Fairview Terminal adds ZIM shipping line to list of marine carriers

A New Container service has started  to service Fairview Terminal

The Prince Rupert Port Authority, Fairview Terminals and CN Rail all welcomed the arrival of a new marine carrier to the North Coast this week, as the Israeli Shipping line ZIM began its service with an inaugural call on March 27th.

ZIM has partnered with the 2M alliance to serve Prince Rupert as part of its service to and from Asia and beyond. The ZIM containers arrived aboard the Maerskl Altair as part of its recent port call in Prince Rupert.

"We are very glad to add Prince Rupert to our growing portfolio, as part of our renewed Asia-Pacific North West services, in addition to our other Pacific North West (PNW) gateways. Our strategic cooperation with the 2M Alliance allows us to offer our customers the premium solutions and the unique advantages the new Prince Rupert call can provide," -- Nissim Yochai, ZIM EVP Pacific Trade

The ZIM service marks the forth weekly service for the Port of Prince Rupert. It came about following a January cooperation agreement between the Israeli carrier and the Maersk and MSC lines.

The addition of another major shipping line that is set to make use of the Prince Rupert Gateway will serve well to continue to raise the profile of the Fairview Terminal, which continues to work towards further expansion of its footprint on the Prince Rupert waterfront.

It's expected that by 2022, Fairview will be able to handle up to 1.8 Million TEUS of intermodal capacity, an expansion of service that will provide employment benefits across the entire Northwest corridor as more and more goods arrive and depart from the Port of Prince Rupert.

The announcement from ZIM has been noted by the Industrial press that serves the shipping industry, with a number of articles making note of the impact that another line making landfall in Prince Rupert will have.

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services' new call to Port of Prince Rupert
ZIM"s New Call to Port of Prince Rupert
ZIM begins marine carrier service at Port of Prince Rupert
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services' new call to Port of Prince Rupert

For more items of note related to the Port of Prince Rupert see our archive page here, further background on Fairview can be explored here.

BC Ferries Northern routes to see service increase as of April 1st

The Prince Rupert Terminal for BC Ferries is about to get a little bit
busier, as the Ferry Corporation follows through on provincial plans to
add to the number of sailings in and out of Prince Rupert

BC Ferries is taking the final steps required to fulfill the recent direction from the Provincial Government to provide for more expansive Ferry service on a number of Coastal runs and for Prince Rupert that means an increase in service for two routes that depart and arrive from the Fairview Terminal.

According to an update from BC Ferries from yesterday, the additional service will be in effect system wide as of Monday, though the Northern launch has a few issues to sort out:

Port Hardy - Mid-Coast - Prince Rupert
Haida Gwaii - Prince Rupert

Click on the above to connect with the schedules as of April 1st

Looking further ahead towards the busy summer season, BC Ferries however had a bit of bad news for the North Coast, with vessel refit and recruitment plans preventing for the addition of more service at the start of the summer.

Towards addressing some of the travel concerns for the 2019 season the Ferry Corporation is investigating the possibility of extending the summer schedule further into the fall this year.

BC Ferries also notes that even more service increases are to be added to the Prince Rupert to Port Hardy run for 2020.

On Haida Gwaii, the planned service increase for the Alliford Bay - Skidegate route will be on hold for a little bit longer. The increase to the schedule means that BC Ferries must secure another full crew for each day, as the route will change from a 12 hour per day to a 16 hour per day operation.

BC Ferries notes that they have commenced with the process of recruitment and relocation plans for staff members, they will keep the local ferry advisory committee up to date on the progress of their plans to increase the service.

You can review more background on the announcement for all 10 of the routes set to see additional service as of April 1st here.

For more items of interest related to Ferry transportation on the North Coast see our archive page here.

Rampage bow out at Coy Cup

The Prince Rupert Rampage quest for the Coy Cup has come to an end, with the Rhinos on the outside looking in for the final two days of the Senior Men's Tournament.

A 4-1 loss Thursday afternoon to the Dawson Creek Canucks sealed their fate, leaving the Rampage with an 0-3 record in the round robin format, with Dawson Creek moving on to today's semi-final with their victory.

In their previous two games the Rampage ran into some tough competition with both the host Fort St. John Flyers and Williams Lake Stampeders offering little room for Prince Rupert to make charge and as it is in a round robin event, if you fall behind early in the week it becomes harder and harder to climb back into the hunt for the playoff round.

While the Rampage did manage to find the net, their opposing teams were able to do the same with more frequency and the Rhinos never quite seemed to be able to slow down some of that push that found them falling behind.

The month long  break between the CIHL championship and the Coy Cup also appears to have taken a toll at times on the energy level.

By comparison the Peace teams had been playing hockey through much of March, with Dawson Creek for instance stepping into the Coy Cup after but a few days of competition in their own league finals, something which went a long ways towards keeping their skating legs fresh for this week.

The Rampage record at the 2019 Coy Cup was as follows:

Thursday
Prince Rupert 1 -- Dawson Creek 4

Wednesday
Prince Rupert 4 -- Williams Lake 7

Tuesday
Prince Rupert 3 -- Fort St. John 8

The host team from  Fort St. John would appear to be the favourites to claim the Coy by the end of Saturday night, they have had an impressive week of round robin play, putting together a 3-0 record along with 20 goals for and but 8 on the against side of the ledger.

They will await the winner of tonights Williams Lake - Dawson Creek matchup which will determine who moves on to the Saturday night finale for the 2019 edition of the Senior Championship.

You can review the flow of the tournament through the week from our archive page here.

Port of Prince Rupert makes plans for close to 12,000 guests for 2019 Cruise Season

The Northland Cruise Terminal will greet its first visitors on May 23
when the Seven Seas Mariner makes its first visit to Prince Rupert for 2019

Thursday May 23rd is the day to keep note of  for cruise ship watching, with the date in May circled on the calendar for Prince Rupert's first cruise ship of the season.

That's the day when the Seven Seas Mariner will pull alongside the Northland Terminal and deliver 700 potentials guests to the city, adding to the hustle of the city in the busy summer tourism season.

The Port call from the Seven Seas Mariner visit, one of two that Regent line ship will make, marks the first of twenty three Cruise ship stops for Prince Rupert this year, offering the potential for 11,138 guests along with the crew from the ships to explore the North Coast.

The season will continue through the Summer and into the early fall with the Seabourn line vessel Sojourn bringing the season to its completion on October 5th.

May offers just the one visit, while June will see 6 port calls, a lull arrives in July with just three visits, then picks up the pace fast with six port calls in each of August and September, the October visit of the Sojourn will be the only vessel for that month.

The largest vessel to call on Prince Rupert in 2019
will be the Crystal Symphony

The busiest day for those who service the Cruise industry will be August 7th when two ships make a port call, the Star Legend with 212 passengers will take an anchorage, while the Crystal Symphony with 922 passengers will get the Terminal berth at Northland. 

The ten hour visit by the Crystal Symphony from 8 AM to 10 PM, will be the only strop it will make in Prince Rupert for 2019.  The Crystal line vessel will also be the largest ship to call on Prince Rupert this year.

The Crystal Symphony last visited Prince Rupert in July last year, with a large number or Rupertites taking to Mariner's park or the Cow Bay Wharf to get a first hand view.

A slightly easier day will be found on August 17th which also features two cruise ship visits, but with a slightly lower passenger count to be sent ashore.

The vessel that Port watchers will see the most of this year is the Sojourn, as the Seabourn Cruise line vessel makes eight appearances on the schedule from June to October.

Last September, we profiled the line which is making Prince Rupert one of its Northwest bases, taking note of the work they were putting into their plans for 2019.

There is also the possibility of more port calls to come for 2019; still to be confirmed are visits from the Sea Bird, Seal Lion and National Geographic Quest.

Updates to the schedule will be provided through the Port Authority Cruise Ship website page (see here).

That online portal has been updated for the 2019 season and offers a wide range of information on the Cruise experience in Prince Rupert, you can review it here.

The passenger numbers anticipated for 2019 are down somewhat from what has been found in the last few years. 

Last year saw the Port expecting just over 12,000 visitors, while one year previous  in 2017 the preseason forecast was for up to 17,000 visitors expected to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the region.

For more notes on the 201i9 and a look back at previous years see our Cruise archive page here.

Sustainability the cause for Transition Prince Rupert with a range of initiatives set for April

Sarah Dantzer provided an update for City Council on some of the April
plans for Transition Prince Rupert

The arrival of April will give residents of Prince Rupert cause to work towards a more sustainable future, with Transition Prince Rupert taking the lead on a range of projects through the month to advance attention to the issues of sustainability and community goals.

Monday evening Transition Prince Rupert's Treasurer Sarah Dantzer appeared at City Council to provide an update on the number of projects planned for the month ahead, a list which features a number of clean up initiatives, documentaries and garden swap event to name a few.

As part of her presentation Ms. Dantzer also expanded on the Green Business Pledge program that will be launched in the community as of April 1st. That program will ask that participants meet five of a list of ten criteria to take part, with stickers to be provided to those businesses that are proactive and engage in Green initiatives.

She also outlined some notes related to Documentary Night set for April 12th at the Lester Centre which is by donation, Ms. Dantzer noted how they would be working with Charles Hays Secondary Council in that presentation as a fund raiser for their organization. She also observed that one of CHSS council members is a Direct of the Transition Society and how it's been enjoyable working with him.

Ms. Dantzer also observed that the Positive Prince Rupert Group will be holding another of their clean up project this month as well set for April 21st.

As part of her presentation she asked that Council provide a proclamation to declare April as Sustainability month in Prince Rupert. Something which Council addressed as part of their Regular Council session later in the evening.

In follow up questions to the presentation, Councillor Cunningham praised the work of the organization and offered a challenge to other Council members to help out with the Rubbish round up, which he will be taking part in again.

Councillor Adey also offered up his support for the work of the organization in the community.

Mayor Brain, who was a founding member of the organization,  also made note of his support for the program's plans,  hailing the work that the group has taken on to raise the program to a new level.

You can take in her presentation from the City's Video Archive starting at the 47 minute mark.



More on the work of Transition Prince Rupert can be found from their website and Facebook page.

Further notes related to Monday's CityCouncil session can be found from our Council Timeline feature, while discussion themes at City Council can be explored in more detail through our Council Discussion archive.

Conservative MPs Kitimat bound for meet and greet with Skeena-Bulkley Valley candidate Claire Rattée

While the NDP make their plans to move forward in the post Nathan Cullen years in Skeena-Bulkley Valley, Conservative nominee Claire Rattée is making plans to host a political event in Kitimat this Saturday as she brings three members of the Alberta wing of the federal party to the Northwest.

Joining the newly nominated Conservative candidate for the riding will be MP's Michelle Rempel, Blaine Calkins and Glen Motz, with all three Alberta MP's in  Kitimat to discuss issues of interest to the region on Saturday from 3 to 6 at the Hirsch Creek Golf and Winter Club.

The Skeena-Bulkley Valley candidate made note of the event through her Facebook page earlier this week. Further information related to Saturday's political event can be found from the event page created for the political get together.

The Saturday Meet and Greet won't be the only political event for the Conservatives, or potential Conservative voters  this week in the region, with Ms. Rempel and the other Alberta MP's hosting a Town Hall style meeting set to discuss firearms issues related to the proposed changes through Bill C71.

That gathering is set for the Kitimat Rod and Gun Club on Friday evening from 7 to 9 PM.

Ms Rattée secured the Conservative nomination back in February gaining more support during the nomination campaign than competitor Jody Craven, who also had taken part in the quest to represent the Conservatives in the upcoming fall election.

For more items of note related the Federal political scene in the Northwest see our archive page here.

Council members receive Community Para-Medicine tutorial

Prince Rupert is one of a number of communities in the
Northern Health region to be selected to participate in the
Para-Medicine program, on Monday City Council
heard some details about the program and what it offers

Monday's City Council session made for Presentation night with a number of local groups providing some notes of interest for Council members to take in on a range of issues and initiatives.

One of the night's reviews provided Council with some background on the newly introduced Community Para-medicine program that is in place in Prince Rupert with Paramedic Cay Hulsen outlining the focus for the program and how it has been received in the community so far.

The twelve year veteran paramedic in Prince Rupert offered Council members a review of the four components which make up the program, which include:

Provide services at community events, such as Seafest or local marathon events

Promote Health issues in the community by way of public education through schools and other groups to make presentations

Wellness checks on community members in public spaces

Provide for home visits to provide assistance for those with chronic disease and palliative care by referral from Doctors.

He observed how it was introduced in the North over the last four years, and since its introduction to Prince Rupert six months ago,  he has worked with a number of community organizations to expand the scope of the program in the region.

Mr. Hulsen also noted that as his workload has grown, a second position is planned to be added to the Prince Rupert ambulance station hopefully by the end of this summer.

For those that may have questions or ideas on how they can help out, he noted that he is available at the ambulance station to help provide more background on the program.

Following his presentation, City Council members offered up some thoughts on the program and how the city may be able to assist in sharing word of the initiative.

Mayor Lee Brain asked if there was anything that the City can do to help with the program delivery.

On that theme, Mr. Houlson observed as to  some safety concerns for some of the residences where seniors live, noting that some of their facilities are not as secure as others in the community.

He also noted the concerns in the community over crosswalk and traffic issues in the city, noting of a recent visit to Whitehorse which he says has a traffic safety program the city could explore to see if it will work here.

Towards working with Seniors, Councillor Cunningham asked how residents could access the program if they don't have a family doctor, he was advised that they should go through the hospital in that instance.

Mr. Cunningham also suggested that the program work with the Seniors Centre to work towards fall prevention and other safety concerns for those Seniors who still live in their homes.

As part of the discussion on the services that are provided, the Councillor was advised that the program does have an outreach process for Seniors in their homes and how the city could lobby the ambulance service to ask for more resources to address more of the areas that are of concern.

The full presentation can be viewed from the City's Council Video archive starting at the thirty two minute mark.




You can find more on the program from Monday's Council Agenda package here .

BC Emergency Health Services notes that some 26 communities in the Northern health service region have been selected to participate in the program (see list here) they also provide a wide ranging overview about what the Community Para Medicine program offers here.

For more items of note from Monday's City Council Session see our Council Timeline here.

Health issues and items of interest are reviewed from our Northern Health archive pages, while a wider look at City Council discussion themes can be explored here.