on the Budget plans for 2024 can contact the Mayor or Council by 4 PM on April 9th or relay their thoughts to the Director of Finance by email at lpage@portedward.ca
Monday night was Prince Rupert City Council's opportunity for an update on the AltaGas/VOPAK plans for a new shipment terminal on Ridley Island, with representatives from the partnership on hand to provide a presentation towards the project.
The overview was one similar that which Port Edward Council recently received and was one part history lesson tracking the arrival of AltaGas in the community and then turning to focus on the large scale development that could move forward should the joint venture partners decide on a positive Financial Investment Decision.
From the History tutorial, Council heard from Jennifer Ozmar who spoke of the success of the Liquid Propane Export terminal, the volume of exports to Asian customers. When it came to terminal operations, the presentation highlighted how since the AltaGas terminal opened in 2019 the workforce had grown to 42 employee, 88 percent of them local residents.
Other elements explored the community partnerships and engagement that AltaGas has had with the communities of the region.
Among those highlighted was the Indigenous training program which hired 100 percent of the graduates once the facility had been commissioned.
The presentation also featured a look at the AltaGas Rail Safety training program.
Moving towards their future plans, Mr. Campbell took Council through the development plan that has taken place, as well as to what to expect should there be a positive FID announcement.
The AltaGas rep observed that he has been involved in the joint venture project for three years now, with anticipation of the FID decision to come in the second quarter of this year.
He highlighted that all the permitting was in place and provided a tutorial on how the terminal facility and the wharf would evolve over the next few years, noting that if all moves on schedule the facility would be in service in 2026-27.
Other key themes was the extensive engagement with local First Nations and plans towards further training for the positions at the terminal.
At this point development of the footprint for the facility is underway with work on drainage and land clearing the immediate focus.
Towards questions from Council Safety and the impact of a large workforce arriving in the community made for much of the Council focus.
Councillor Randhawa's contribution to the conversation was to seek out a timeline for development and to ask towards the construction process, what kind of workforce would be assembled.
The timeline element was noted as still something in motion towards determining, with a target of late 2026, early 2027 for in service operations. As for the construction it would be a phased approach, with some of the large elements to be constructed offsite from the community and brought to the site.
For assembly over time it would feature a load level execution with lower levels of workers on site, with AltaGas looking to work with the local community. At peak it's anticipated that 250 people could be working the site, with 50 to 60 percent of them local.
"What we're looking at is a phased approach, with the initial infrastructure. So we've got a significant spend up front to get this infrastructure in place for all of the faculty to build out over time ...
We don't want to put too many people into a work force into a small footprint and you're working one on top of the other.
So we're trying to load level our execution and meet a reasonable timeline with lower people on site, I always find that you get better productivity with lower numbers of workers -- Sean Campbell from AltaGas/VOPAK
Councillor Barry Cunningham explored themes of Emergency services, asking about the nature of their in house emergency response.
He then observed of both the Prince Rupert and Port Edward Fire Departments and how they don't have the specialized training and the burden it would put on the local taxpayers and stretch their resources even more.
"We have a full time Fire Department, Port Edward has a volunteer one, they are both excellent But they don't have hazmat training, they don't have the specialized training that goes with the facility you're building.
You know like you're a border line refinery here, so that kind of training and the extra personnel is going to put a bit of a burden on our taxpayers toward a quality and level of our fire fighting department, which is already stretched because of the industrialization around here ...
So are you going to be in any way upping the ante as far as contributing to our fire department and the extra firefighters we're going to have to hire and the extra specialized training "
Mr. Cunningham also spoke to the volume of workers that would be working on the project and asked if they planned for a work camp for their workers and where it was going to be, noting of the housing situation in Prince Rupert.
Towards the workforce question, the AltaGas reps noted of the existing camp at Watson Island which they would use, as well as plans to expand that camp footprint. They also observed of the medical services that they plant provide for those camp residents to reduce any impact on local hospital services in Prince Rupert.
"There is a current camp sitting at Port Ed right now, it's a Watson Island camp it's operated by some of our Indigenous parters. It's 150 person camp, we have been working heavily with that camp provider and we plan to house most of our out of town workers at that location.
We also have provisions to build that 150 person camp into an additional 125 over and above that. So we've been mindful of exactly those pressure points that you have in the community and we don't want to add to those strains" -- Sean Campbell from AltaGas/VOPAK
You can review the full presentation from the City's Video archive, the AltaGas presentation was the first item on the Committee of the Whole agenda for the night.
Monday's Council session saw a reduced collective in the Chamber on the night, with Mayor Herb Pond away for the session and the City Manager Robert Buchan participating by video connection.
With Councillor Wade Niesh serving as the chair for the session, most of the night was taken up with three presentations as part of the Committee of the Whole. That session featured representatives from AltaGas, the Rural Health Network and a delegation from the Wayne Place Seniors residences all speaking to Council on the night.
The agenda for the Regular Session for the night had few items to be dealt with, of note from their work, was the Consent agenda, with a late addition of a letter to Northern Health officials and a variety of reports, included on the night was a proposal for a bandshell project for Mariner's Park from Prince Rupert Rotary.
Council members had also participated in a Closed Session earlier in the evening, the details towards why it was closed to the public can be reviewed here.
Of the one hour and twenty five minutes for the session, the Presentations of the Committee of the Whole accounted for one hour and ten minutes of the night; the Regular Agenda was dispatched with in fifteen.
Further information from our overview and placement in the video archives can be found below; with the permanent record of the Council minutes added as they are posted to the city website.
( 0:00- 1:45) Approval of Agenda -- With Mayor Herb Pond not in attendance for the night, Councillor Wade Neish served as the Chair, to open the Committee of the Whole he reviewed the Agenda for thesession and then sought approval of Council towards it.
PRESENTATIONS
( 1:45 -- 41:00) Presentation from ALTAGAS
The delegation from AltaGas provided for an update on their plans for development of the Ridley Island Energy Export Facility. They provided a review of some of the past five years of history of AltaGas in Prince Rupert through their RIPET facility at Ridley Island and the importance of their Prince Rupert operations to their corporate interests.
As part of the overview they focused on the training provided through Coast Mountain College in the northwest, as well as their commitment to hiring locally and within the Indigenous community.
They also highlighted the Rail Safety program that they have in place with fire fighters across the region, as well as their community investment in the Prince Rupert/Port Edward area.
Looking to their next project, an update was delivered to Council on the progress, the bulk of the presentation focused on the joint venture with VOPAK in RIEEF, the Ridley Island Energy Export Facility.
The Presentation outlined that while they have not yet made a Final Investment Decision for that terminal project, the plans have been in place over the last three years, with the expectation that they will make that decision in the second quarter of this year.
A review of the design of the proposed terminal and the regulatory licensing, Indigenous engagement and site preparation made for much of the overview. They also provided a look at some of their outreach with Coast Mountain College towards training.
Towards questions, Councillor Adey led off the discussion, first noting of the changes that have taken place on Ridley Island from what residents may have remembered from the past when it was previously accessible by the public.
His questions were related to the Wetlands Compensation Function plan, it was noted by the Alta Gas reps that the discussion of the program was currently underway with area Indigenous communities.
The councillor's Second question was towards the FID, Mr. Adey asking what the plan would be if they decide not to move forward. The AltaGas reps outlined how they are still looking at ways to manage costs and how they will develop it in phases, expressing confidence towards that decision.
Councillor Teri Forster asked for more background on the waste wood burning that is taking place, it was outlined how the trees that could go to market did, with the remainder the material they being disposed of through a burn operation.
The Councillors second question was related to response to any emergencies at the facility, in reply the AltaGas Emergency Response plan was outlined, as was the relationship that they have with local agencies.
Councillor Randhawa's contribution to the conversation was to seek out a timeline for development and to ask towards the construction process, what kind of workforce would be assembled.
The timeline element was noted as still something in motion towards determining, with a target of late 2026-27 for in service operations. As for the construction it would be a phased approach, with some of the large elements to be constructed offsite from the community and brought to the site.
For assembly over time it would feature a load level execution with lower levels of workers on site, with AltaGas looking to work with the local community. At peak it's anticipated that 250 people could be working the site, with 50 to 60 percent of them local.
Councillor Cunningham returned to the themes of Emergency services, asking about the nature of their in house emergency response.
He then observed of both the Prince Rupert and Port Edward Fire Departments and how they don't have the specialized training and the burden it would put on the local taxpayers and stretch their resources even more.
To that he asked if AltaGas would be contributing to the local Fire Departments to reduce those burdens.
He also observed of the volume of workers and asked if they planned for a work camp for their workers and where it was going to be, noting of the housing situation in Prince Rupert.
Towards the workforce question, the AltaGas reps noted of the existing camp at Watson Island which they would use, as well as plans to expand that camp footprint. They also observed of the medical services that they plan to provide for those camp residents to reduce any impact on local hospital services in Prince Rupert.
A question on the volume of trains required to serve the site, provided a response of roughly 75 train cars per day of LPG for the first phase, expanding up to 90 additional cars for each of the additional commodities should they come on line.
Mr Cunningham noted of the city's concerns over the growing need for travel to Terrace for hospital purposes and how the increase in trains would increase wait times at the level crossing between Prince Rupert and Terrace.
The Councillor also observed as to how the city will be the service centre and how the terminal will bring impacts and challenges to policing and other services in the community.
In reply the AltaGas reps outlined of some of their internal programs for consultation with the community towards those issues. They also highlighted how they are tax payers to the community and how that property tax payment goes to those initiatives.
To close his commentary, Mr. Cunningham praised the working relationship with AltaGas in the last few years, noting how he was raising the issues that make for local concerns.
Councillor Niesh outlined how he was hopeful for a Final Investment Decision and thanked AltaGas for their contributions through taxes paid to the community.
The focus for the second presentation was a recruiting drive to have Prince Rupert join the Rural Health Network to advocate for better health care services in their community.
A portion of the presentation from Paul Adams was plagued by technical issues, what was available outlined the scope of the program, tracing its beginnings back to 2017.
The organization has been raising concerns about the state of the health care crisis in the rural areas of the province since that time and outlined the benefits that Prince Rupert could find by joining in with the other communities that make up the Network.
Towards questions Councillor Forster asked how communities could contact them towards more on their work in rural communities.
She also asked if Jennifer Rice, who is Parliamentary Secretary for Rural health was involved with engagement with the organization, as well as to their engagement with health care professionals.
Mr. Adams observed that they are engaged with both Ms. Rice and the other political leaders in the province, as well as to explain towards their communication work with front line health care professionals.
For Councillor Nick Adey, the focus for his questions was to note of their website and how it provides a good volume of material for the community. He then asked towards their pitch to have Prince Rupert join the Rural Health Network, noting how MLA Rice has advocated for it.
Mr. Adey asked what would change in how to address the concerns for Prince Rupert should they decide to join.
To that, Mr. Adams noted of the still developing footprint of the Northern membership, highlighting how each area provides background that goes towards their research and advocacy to Health officials and government.
The Corporate Administrator joined the discussion to note that while the technical difficulties impacted on the council members, the audience at home was able to hear the presentation fine.
Councillor Niesh asked about local recruitment in the north, the response noted how with a focus on urban recruitment for education in medicine, many of those graduates return to the large communities.
He noted that the Rural Health Network has long been advocating for a more decentralized approach towards both education and medical practice and services in the rural areas.
Councillor Cunningham noted of the biggest problem coming through of education and outlined how other areas of the country ensure that the needs of rural areas are addressed.
He also noted of some of the inequalities found in the health care system, which are impacting on rural communities.
To bring the presentation to a close, Mr. Adams observed of some of the challenges in place that have been impacting rural areas for decades, he made one more pitch for Prince Rupert to join the Network observing of the entry cost of 50 dollars, which he noted was a small cost to add Prince Rupert's voice to the network.
( 1:06:00 -- 1:10:30 ) Presentation from Residents of Wayne Place Seniors Residences
Bruce Rempel spoke on behalf of the residents of the Senior's residences that are adjacent to the Rupert quare Mall, highlighting a topic that has come before Council before, that of the noise related to truck traffic in the area in the late evenings and in the overnight period.
In addition to Mr. Rempel's commentary, a tenant of the residences spoke to the reduced quality of life that they have in their homes.
That due to the excessive noise and fumes from the trucks that is found in the area through the night and in the early morning hours.
As part of the presentation a petition was handed over to Corporate Administrator Rosa Miller.
Council members had no questions or comments related to the Committee of the Whole, with Council then adjourning to the Regular Session.
( 1:10:30 - 1:11:00) Approval of Agenda -- Mr. Niesh reviewed the Agenda of the March 25th Regular Council session and then sought approval of Council towards it.
He noted of one addition to the Consent Agenda, that of correspondences from the City related to the Health care situation at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital.
( 1:11:00 -- 1:11:30 ) Public Comments regarding Agenda items -- No members of the public took the opportunity to speak to any topics.
( 1:11:30 -- 1:12:30) Consent Agenda
Building Department Activity Report for February 2024 (see pages 7-8 of Agenda) Request for Support Application to he Local Government Development Approvals Process Fund (see pages 9-10 of Agenda) Monthly Fire/Rescue Report February 2024 (see pages 11-12 of Agenda) Minutes of the Accessibility Committee of January 16, 2024 (see pages 13-18 of Agenda)
Correspondences:
Prince Rupert Children's Festival - Certificate of Appreciation (see page 19 of Agenda)
The only comment that was heard from the Consent Agenda was that from Councillor Adey who noted of the late items and the rather limited areas where the city can engage on the issue of Health care.
He recommended that the public should review them, observing how they were strongly worded coming from his perspective something that it should have been.
As the letters were a late addition to the Agenda, they have yet to be posted to the Agenda for the March 25th Council session, nor do they appear on any of the city's information streams.
Council then provided approval for the Consent Agenda
Reports
Staff Reports
( 1:12:30 -- 1:15:00) Report from Rotary Club or Prince Rupert Re: Bandshell Proposal - Pacific Mariner's Memorial Park (see pages 20-21 of Agenda)
Towards discussion Councillor Cunningham called on the past experiences of Councillor Adey as a musician to speak of some of the challenges that site location may provide, noting of a comment from the consultation on exposure to rain.
He asked Councillor Adey for his thoughts on the positioning of the bandshell, to that theme he observed of the increased challenges that outdoor weather can provide for.
Adding that a consideration towards design might help to reduce some of that as well.
Councillor Niesh observed how that could be mentioned to the Rotarians.
Business Arising
( 1:15:00 -- 1:25:00 ) Council Round Table
Towards discussion Councillor Adey led off the contestation for the evening.
His first was a note of appreciation for the local group that cleaned up the Moresby Park Trail area over the weekend. He also noted of some solo efforts in the community
His second topic was to speak to the Emergency Room Closure issues, speaking first to the impact on the BC Ambulance service and to mitigate the risks of the ER closure.
The City manager directed the comment to the Corporate Administrator.
From her overview, Ms. Miller outlined that when the Emergency Room is closed additional assets are brought into the community by BC Ambulance, observing that at the most recent overnight closure that three additional crews were in town, making for four crews and a critical care paramedic.
She also noted that additional guidance is available on the Northern Health social media stream and the city's own social media stream.
Councillor Adey offered his praise for the city's initiative to relay that information.
Councillor Skelton-Morven spoke of the importance of Prince Rupert Regional Hospital for the local First Nations communities and how the closures are a concerning issue for those communities as well.
He added of the importance for the communities to alleviate the issue.
Councillor Niesh pointed to the previous presentation on Rural Health and added that there is a need to bring pressure to the government towards the issues of health care, noting of the strong industrial presence in the community and how it was a top priority for the community.
He outlined how the letters that the City has forwarded and discussions that the city will have in the future will resolve the issues.
Councillor Forster spoke to the theme of the recent demolition of the Angus Apartments and how for many in the community it was a long time coming and relayed some of the gratitude that she heard from the public that it had taken place.
Councillor Cunningham returned to the Moresby Park clean up to pay attribute to the work of organizer Chantal Meggison, who has been in the. lead in the community towards community clean ups.
On the Health Care situation in the area, the Councillor noted how the ER has now become a doctor's office owing to the recent departures and how the facility is crucial to the community, noting of the vulnerability that is here at the moment.
He observed how its going to be used more and more, the also wondered as to the ratio of desks to Bed for Northern Health in Prince Rupert and how there is a need to reverse those priorities.
Councillor Niesh had a few thoughts on the Angus Apartments demolition, noting how the delays to that demolition were not the result of staff, but more related towards the actions of the former landlord, recounting some of the many challenges that he had provided for the city on that file.
He shared his enthusiasm towards its demolition and observed that more buildings and houses in the community will see similar action in the months ahead. He also noted how from the recent work downtown, it's more enjoyable to drive down Third Avenue these days.
And from that final thought, the Council session was adjourned.
From that a number of items related to the Monday session can be reviewed.
As always, our Council Timeline is only a reflection of our observations from the Council session of the night. Be sure to consult with the official minutes from the City, when posted to their website for further review.
The next City Council Session is scheduled for Monday, April 8, 2024.
Two new listings make their way into our review this week, one in Port Edward, the other one West of the McBride street line in Prince Rupert.
Their addition boosting the total value for our list of ten from the mark of much of this year so far.
The real estate review below is purely a snapshot for information purposes and reflective of our weekly check on Sunday evening.
Properties can ebb and flow from the listings through the week, for further background on the properties recorded, see our links pages for access to the individual real estate listings, to consult them on a daily basis.
