4.2 magnitude earthquake recorded off coast of Haida Gwaii

A moderate sized earthquake has been recorded just west of Haida Gwaii, the 4.2 magnitude seismic event took place at 10:59 it was centred 148 km South Southwest of Masset 

It had a recorded depth of 1 kilometre.

No Tsunami Warning has been generated as a result of this event.

Mayor Andrew Merilees advised the North Coast Review that the temblor had not been noticed in the Masset area.

So far there has been no indication from Southern Haida Gwaii as to whether the event had any effect on residents in that region.

Quakes of similar magnitude have been recorded off of Vancouver Island north on the Alaskan panhandle in recent weeks.

More items related to seismic events on the North Pacific coast can be found here.

BC Ferries set for North Coast vessel shift this Saturday

Back to work for the Northern Adventure, which will return
to service following a refit this Saturday

It's welcome back to the Northern Adventure, and bon voyage to the Northern Expedition as BC Ferries makes a vessel change on its Northern Service as of this Saturday.

The Northern Adventure having just returned from its annual refit will begin service on the both the Haida Gwaii and Inside Passage routes as of this Saturday.

At the same time the Northern Expedition will be heading off for its own refit, a process that is expected to take two and half months. In addition to its makeover, the Northern Expedition will also receive its recertification during its short absence from North Coast service.

It will be till we meet again for the Northern Expedition,
the BC Ferry is heading for refit as of Saturday

It's anticipated that the Northern Expedition will return to service on June 19th, just in time to service what is expected to be a robust summer tourism season on the North Coast.

More on the vessel changeover can be found here.

For further items of interest related to Marine Transportation on the North Coast see our archive page here.

Ferry rate increases on the way for North Co Corp Ferry Service

The cost of travel on the North Co Corp Ferry Service is going up slightly
as of this Saturday

Transportation between the Prince Rupert area and a number of coastal communities is about to go up just a little bit, with the North Co Corp Ferry Service introducing new Fees effective April 1st.

The Ferry Service connects Metlakatla, Hartley Bay, Kitkatla and Oona River and also crosses the harbour to Prince Rupert.

Owned and operated by three communities: Hartley Bay, Kitkatla and Metlakatla, learn more about the service here; the service offers a vital transportation link for the coastal communities in the region, details on its schedule of operations can be found here.

Notice of the Ferry rate increase was posted to the Metlakatla First Nation Facebook page.

Increases from the 2016 rates and the new fee structure for 2017-18 to the four communities look as follows, the new rates come into effect on Saturday.

Adults (One way)

Hartley Bay  -- Five Dollar increase to 55 dollars
Kitkatla -- Three dollar increase to 28 dollars
Oona River -- Two dollar increase to 25 dollars
Metlakatla -- One dollar increase to 8 dollars

Seniors (One way)

Hartley Bay -- Three dollar increase to 36 dollars
Kitkatla -- Two dollar increase to 19 dollars
Oona River -- Two dollar increase to 19 dollars
Metlakatla -- No change fee remains 3 dollars

Children (One way)

Hartley Bay -- Three dollar increase to 31 dollars
Kitkatla -- Two dollar increase to 19 dollars
Oona River -- Two dollar increase to 19 dollars
Metlakatla -- No change fee remains 3 dollars

More notes on marine transportation along the North Coast can be found here.

Cow Bay Marina opens applications for three summer positions

Ahoy  all ye would be mateys, the City of Prince Rupert is looking for you!

The Cow Bay Marina is making its plans for the 2017 boating season and as they prepare to ramp things up on the welcome front, they are seeking some staff for the summer season.

The City posted three job opportunities for the waterfront facility on Tuesday, all of them directed to college or university students who are enrolled in a current program, two of the positions are temporary full time and one on a part time basis.

Senior High School students will be considered for the part-time employment.

In their Job posting the City notes that they are looking for candidates who must be passionate about Prince Rupert, have a great customer service aptitude, a reliable work ethic and keen sense of work safety.

Candidates are also expected to act as community ambassadors and direct marina visitors to local businesses, services and attractions.

Those interested in the positions are asked to submit a cover letter and resume to the Human Resources Department at City Hall at 424 3rd Avenue West,  Prince Rupert, BC, V8J 1L7

The email address is hr@princerupert.ca

The Cow Bay Dock Facility opened last year and 2017 is expected to be a strong tourist year after a full year of promotion for the city's latest tourist service.

 

A quiet scene at the Cow Bay dock in this photo, but the City is hopeful
that the 2017 Tourism season will make it a busy place through the summer

You can review the job requirements for the job opportunities below:
(click to enlarge)

More notes on past employment opportunities with the City can be found from our archive page.

You can find more about the tourist season ahead from our archive pages here.

Baker's Beware! CFIA issues flour recall in Western Canada

Those that like to buy their flour in the 10kg bag will want to take note of a product recall issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

A Food Recall Warning has been issued by the Agency for 10 kilogram bags of Robin Hood Brand All Purpose Flour, Original  -- which has been recalled to E. Coli.

The Flour was distributed to stores in the four Western Canada provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In a notice to consumers, the CFIA notes that the recall was put into effect as of March 28, following one reported illness that was associated with the produce, adding that consumers should not consume the recalled product.

The product should be thrown out  or returned to the store where it was purchased

The Key information for consumers to look for if they have a bag at home is the Date and Lot number of BB/MA 2018 AL 17 and 6 291 548  the UPC Code is 0 59000 01652 8, images of what to look for on the bags can be found below:

More on the recall notice can be reviewed from this page on the CFIA website

Update: the number of cases of reported illnesses related to the issue has increased, with the Public Health Agency of Canada issuing this advisory

Lax Kw'alaams takes action on derelict buildings

While Prince Rupert continues to try to find a way to address the growing concerns related to derelict buildings through the downtown core, there's a bit of urban renewal taking place past the north end of Tuck Inlet.

With the Lax Kw'alaams Band Council beginning the process of preparing its community for the future by taking a proactive approach to development.

The sound of heavy machinery lumbering through Lax Kw'alaams has been heard through the last few weeks, as the Band takes action on a number of derelict buildings in the community.

The Lax Kw'alaams Council was responding to community concerns about the nature of the buildings and how they had become an eyesore, the demolition project allows for the prospect of future development for the area and reduces potentially dangerous situations from the abandoned structures.

In addition to the photo below from the Lax Kw'alaams Band Facebook page, they have also posted a video of some of the work that has taken place to this point of the project schedule.

You can check out some of the work here.

For more items related to Lax Kw'alaams see our archive page here.

Pinoy store offers familiar Filipino themes for residents and visitors alike

A new business in the downtown area of the city is helping to build on the growing theme of expanding on the many cultures that call Prince Rupert home, with Andhielhang's Pinoy store now offering a range of items that will be quite familiar for the city's Filipino community.

The Grand opening of the store at 313 Third Avenue West, across the Ocean Centre, took place earlier this month and from that celebration word has quickly spread about the products and friendly atmosphere that the store offers.

And while it's designed with the city's Filipino community in mind, it offers a chance for others in the region to sample some of the favourite items that come from the South pacific.

Filipino items are now available at
Anehielhang's Pinoy Store
on Third Avenue West

It should also prove to be a welcoming destination for the large number of crew members that call on the port facilities of the Port of Prince Rupert.

Many of the crew positions on the cargo vessels and container ships that call on Prince Rupert are held by workers of Filipino descent and the opportunity to find a little corner of home on this side of the Pacific should help spread the word on the new store.

The Third Avenue location makes for a perfect location to serve that potential group, located but one block away from the Prince Rupert Seafarers Mission, where volunteers will surely direct visiting sailors to take the walk one block west to see what may be available.

More items related to Prince Rupert's increasingly diverse commercial scene can be reviewed here.