Pay days are more rewarding in Prince Rupert

The Northern View has offered some talking points for local residents, offering up a review and comparison of compensation of civic workers between Prince Rupert and Terrace, always an entertaining bit of number crunching.

The story from Shaun Thomas examines the payroll numbers for both Prince Rupert and Terrace and reports that Prince Rupert's civic workforce is larger and better compensated than those who toil for the neighbours to the east.

45 employees of the City of Prince Rupert make more than 75,000 dollars a year, compared to only 17 in Terrace with the same payday. The Northern View explained that this means that of employees making more than 75,000 dollars the payroll is more than double that of Terrace, with Rupert's taxpayers providing for 4.18 million dollars while Terrace's taxpayers burden is significantly lower at 1.62.

The article will no doubt stir up some discussion as to what services a city should provide to its citizens and whether a city the size of Prince Rupert can afford to continue to provide those services or if other options need be explored.

Back in April, Rupertites shared their thoughts on the growing tax burden they face, the growing payroll expenditures compared to those of other communities will no doubt rekindle some of that concern.

The Northern View article comes in the wake of some other studies province wide which explore the same theme of municipal remuneration and how smaller communities are incurring ever growing payrolls with a dwindling or stalled tax base.

Michael Smyth of the Vancouver Province explores the issue and the growing backlash elsewhere to the cost of municipal governance.

Rupert Housing sales improve from 2011 numbers

The spurt of positive news and potential development in Prince Rupert seems to have helped remove some of the doldrums of the local real estate scene.

The BC Northern Real Estate Board release its quarterly report for 2012 and local real estate agent Victor Prystay the numbers are trending well for Prince Rupert.

As of the start of July Prince Rupert had registered 65 sales, compared to 50 at this time last year. With the summer months showing an increase in interest for listings across the city.

The average selling price is holding steady, with a median price of 193,223 dollars down slightly from last years values.

By the end of June there were 271 properties listed on the MLS service.

Those in Prince Rupert seeking to sell their houses were looking at a period of 113 days to close a deal,  that's a longer period of time compared to other locations in the Northwest, Terrace reports a 71 day average to close while Smithers suggests 75 days is the average wait period.

Northern View-- Prince Rupert home sales at a four year high through first half of 2012
CFTK-- Prince Rupert Housing Sales Up-- Compared to 2011
Terrace Standard-- Terrace real estate market favours sellers

West Jet eyes Terrace for Northwest entry point

West Jet's plans for a regional airline may involve the Terrace-Kitimat Airport (aka Northwest Regional Airport), or at least they appear to be on the list according to reports from some  Terrace based media outlets.

Airport Manager Carman Hendry recently met with WestJet officials in Calgary, where he made his pitch to lure the airline to the Northwest, making Terrace their Northwest hub as it would be.

According to the CFTK story, some 30 airports were interviewed as part of West Jet's process of setting up its network, which will use a Dash Q-400 as the airplane for transportation to network cities. The northwest hub would feed passengers from our region to Vancouver and on to the larger West Jet network.

When word first came out about the proposed West Jet expansion, Prince Rupert was mentioned as a potential destination spot.

If a blurb from the Brandon Chamber of Commerce is to be relied upon, Prince Rupert airport provided it's own presentation at this most recent review, though if indeed a presentation took place we haven't heard much about it from local sources.

Expanding the options at the Prince Rupert Airport would certainly help to make the airport financially more secure and continue to offer services that local residents are looking for.

The Terrace-Kitimat airport already features more departures and arrivals than it's Prince Rupert competitor, in fact, in pure passenger levels, the Terrace airport seems to be growing faster than the Prince Rupert location.

It may be that passenger level statistic that sways any decision by the Calgary based airline. Should West Jet locate in Terrace, it could very well attract more traffic from Prince Rupert, particularly in the more travel friendly summer driving months.


CFTK-- Terrace Airport May Be Destination for WestJet; Getting New GPS System
Terrace Standard-- WestJet takes a look at Terrace, BC

Update: July 20-- The Prince Rupert Airport Manager recounted his discussions to the Northern View, outlining the talking points from his meeting with West Jet officials, making the case for YPR to the Calgary based airline

Pinnacle Pellet Plant plans moves forward slowly

The latest proposal for waterfront development is proving to be a contentious issue for residents on the West side of the city, as the Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group's plans for a pellet terminal and storage facility provides for a vocal debate over what should, or should not be developed on the Prince Rupert waterfront.

Pinnacle's plans as outlined in a comprehensive prospectus, would provide for a storage facility and shipping terminal along the shoreline near where Prince Rupert's grain elevator once stood, providing for the first real industrial use of that are since Prince Rupert Grain relocated to Ridley Island in the eighties.

It's perhaps because of that absence of use that has provided for an attachment to that section of the waterfront, residents on that side of town, having had little industrial development take place until the recent rejuvenation of Fairview terminals into what is now the container port.

Since then, the volume in both numbers and audial content on the waterfront rail lines has caused for controversy on the west side, residents weary of train horns tooting and rail car couplings coupling and all of that.

Now, much to their horror it would seem the prospect of yet more development on that stretch of waterfront is sending some of them to the verbal barricades as it were.

The debate which at times gets heated, offers up any number of potential problems that opponents can think up, some of which may or may not be grounded with actual proof. The scope of the argument ranges from health concerns over potential pellet dust, to property value declines, though in the latter category, some of the opponents perhaps have an over inflated view of their property values.

Many of the concerns are listed on a webpage called Pellet Free Neighbourhood, where opponents of the project list their talking points on the issue.

Based on the idea that the city is now a major shipping port,  those opponents may not be on the firmest ground on the debate, with the planned expansion of the Container port the rail corridor along the waterfront will remain as a marshalling yard for the foreseeable future.

Likewise, if historic precedent is any benchmark, the area in question with the Pinnacle proposal is indeed industrial, so it shouldn't really be a surprise that it would return to it's original use as opposed to the waste of scrubland it has become of late.

As it seems at the moment, the waterfront appears to have been divided into sections, the area from Kwinitsa to the east a more resident friendly space, the walking trail, the parkland, the cruise terminal and the Cow Bay redevelopment plans making it the destination for leisure and public use.

West of Kwinitsa, is for the most part a marshalling yard for CN, much of the land yet to be reclaimed for any other use from the historic fire on the waterfront of the seventies, the further you move towards Fairview the concept of it still being industrial seems still quite viable.

The City, as seems the case of late in anything contentious, appears to want to sit on a fence waiting for the winds to blow one way or another, offering up little evidence that it is fully committed to bringing any new industry to town.

The City recently issuing a call for input on the waterfront development, though we're not sure exactly how that would impact on the Port of Prince Rupert controlled space, which the city probably has little input or control over, other than offering up helpful suggestions.

Considering the city's less than solid financial footing these days, with a tax base that has declined over the last decade, one would think that the city would have an opinion or two on development and be inclined to welcome the same, at some point it would be seem that the city is in need of the growth and the benefits that could come from that.

Prince Rupert being a port city will either move forward based on the strength of its position in the world of shipping or it will stagnate again, the Pellet plant proposal would appear to be sending a message of confidence in the future as a shipment location.

The key to the financial well being of the city is to create an atmosphere of further development, sometimes that means that hard decisions and opinions have to be made and eventually accepted.

The file on the Pellet Plant proposal grows by the day, some of the reviews can be found below.

Invest Northwest BC -- Westview Wood Pellet Terminal

Northern View-- Pinnacle Pellet hosts forum on proposed Prince Rupert Pellet export terminal
Northern View-- Environmental Assessment for Pinnacle Pellet terminal in Prince Rupert ...
Northern View-- Prince Rupert Council asks for extension on pellet terminal environmental...
Northern View-- Prince Rupert Port Authority sends letter addressing wood pellet terminal ...
Northern View-- Major pellet shipping facility proposed for Prince Rupert waterfront
CFTK-- Proposed Pellet Terminal brings Concerns Over Waterfront Access
CFTK-- Pinnacle Renewable Energy Holds Open House in Prince Rupert
CFTK-- Rupert Resident Brings Pellet Concerns to Council for a Second Time

They'll be working on the rail road

CN is certainly bullish on the future of the Northwest, the railroad which serves the Port of Prince Rupert recently announced plans for an ambitious expansion of its rail network along the Northern corridor.

CN has plans to create a number of lengthy sidings along the northern route, to better move the volume of traffic that is using the Port of Prince Rupert as a shipment point to overseas markets.

The 155 million dollar project will create five sidings to better move product along its network, a continuation of a process that has created some 21 sidings since 2004 along the northern route in Alberta and British Columbia.

And with the new sidings it seems will come longer trains, utilizing modern technology aboard CN's growing fleet of engines.

CN describes the new sidings as creating  the opportunity to "increase the fluidity of operations in this major CN corridor and allow us to haul increased volumes in safer, more efficient trains equipped with distributed power (DP) technology."

Marketwatch-- CN to construct five long sidings in 2012 on B. C. North Line...
Canadian Business-- Canadian National Railway to build five new sidings...
Northern View-- CN to construct five extended sidings on Edmonton - Prince Rupert...
Opinion 250-- CN Extending Rail sidings

40 years and growing strong

It now is the undisputed engine of the Northwest and Northern BC economy, the shipment point to the Asian markets and the Gateway to Middle America, the Port of Prince Rupert has come a long way in its 40 years and perhaps is if not there, now very close to that ancient vision of Charles M. Hays.

The Port of Prince Rupert celebrated its fortieth anniversary in March, featuring a look back to its past, but more importantly looking with enthusiasm towards its future.

In a local economy that has suffered many hits over the last few decades, from the death of the pulp and sawmill industry to the serious decline of the fishery, the Port of Prince Rupert has provided for the majority of the positive economic news of that same period.

The introduction and proposed growth of container services, to the growing expanse of Ridley Island with both coal and grain facilities has provided the spine for the local economy in the transition period from old industrial development and the new horizons ahead.

Northern View-- Traffic through Prince Rupert's Fairview Terminal almost doubles in first quarter
Northern View-- Ridley Terminals provides update on expansion progress
Northern View-- Ridley Terminals signs agreement for more coal from Coalspur
Northern View-- RTI chair, MP say potential sales plans 'speculative'

The prospect of perhaps a potash terminal and continue talk of an LNG facility for the north coast are but two of the percolating developments for the region.

The tourism sector gets a reboot this year as the Port retrenches it's cruise ship strategy, with hopes of rebuilding the local brand moving forward from the disappointment of recent cruise line withdrawals.

Northern View-- With first ship arriving May 4, the Prince Rupert cruise task force is seeking volunteers
Northern View-- New position looks at improving cruise in Prince Rupert

The process for all facets of port development at times seems glacial for many, the bounty of jobs not quite delivered yet, the expansions and vision for the future still to move forward, yet for the city, the region and the northern half of the province, the Port of Prince Rupert is the key building block for economic development across the Highway 16 corridor.

The celebration of the Ports progress was reviewed from a variety of local media, their accounts of the Port at 40 can be found below.

The Northern View-- Prince Rupert Port Authority CEO reflects on PRPA's 40th anniversary
CFTK-- Rupert Port Forty (video)

Province seeks to improve trade through infrastructure

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark made mention of Prince Rupert a few times on Monday as part of her 25 billion dollar review of transportation plans for the province.

For the most part, the shout outs to Prince Rupert were actually recycled news, the 100 million dollars allocated to the Prince Rupert Rail Utility corridor and expansion plans for the coal terminal at Ridley Island long ago made public, but reinforced on Monday to highlight the BC Liberals transportation plans.

So while, no actual new funding was announced for the Prince Rupert industrial base, her comments did serve to re-enforce the importance of the Port of Prince Rupert to the province's long term economic plans.

Other items of note from her Monday press conference outlined plans for a metal and mineral terminal for somewhere in Northwest British Columbia, no specific home port was announced for that project, as well as 2.8 billion in investment for rail by both CN and CP rail.

As well, commitments to increase container terminal projects at Deltaport and the increase of potash terminal capacity could impact on Prince Rupert's economic plans as well.

Rupertites of course are still awaiting word from Potash Corporation about any development plans for a potash terminal for the North Coast, a much discussed project over the last few years that hasn't really move forward very far as of yet.

The chief rival for Prince Rupert's potash aspirations is North Vancouver's Neptune Bulk Terminal, which played host to the Premier for her Monday announcement, a terminal which has seen significant expansion over the last year of its handling capabilities.

It will be with interest that North coast residents watch developments in North Vancouver, and wonder what impact that expansion may have on their hopes of a potash terminal of their own.

CBC-- $25 billion over 8 years to improve B. C. overseas trade

Vancouver Sun-- Clark's transportation plan far from visionary

Vancouver Sun-- B. C. rolls out new $700 million road, rail plan
Globe and Mail-- Christy Clark's 'new transportation strategy' is only partly so

Victoria Times Colonist-- Same old new transportation strategy