As Holiday season approaches civic and regional services will be scaled back

Once Christmas Eve rolls around next Tuesday, both the City of Prince Rupert and the Regional District will be reducing their work hours and services offered over the holiday period.

The City will be closing the doors to City Hall from 12 Noon on Christmas Eve, right through until Thursday morning January 2nd at 9:30 AM.

Over that period any payments received will be accepted up to and including January 2nd without a late penalty.

The Garbage cycle in the city will of course be affected by the numerous stat holidays and residents are advised to consult the Garbage pick up schedule in their phone books (page 7) or from the city website to determine how the schedule may change in your neighbourhood over the next two weeks.

Over at Regional District,  the Offices will be Closed from December 25th to January 1st, reopening for business on January 2nd.

For those that make trips to the Kaien Road Recycling Centre it's schedule will be modified over the holidays as well:

The Schedule of Operations will see the Recycling Centre Hours as follows:

Closed on December 25 and 26

Open from 8:30 to 4:30 on December 27th,

Open from 10 AM to 2 PM on December 28th

Closed on the 29th.

The Recycling Centre re-opens from 8:30 to 4:30 on December 30th and 31st

It will be closed on January 1st.

BC Transit also will shift to a holiday schedule as the holidays approach:

Extended Hours for December 20, 21 and 23 with buses running until 10 PM on routes 52, 52, 53 and 54.

Service ceases at 6:45 PM on Christmas Eve and will be cancelled on both Christmas and Boxing Days

Regular service resumes on December 27th.

Free New Years Eve service will be as follows:

In Prince Rupert buses wil be free from 6:45 PM to 3:30 AM

In Port Edward the service leaves Prince Rupert at 6:10 PM, 7:10 PM, 9:30 PM, 10:10 PM and every hour on the hour between 1 AM and 3 AM.

Service agains is cancelled on New Year's Day

Regular service resumes on January 2nd

CityWest announces closure of Kitimat storefront office

Christmas Eve will be closing time for CityWest's storefront office in Kitimat, as the Prince Rupert based communications company reconfigures its business plan for the Kitimat market.

In a media release this week, CityWest outlined the nature of the closure which will take place owing to the storefront not meeting the expectations of the company, particularly when it came to foot traffic and brand exposure.

The office, located at 174 5th Street in Kitimat will operate as usual for technicians and staff, however there will no longer be any customer access to the building.

According to the media release, the closure will allow CityWest to reorganize its Kitimat workforce. Current employment levels will remain the same though, as no job losses will take place as a result of the change of focus for the office.

Current customers will continue to be serviced through the telephone service option, while the new year will see CityWest introduce temporary selling booths in the community.

The company believes, that their roving approach to marketing will provide better interaction for residential and business customers in the community.

In addition to the plans to introduce more mobile marketing locations to keep the brand in the spotlight in the community,  CityWest plans a number of events for 2014 to highlight the offerings that the company provides to Kitimat.

You can review CityWest's Kitimat update here.

You can find more background on CityWest's footprint across Northwest BC from our archive page.

Slubowksi shares the duties in Broncos Minnesota trip

The University of Western Michigan Broncos picked up their first conference road trip win of the year last weekend.

As the Broncos faced off against the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Friday night victory came by way of a 5-3 victory for the Broncos, a game which Prince Rupert's Frank Slubowski watched from the players bench.

Bronco head coach Andy Murray went with his rookie goal tender Lukas Hafner in the opening game of the two game series, resting Slubowski for Saturday night's finale.

However, Saturday night provided some problems for the PRMHA alumnus, as the Broncos quickly fell behind 2-0 in the first period. Something that gave Murray cause to turn to Lafner for the remainder of the Saturday night game, substituting him in the Bronco nets after the second goal, five shots and almost eighteen minutes of play.

It marks the second week in a row that the Prince Rupert goaltender has struggled in the Bronco nets.

And while the Broncos launched a comeback bid in the final two periods, they still ended up on the short side of the 4-3 decision.

Reviews of the action from last weekend can be found below:

Saturday-- WMU hockey falls to Minnesota-Duluth, 4-3, despite strong rally
Saturday-- Bronco Comeback Falls Short at Minnesota-Duluth
Friday-- WMU hockey earns first NCHC road win at Minnesota-Duluth
Friday-- Big Second period leads to 5-3 win over Minnesota-Duluth

The team will now enjoy the Christmas break, returning to action on December 27th as part of the massive hockey festivities surrounding the Winter Classic game at Ann Arbour, Michigan between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.

Western Michigan will be part of the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament.

For the Broncos part, the weekend of hockey celebration starts with an outdoor game at Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers, the Broncos take on Michigan on the 27th.

Saturday the 28th, they will play either Michigan State or Michigan Tech.

You can review our past items on Frank Slubowski's travels with WMU from our archive page

Decision Day looms Thursday for Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project

After more than two and half years of hearings and conversations across British Columbia decision day it seems is finally nigh.

The process of consultation from the Joint Review Panel was launched in May of 2010, when they began their assessment of the then recently filed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project Application.

From that starting point,  the panel members crossed the province to seek out comment on the potential impact of the project, included on their schedule were a number of sessions in Prince Rupert from December 2012 to April 2013.

Those were public forums that featured countless presentations, technical information reviews and occasional protests. The panel members receiving much in the way of input from those that were in favour and those that were opposed to the proposed pipeline.

Sessions that at times were emotional, with flashes of anger dotting the proceedings along the way.  All of it now part of the considerations that will go into this final report.

The document to be delivered Thursday, will be one which provides for the next chapter on one of the most controversial of industrial projects in British Columbia history.

The clock is now ticking with much anticipated announcement set to come at 1:30 (PT) on Thursday afternoon.

With tomorrow's decision looming, a number of items on what may come have been delivered by a wide range of media outlets.

All of them will be back on Thursday and in the days to follow, ready  to provide a full review of the report and the fall out from it.

The previews for Thursday's announcement can be found below.

December 18-- Panel expected to approve Northern Gateway, but questions linger
December 18-- Decision on Northern Gateway Due Tomorrow
December 18-- Enbridge Decision to be released Thursday
December 17-- JRP to Release Northern Gateway Recommendations Thursday
December 17-- Panel to deliver Northern Gateway pipeline decision Thursday
December 17-- Wet'Suwet'en Chiefs Reaffirm Pipeline Ban
December 17-- Northern Gateway oil pipeline findings to be released Thursday
December 17-- Northern Gateway Report due Thursday
December 17-- Enbridge Review Panel Report Out Thursday (video)
December 17-- Northern Gateway Joint Review Panel to release report on Thursday
December 17-- JRP to Release Enbridge Northern Gateway Report Thursday
December 17-- Federal panel to release Northern Gateway pipeline verdict on Thursday
December 16-- Opponents and supporters prepare for Northern Gateway Pipeline Decision (audio)

By the time that Thursday afternoon's presentation comes to an end, no doubt some will feel as though Gold (Black Gold if you will) has been delivered to their Christmas stockings, while others will be left with the feeling that lumps of bitumen have been deposited.

Who feels which way will be a lot clearer come Thursday afternoon.

To review the trail towards Thursday's decision day, you can wade through the lengthy list of items from our Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project archives. 

If you start right now, you may just wrap up your reading by the time they sit down at the microphones tomorrow afternoon.

You can review that archive here.

Not to be left out, Enbridge itself has been busy compiling items of interest for it's website dedicated towards the Northern Gateway Pipeline, you can review all of those contributions here.

The Joint Review Panel has much in the way of documentation on their two and a half year journey posted to their website, it's from that portal that Thursday's final report will be delivered

Highway 16 Travel Advisory in effect for Smithers region

Update: Travel Advisory was lifted on Tuesday

Travellers heading towards the Smithers region will want to make note of a Travel Advisory issued by Drive BC this morning.

With Freezing Rain landing on compact snow in the region Road Conditions are proving problematic for travellers, with Drive BC urging travellers to use extreme caution while on the roads today.

You can review the latest road conditions for the Northwest from the Drive BC website or twitter feed

Mechanical issues have Northern Expedition running behind schedule

If it's not the weather, it's the technology...

That seems to be the fate of the Northern Expedition this week.

Last night it was severe weather that had the Northern Expedition running behind schedule, today according to a BC Ferries Service Notice, it's a mechanical issue that has the Ferry falling behind on its schedule.

The unspecified mechanical difficulties have the Northern Expedition currently running about 80 minutes behind schedule.

You can access further updates on BC Ferries notices from their website or twitter feed.

Canada Post has major changes in store for mail service

Last weeks announcement of a five year plan to bring to an end door to door delivery of mail across Canada continues to make for much discussion from coast to coast to coast.

Many Canadians had probably resigned themselves to the prospect of reduced frequency of delivery from the current five day a week model to something along the lines of twice a week, but what appears to be the thermo nuclear model of wiping out the entire delivery program caught most by surprise.

Calling their program of change a Five Point Action plan, Canada Post highlighted the nature of the changes ahead through a variety of media portals. (You can review the five points from their media release of December 11th)
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While the plan touches on such things as more convenience by way of postal franchises and the need to streamline operations and control labour costs. For most Canadians the most important portions of "the plan" it seems will be another postal increase that is on the way and the increased use of the Community Mail Box program that currently can be found in many communities, particularly in newer subdivisions (a program which hasn't really had much cause to be implemented in Prince Rupert owing to the lack of new housing)

For many Canadians that now is the only delivery system that they know of, so the comments from those that still receive the personal touch of door to door delivery hasn't resonated very loud for them.

It's probably that theme that the federal Conservatives are counting on, as they move forward with the Canada Post home delivery changes.

The first thing they will have to do however to gain the confidence of Canadians is to prove that those Community Mailboxes are a safer alternative to the door to door program in place at the moment, the main opponents of the giant mail storage units point to their vulnerable nature for mail thieves and the opportunity that they provide for a quick smash and grab.

That appears to be one of the themes that opponents of the government's decision will be using as they ramp up their criticism of the plan.

CUPW the union that represents the majority of Canada's Postal workers was quick to outline their concerns over the proposed five year plan, offering up three key notes of opposition to the project as outlined by Canada Post.

Canada Post chooses cuts over better options
Postal workers will work with Allies to Defend Door-to-Door Delivery
Canada Post and Conference Board Myths Debunked

For its part, other than the initial announcement of December 11th, the Post Office hasn't really rolled out much in the way of actual details on the program.  Leaving many to wonder just what they have planned or the timeline for communities in the Northwest as to when they will no longer see a letter carrier coming up the walkway.

Five years is a long time to implement a program, particularly with a Federal election arriving before that program will be rooted in place, so last week's announcement may yet find a bit of revision before it becomes a full and irreversible fixture.

Change it would seem is coming to the Post Office, how fast that change moves will depend on political will and how it is received by those that use the service.

The prospect of that change for the mail service has engaged Canadians like few topics of late, Monday morning the topic was addressed on the Bill Good program on CKNW.

The wide range of opinions highlights the split among Canadians on just what the future of the post office should be, you can listen in to that conversation through their Audio Vault Archive. The Post Office debate gets an airing from 11 to 11:30 AM

The topic was also the feature attraction on CBC Radio's Cross Country Check up, you can hear the Cross Canada point of view by way of the program's website.

Other reviews and items of note on the controversial proposal can be found below.

Globe and Mail-- CEO Deepak Chopra on Canada Post's future
Globe and Mail-- Canada Post gears up for pension fight
Globe and Mail-- Come rain, sleet or snow: A day with a Canada Post mail carrier
Globe and Mail-- Conservatives feared Canada Post losses would affect budget
Globe and Mail-- From theft to litter: Canada Post's delivery phase-out presents hurdles
CBC Daybreak North-- Seniors and non-profits worried about Canada Post changes
CBC-- Canada Post to phase out urban home mail delivery
CBC-- Canada Post change means 8,000 fewer jobs
CBC-- Canada Post to face $1B loss by 2020
CBC-- Canada Post cuts: Turnaround plan or beginning of the end?
National Post-- Canada Post to stop door-to-door delivery, convert to community mailbox delivery
National Post-- Canada Post offers a band-aid solution to a problem requiring radical surgery
National Post-- Salvation for Canada Post? Or does the 'death march' continue
National Post-- NDP upset that Canada Post will treat urban Canadians like everyone else
National Post-- Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra is a board member of the think-tank that urged mail changes
National Post-- Olivia Chow decries Canada Post cuts as "destroying" mail services while Justin Trudeau slams timing
National Post-- Ending Canada Post's monopoly would benefit taxpayers and consumers
National Post-- What Canada Post's changing face means for business
Vancouver Sun-- Canada Post must adapt to the times
Vancouver Sun-- Canada Post displays monopoly's flawed logic
Vancouver Sun-- The death of the letter box
Vancouver Sun-- A top Tory chides Canadians for griping about Canada Post's service cuts
Vancouver Sun-- Cost-cutting will hit seniors, mail carriers
Vancouver Province-- Future of mail service in Canada isn't clear
Vancouver Province-- Harper Conservatives won't say if Parliament should debate Canada Post restructuring
Vancouver Province-- Canada Post suspends sales of Permanent stamps
Vancouver Province-- It's time to end Ottawa's monopoly on the mail