Capital projects and purchases among themes for Port Edward Council to consider for 2022

Like many municipalities across the province, the Council members in the District of Port Edward are reviewing their Budget planning lists and checking them twice as they look to prioritize where they should be directing their financial resources towards in 2022.

At the most recent District of Port Edward council session, Mayor Bjorndal and the Council membership had opportunity to review a preliminary list of capital budget items put together by CAO Danielle Myles Wilson.

The list providing a bit of a glimpse into the focus for the District in the year ahead.

Among the items of note for consideration for 2022, infrastructure themes for a number of road work related projects as well as work on prepping land for potential opportunities to sell.

The District also has some purchases on the list, including a new plow for an existing District vehicle, a New Pick up for Public works and a new Fire Truck for the Port Edward Volunteer Fire Department.

Capital planning themes for 2022 for Port Edward Council
(click to enlarge)

Port Edward Council members will have had just under a month to consider which of the projects is a higher priority for attention at the moment.

The CAO's report to Council notes that the items will be brought back to Port Edward members for approval  at their December 14th council session, in order to get a start on the planning process for 2022.

More notes on items of interest from the District of Port Edward can be reviewed here.

North Coast Regional District to take Ferry concerns to BC Ferry Commission, BC Ferry Authority

The Northern Routes of BC Ferries
(from BC Ferries website)

With a litany of cancelled BC Ferry sailings and service interruptions in hand, the Board of North Coast Regional District has announced its plan to take growing concern over the service level for the Prince Rupert to Skidegate run and Island service to the appropriate oversight boards.

The issue becoming somewhat exacerbated over the last few months owing to cancelled and delayed sailings related to weather issues, which are beyond the control of BC Ferries.

Though as we noted in an item from November, the extended delay in getting back on schedule can be attributed to the reduced level of vessels that are in place on the North Coast/Haida Gwaii route during the fall/winter off season for the Ferry Corporation.

Something which can leave Haida Gwaii residents and those travelling to the Islands cooling their heels for days or more as the vessel allocation rotation for the routes presents itself.

The service to the inter island ferry has also seen a number of disruptions through the period as well.

In their notes from the November 24th Regional District Meeting, the Board noted that they will be sending a correspondence to the BC Ferry Commission and BC Ferry Authority to highlight they concerns over the declining service reliability on the Northern routes and Route 26.

The Board may also want to include North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice to the cc list when it comes to distribution of their concerns. 

As an opposition member in years past, Ms. Rice was a very vocal and effective critic of the then BC Liberal government when it came to Ferry concerns in the north. 

That advocacy may be ongoing now that she's part of the government. 

But if so, it's something taking place outside of the spotlight and theatre of the Legislature, where she has not spoken to transportation themes much (other than to praise the work of government) since the NDP took charge of the government's affairs.

The MLA recently acknowledged concerns over emergency medical care on Haida Gwaii, using her social media forum to note that she was hearing those voices. 

She may soon have to do the same on themes of Transportation.

With two members on the Board of Regional District, Prince Rupert City Council might also be interested in stepping into the discussion on ferry service in the region, Offering an invitation to the MLA to come to a public session of Council to speak to the Ferry situation and other items of note that are gaining some notice in the area.

Using City Council's forum would give both Council members and the MLA the opportunity to discuss the situation  and provide updates for the public as to what solutions if any are available for the communities of the entire North Coast and Haida Gwaii.

More notes on Regional District can be explored here.

Further items of interest related to BC Ferries can be found here.

City of Prince Rupert set to expand roster of tenants in Canfisco warehouse venture; as speculation on future development along George Hills Way accelerates

The City is on the cusp of adding a new tenant to their 
warehouse roster at the Canfisco facility near Rushbrook Floats

The City of Prince Rupert is moving the process along towards securing a new tenant for their Canfisco Warehouse venture in the Rushbrook Floats area. 

The City posting a Public Notice this week advising of their plans for a proposed sublease of some of their municipal property space to RONA Tyee Building Supplies. 

With RONA set to gain access to 5,000 square feet of space in the George Hills Way Warehouse.

Initial terms of the lease will see RONA pay the City $32,500 per year for the term of one year, with  a one year extension.

The notice advises if you have questions concerning the property disposition, that you should contact Rosamaria Millier, Corporate Administrator at City Hall in writing. 

Ms. Miller can be reached by fax at 250-627-0999 or by email at rosamaria.miller@princerupert.ca

The deadline to express any concern or comment is  no later than 4PM on December 10th.

There's some speculation in the community these days that
something is set to be announced for the light industrial land
along George Hills Way 

RONA currently leases space further up George Hills Way in a property just to the east of the Yacht Club, with the notice from the City perhaps serving to lend some credence to the quickening pace of the Prince Rumour Telegraph of the last month that something is in motion towards development of land along that stretch of George Hills Way.

The percolating presumption being of a significant announcement to soon come from City Hall related to a major revisioning of that area of the city along with a potential commercial use for the light industrial area of the eastern waterfront.

Images from City of PR - Rupert 2030 Vison plan

That area is part of what was identified as the Marina District during the Prince Rupert 2030 Vision presentation, when Mayor Brain and Council unveiled the view of how the Prince Rupert of the future may take shape. 

That blueprint for the way forward coming by way of urban planner Larry Beasley who worked with City Council and a range of community stakeholders as part of the visioning process. 

Many of the elements of the work of that period has since been incorporated into the revised Official Community Plan which was adopted earlier this year by Council.

As the old saying goes, watch this space, for future announcements.

More notes on City Council themes can be explore from our archive page here.

CBC Radio's Annual Food Bank Friday takes a provincial approach for 2021

CBC Radio will be hosting what has become an annual tradition in the province on Friday, with the 35th edition of their Food Bank Day, an event which raises not only awareness of the need of Food Banks across British Columbia, but also raises some impressive amounts of money from listeners each year.

Tomorrow's Food Bank Day will be marked by a Special Morning show province wide  broadcast from 6 to 8:30 AM, described as a Digital Meet and Greet that features a range of CBC hosts and personalities.

And while there won't be a version hosted locally  in Prince Rupert this year as in many Food Bank Day's past, there will still be some North Coast representation during tomorrow's presentation.

Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk, noted for the North Coast Review that one of the segments among the many tomorrow morning  to focus on the work of Food Banks in communities across BC will be featuring the Prince Rupert Salvation Army Food Bank.

The segment to provide a glimpse of the work of the Soup Kitchen and Food Bank programs in the city, which continue to face a growing need in this community.

Ms. de Ryk observed that the Prince Rupert feature will air in the 7 to 730 AM period of the Friday morning Food Bank Programming.

So while you may have to make do without a full two and half hours of the Daybreak North team of Ms. de Ryk and Matthew Allen in Prince Rupert ... Prince Rupert will still have a strong placement on the radios across the province.

You can contribute to the CBC's work of Friday here, with the link featuring a drop down link to the CBC Prince Rupert listings and your chance to direct your funds to the need in Prince Rupert.  

You can also help out by remembering to donate to the Salvation Army's ongoing Christmas Appeal which we provided some notes on earlier in the week.

Also taking place now is the annual Kettle Drive, with the Salvation Army having set up locations at both Wal Mart and the Prince Rupert Liquor Store.

More notes on the media in Prince Rupert can be reviewed here.

Further Community Items for the North Coast can be found here.

BC Ferries makes plans for 2022 All Native Basketball Tournament

BC Ferries is already planning for the return of the 
ANBT for 2022

The Big Event is still a few months off yet, but BC Ferries is giving some advance notice towards plans for a Schedule Revision to coincide with the 2022 All Native Basketball Tournament.

The event one which has made for heavy travel periods for those transiting from Haida Gwaii, the Central Coast and points south to Port Hardy.

The main focus is directed towards sailings taking place between February 10-23, with the seasonal schedule of sailing times for that period available here.

The Regular Winter Sailing Schedule will resume on February 24th.

Travellers can follow BC Ferries sailing updates through their website and Social media feed

The All Native Basketball Tournament starts on February 13th, the much anticipated and highly popular annual event in Prince Rupert returns to the court in 2022 following a one year COVID hiatus.

More notes on the Tournament can be reviewed here.

Further items of interest from BC Ferries can be found here.  

Early stages for Industrial lot development in motion in Port Edward

A map of the proposed Oceans Trailer maintenance site
(from the District of Port Edward website)

Some preliminary work is underway towards a proposed industrial development in Port Edward, wth the District considering plans from Ocean Trailers for a trailer maintenance facility on 10 acres of land.

The first glimpse of what may be developed was posted to the Agenda for the November 23rd District of Port Edward Council session.

Some early work, in the form of site grubbing, road building and drainage elements has already started  at  the site in an area known as the  former Basso's Pit property, which has been purchased by Oceans Trailers.

The Report for District Council members notes that a few Development Permits, along with Ministry of Transportation permitting will be required as the proposed development moves forward. 

So  far the District has not made public note of what's next for the maintenance facility.

More notes on themes from the District of Port Edward can be reviewed here.

Rotarians preparing for Annual Christmas Tree Sale

The quiet before the frenzy at the corner of Sixth East an
McBride Street, where Rotarians will soon be selling
Christmas Trees once again

They're not here yet, but once they arrive, the harvest of Christmas Trees won't last long for the Annual Prince Rupert Rotary Club Sale, which is set to get underway this Weekend.

The trees are soon to be enroute from the Terrace region, packed into a Bandstra Trailer destined for the Basketball courts at the corner of Sixth East and McBride. 

Once they arrive, Rotarians and some helpful elves from Prince Rupert Minor Hockey will get to the task of setting up the urban forest which will make for many a Christmas memory this season.

The Tree Sale Starts Saturday, December 4, at 11 AM, with the schedule to follow through December as follows:

Monday to Friday -- 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM 
Saturday -- 11 AM to 5 PM
Sunday -- 2  PM to 5 PM

Trees will be available until they're gone, with the early days of the annual sale making for some of the busiest  for the event for the volunteers of the Rotary club.

The money raised from the Annual Tree Sale is used to help fund a number of the Rotary Programs in the community.

Follow the Prince Rupert Rotary Facebook page for updates as the Tree Sale moves forward.

More notes on Community themes in Prince Rupert can be found here.