Tributes for Nelson Kinney, a Public Hearing, Presentations and a lengthy discussion on changes to council procedures on development issues marked the course of a one and half hour council session Monday.
Along the way Council would also approve the zoning change required for a supportive recovery house facility in the city and bring an end to the public consultation period for the City's 2018 Budget process.
Through the ninety minutes, Council heard four presentations from supporters of 333 Trinity House during the Public Hearing portion of their review of the supportive housing residence for the city, with Council later approving the zoning request to allow for the facility.
They also heard from representatives of a local group that had provided assistance to youth prior to their funding expiring, as well as a pair of representatives from Ecotrust Canada who outlined their upcoming plans for the spring and summer.
Council also approved the request from the Recreation Department to seek out funding from Northern Health's Imagine grant program, with hopes of replacing the skating resources for the public skate program at the Civic Centre.
Council members brought the evening to an end by providing for a few comments, observations and suggestions on a range of topics for further action by the City.
Some background on the items of note on the evening and the various Agenda elements for the March 26th Council session can be reviewed here.
Council also met in a closed session earlier in the day, the notice closing that meeting to the public can be reviewed here.
Further information from our overview and placement in the video archive can be found below, with the permanent record of the minutes added as they are posted to the city website.
In attendance March 26, 2018
Mayor Lee Brain -- Present
Councillor Barry Cunningham-- Present
Councillor Blair Mirau -- Present
Councillor Wade Niesh -- Present
Councillor Gurvinder Randhawa-- Present
Councillor Joy Thorkelson -- Absent
Councillor Nelson Kinney passed away on March 24th
Video Archive for March 26, 2018
( 0:00 -- 4:00 ) The evening marked the first council session since the passing of Councillor Nelson Kinney over the weekend and began on an emotional note.
Prior to the start of Monday's Session, Mayor Lee Brain spoke to the passing of Councillor Kinney over the weekend, asking for a moment of silence in his memory.
He then invited the remaining members of Council to offer up their own thoughts if they wished, with all those that were in attendance for the night providing for a short remembrance of Mr. Kinney's life.
The Mayor also noted that Council planned to host a more extensive tribute to the life and work of Councillor Kinney at a future Council session in the months to come.
( 4:00 -- 16:00 ) Public Hearing to review a zoning revision application for a Supportive Housing Residence to b located at 333 11th Avenue East.
Councillor Wade Niesh excused himself from the proceedings, observing that he owns a property in the immediate area of the residence in question.
City Planner Zeno Krekic provided a review of the zoning request, along with an update on the steps that were taken as part of the process, as well as to make note of any correspondences that the City had received related to the development.
Following his presentation, the Mayor first explained how the Public Hearing process works and then called for comments or questions from the public related to the zoning request.
Four members among a large contingent of supporters in the gallery spoke in favour of the residence making note of its value to the community, with all four urging Council members to approve the zoning change to allow the residence to operate.
With no other members of the public coming to the table to offer comments, the Mayor brought the Public Hearing to an end. Council would discuss and vote on the zoning issue later in the evening as part of their Regular Business.
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(16:00 -- 17:00) Committee of the Whole Session for March 26th -- Mayor Brain reviewed the list of minutes and agenda items to be noted by Council members, with Council then approving the Agenda.
( 17:00 -- 28:00 ) Presentation from Joyce Charlton, regarding Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Action Team Report -- As she introduced her report, Ms. Charlton noted that the group was no longer an active Action Team having lost their funding in late 2017.
Her report outlined the range of findings that were reviewed over the course of two years, that as part of the collaboration between the Local Action Team and area service providers, youth and families.
During that period all worked to provide for timely access to support and services for children and youth struggling with mental health concerns and substance use in Prince Rupert.
Ms Charlton reviewed the range of projects that the group worked on over the two years in Prince Rupert, with over 40 community members taking part at one time or another, lending assistance to help to provide those services to youth.
Councillor Randhawa thanked Ms. Charlton for her work in the community, while Councillor Niesh inquired as to whether additional funding may be available to keep the program going, he was advised that the moment they had not heard of any funding that can be accessed at this time,
Councillor Cunningham praised the program for its work in the city and made note of the Healthy Communities Committee that meets with Northern Health and offered up a hope that perhaps some funding could be delivered through that option.
( 28:00 -- 35:30 ) Budget Presentation Report from the Chief Financial Officer -- Ms. Corinne Bomben, the City's CFO provided a short overview of the Budget process and Five Year Financial Plan for the Council members, public gallery and those viewing the meeting at home.
When it came time for a public comment period, No one came forward to make a contribution towards the budget presentation, with the Mayor then bringing the Budget consultation process to an end.
Mayor Brain then called for any other General comments or Questions related to other aspects of the city's work.
Only one participant came forward to speak, first making a short observation on the life of Councillor Kinney and then offering comments related to the city's open burning bylaws, permitting and enforcement practices. He also raised concerns over the lack of rental space in the community and took note of the volume of buildings that stand empty and could be available for rental.
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(35:30 -- 36:30 ) Regular City Council Session for March 26th, 2018 -- Mayor Brain reviewed the list of minutes and agenda items to be noted by Council members, with Council then approving the Agenda
( 36:30 - 54:00 ) Presentation from Ecotrust Canada, with Devlin Fernandes and Nathan Randall providing an update on the status of the North Coast Innovation Lab and NDIT grant application . -- The two representatives from Ecotrust Canada, led their presentation with condolences at the passing of Mr. Kinney.
From there, they provided some background on the groups history in Prince Rupert since its arrival on the national scene in 2009 and then outlined the background to the plans for development of the North Coast Innovation Lab, which will be used to help support economic alternatives that address community interests and needs.
Ms. Fernandes noted how the work of ecotrust is looking to build on the previous work of the Hays 2.0 plan and ReDesign Rupert initiatives.
As for the work of the North Coast Innovation Lab, Ms. Fernandes noted that its goal is to work on tangible projects that will build a resilient economy in the community. The lab will provide for research, facilitation, design, incubation and project coordination capacity to activate community-led projects.
To do that they will build community capacity for social innovation through workshops, partnerships, events and other forms of interactive learning.
Mr. Randall provided for the review the Innovation Lab concept and how it will be introduced into the community, with Ecotrust having held consultation sessions with community members to determine some of the initiatives that they may be able to work together on.
He made note of such areas as growing the local economy for fish and marine products, downtown revitalization, place making and livability, and economic diversification through entrepreneurship.
Ecotrust hopes to have project incubation underway in the summer of 2018 with two graduate student positions to be filled to provide for supports for their work.
They also outlined the nature of the fundraising options that they have access to, as they look to move their projects forward. As part of their overview they noted that they had recently received funding from the Rural Dividend Fund.
As they look to secure further funding, they also asked for the support from the City of Prince Rupert as they look to seek out grant funding for 70,000 dollars from the Northern Development Initiative Trust, their request mainly requires the approval of council to approach NDIT for the funding, with no financial commitment required by the City.
Council members then asked a range of questions, with Councillor Randhawa inquired about the level of businesses interest in their programs and supports.
Councillor Cunningham had one question for them, inquiring about the prospects of a project that he has long been looking to see developed, that of a Fish Market location for the Cow Bay Marina floats.
The answer didn't quite deliver the blue print for development just yet, with Mr. Randall and Ms. Fernandes noting that some study would be required with one of the two grad students to be tasked with looking into marine options and what might be required to deliver on that project and what hoops may be in the way before it could move forward.
Mr. Cunningham noted that the only hoops that should be faced would be those put in place by the city by way of permission, which he suggested should damn well be approved by the City.
He then recounted some of the history to his attempts to move the fish market initiative forward, observing that one of the main complaints that he has heard, is that there is no ability to buy local seafood from local fishermen off the dock and how he would like to see that project in place by this summer.
He outlined that from his conversations with fishermen they would be quite receptive to the idea of being able to set up on the dock and sell their product, he also made an observation as to the local economy and the fishing industry.
Observing how with the current herring fishery underway, a large volume of the fish caught in the region is now being sent to the south for processing.
Ms. Fernandes made a note that the first person that their grad students will contact for research will be Councillor Cunningham to learn more on the fish market proposal, she then outlined how ecotrust Canada does have concerns as to the nature of the adjacency of the fishery and the best way to address local jobs related to fish industry.
Mayor Brain noted that he had been working closely with them, and then offered his praise for their work to this point and thanked them both for their efforts and looked forward to working collaboratively with them.
Council then voted to approve their support for the bid for a grand from NDIT.
( 54:00 -- 55:00 ) Report from the Director of Recreation and Community Services regarding the Northern Health Imagine Grant application -- The Director outlined the nature of the grant request which would be used towards the purchase of supplies for the public skating program at the Civic Centre. Council then voted to approve the request for application.
( 55:00 -- 60:00 ) Zoning amendment Bylaw for the Supportive Housing Residence proposal for 333 11th Avenue East -- Councillor Niesh once again excused himself from the Chamber during the discussion, with the Public Hearing complete, Council reviewed the application one more time.
Councillor Mirau inquired of the City Manager as to who would be responsible for compliance enforcement related to agreement between the City and the residence.
Councillor Cunningham offered his support for the residence proposal, Councillor Randhawa also added his voice to questions on compliance enforcement.
Councillor Mirau then outlined why he was in support of the housing proposal and noted that the proponent will do some great work in the community.
Mayor Brain noted the support that the proposal received on the night from the public and added his support to the initiative and how the contract the City has signed creates an innovative solution to the process.
Councillor Cunningham noted that there had been two letters of concern related to the proposal and suggested that the proponent contact those residents to answer their questions. He noted that the supportive housing project fills a need in the community and how he hopes that it will be the start of other services being put in place in town.
Councillor Randhawa echoed many of Councillor Cunningham's comments and offered his support to the zoning amendment as well.
With that the Mayor declared that it had passed with unanimous consent, and noted that the large crowd in the gallery could now depart if they so desired.
( 60:00 -- 1:23:00 ) Report from the City Planner related to the proposed update to the City of Prince Rupert Development Procedure bylaw -- Mr Krekic provided the overview for council on the range of elements related to the new bylaw recommendations, noting that the current bylaw is over thirty years old and requires an update.
As part of the overview, he outlined where the new changes were to be put in place and what aspects would remain much the same from the document that the city operates under at the moment.
Councillor Mirau led off the discussion asking for clarification on an element related to contaminated sites and what steps the City would take to address that issue, noting that it seems that the city is taking on more than it needs to do on that issue.
Mr. Krekic reviewed some of the reasoning behind that addition to the process, adding that it may require some pressure on the provincial government to lend assistance towards that kind of oversight.
Councillor Cunningham asked as to the status of current applications that have yet to be addressed, he was advised that those currently in that phase would have to be reviewed under the old requirements, though he did note that some kind of time limitations may be required.
A second question from Councillor Cunningham raised questions related to the language of a section of the bylaw and what the reasoning was behind them.
Councillor Mirau offered one small amendment related to language, suggesting that the Council should change the wording on the nature of required meetings with the applicants.
Councillor Cunningham recounted some options explored through a workshop that Council held on the topic and asked for clarification on how he remembered those discussions.
Councillor Mirau returned to his concerns over the checklist nature of the environmental provisions of the bylaw, leading to an extensive review as to how past Council's approached the issue.
Mayor Brain noted that the bylaw proposal allows for flexibility for Council when it comes to concerns over environmental issues related to any land under consideration for development.
Council discussed some of the other elements of language related to when developers should appear in front of council to discuss potential developments. With Councillor Cunningham expressing concerns that some projects may slip through the boards before Council has even heard of them.
From that point Council carried the motion and moved the proposal forward.
( 1:233:00 to 47:00 ) Reports, Questions and Inquires from Council
Councillor Cunningham returned to a theme introduced by Councillor Niesh at the last council meeting, making note of the deteriorating condition of the city's crosswalk and street marking and other line painting.
With the Councillor suggesting that the work of the contractor that was hired was not up to any kind of standard that the city might expect and how it would require continued action to keep the markings visible.
The Mayor noted that the need to paint lines was a yearly expectation, while City Manager Robert Long provided a wider overview of the process and highlighted some possible reasons for the conditions related to the erosion of the paint this year.
Mr. Long then offered to provide Council with a report on what work was or was not done last year.
Councillor Cunningham noted that in the past the City did the work in house and he expressed the concern the they were not getting their full value for their money spent.
The City Manager observed that when they did conduct the work in house, there were periods of time when they never got the work completed owing to other staffing needs, he then once again offered to compile a report on the situation.
Councillor Randhawa asked for an update on the Friday incident which saw contractors cut down a stand of Cherry Blossom Trees adjacent to the Department of Fisheries building on Second Avenue West.
Mayor Brain recounted many of the themes that he had expressed through a Facebook post earlier in the day, noting that he had been on the phone frequently about the issue.
He directed viewers at home towards a Northern View article related to the history of the trees and then relayed what the City new about the work that was done.
He pointed towards a lack of communication between the contractor and those that issued the contract out of Victoria, he also noted that the decision was not made by DFO and that those that work in the building were as shocked as the rest of the community.
The Mayor outlined the nature of the city's response to the issue and how the events evolved as they did, reaffirming how shocked he was that the incident took place and suggested that lessons may have been learned from how the situation came to pass.
He observed that the Federal government is looking to address the situation and find an appropriate solution, with the Mayor noting he has reached out to the community to offer up some suggestions as to what the best way forward may be.
Councillor Mirau thanked the Mayor for all his work in getting the information out to the public, he then addressed a question to the City Manager about how the City could work forward on a tree cutting bylaw.
Mr. Long noted that the Federal lands would not be subject to those conditions and added that even introducing a tree bylaw may provide for unintended consequences related to private property.
Councillors Niesh and Cunningham inquired what investigations that they could explore to fine the contractor and to find out if they had a business licence to operate.
Councillor Cunningham praised an article in the weekly paper that focused on the life and career of Nelson Kinney and urged residents to look it up.
City Manager Robert Long offered up some remembrances of Mr. Kinney's passing and his strong support for city staff and their work and offered up some personal remembrances of his times in the community.
With no other comments offered up for the final portion of the evening, Council then voted to adjourn the meeting.
You can access the City Council Review for March 26th here, where a number of items regarding the council session, including links to local media coverage, can also be found.
As always, our Council Timeline is only a reflection of our observations from the Council session of the night. Be sure to consult with the official minutes from the City, when posted to their website for further review.
Official Minutes of the Regular Council Session from March 26, 2018 (not available yet)
In addition to the city's official minutes, the City's Video archive provides a helpful record of the events from each public council session.
Council members next meet on Monday, April 9th.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Repairs, before replacement for Prince Rupert Middle School
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| The short term plan the Province has for PRMS it seems will be for some repair work with no plans yet announced for replacement for the facility |
With Premier John Horgan heading down the highway to his appointments in Terrace and Kitimat, North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice provided for the final chapter when it comes to the Premier's short visit to Prince Rupert.
Tuesday morning the MLA released the details related to 1.7 million dollars in funding for School District 52, the majority of which is ear marked for repairs to Prince Rupert Middle School.
From today's announcement which you can read here, the MLA revealed that Prince Rupert Middle school will see money allocated towards roofing work, as well as boiler and electrical upgrades.
The $1,130,000 in funding to be delivered through the Ministry of Education's School Enhancement Program.
School District 52 will also receive $666,723 part of the Annual Facilities Grant funding for routine school maintenance costs.
As part of today's funding release, the North Coast MLA noted that the province still intends to replace the Middle School as soon as possible, with Ms. Rice observing that the province is still working with the School District to complete a plan for replacing the school.
Adding that, Until everything is in place, the old school needs to fix its deficiencies in order to keep operating.
So far however, no timeline has been released as to when that replacement school project may find some forward momentum.
School District 52 has yet to comment on the nature of today's funding announcement, or the status of the School replacement plan that the province is awaiting.
As we noted earlier this month, the issue of the urgent need for a replacement for the Prince Rupert Middle School was one of the key topics for discussion during last year's election campaign.
With then opposition North Coast MLA making it clear at the time, that the need for a replacement was somewhat of an urgent matter to address the atrocious health and safety matters found at the school.'
Now that the NDP are on the government side of the Legislature, it appears a more leisurely approach towards replacement is going to be the fate of any new school plans.
Today's funding announcement also offered some good news for Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast.
The Central Coast School District (SD 49) will receive $432,000 from the School Enhancement Program to complete washroom upgrades at Bella Coola Elementary, and for washroom and safety upgrades at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Secondary in Hagensborg.
Haida Gwaii School District (SD 50) will receive $1,769,835 from the School Enhancement Fund for building envelope and retaining wall upgrades at Gudangaay Tlaats’gaa Naay Secondary School.
The school will also receive $138,053 from Carbon Neutral Capital Program to install solar panels. Haida Gwaii school district will also receive $467,357 from the School Bus Replacement Program for four replacement busses.
The Annual Facilities Grant (AFG) funding will provide $296,372 to the Central Coast School District, $542,638 to the Haida Gwaii School District.
Today's announcement on the North Coast, was just one segment of a much larger roll out of funding for School Districts across the province.
With the Ministry of Education set to deliver a range of programs to fund maintenance, energy efficiency and transportation elements.
You can review the full funding announcement here, the list of those schools to benefit from the program and the amount of their funding can be explored further from this link.
For further items related to education in the Northwest see our archive page.
A look at political issues in the region is available from our Legislature archive, while a wider overview of the provincial scene can be found on our D'Arcy McGee portal.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
Tours, Meetings, Social events and Photo Ops make for Horgan tour of Prince Rupert
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| Premier John Horgan and MLA Jennifer Rice touring the DP World container Port on Monday in Prince Rupert (all photos from social medias streams from both politicians) |
The social media streams of Premier John Horgan and MLA Jennifer Rice provide for a helpful backdrop to the Monday tour of Prince Rupert by the Premier, who made his first extensive look at the successes and challenges for the community on Monday.
As part of his review of the day, the Premier spoke of the importance of the Port to the nation and province and how it is a strong economic engine for the Northwest and with its growth will continue to be a key element of both the provincial and local economy.
From the visit to the Port, it was on to a number of meetings in the community, with MLA Rice and MP Nathan Cullen in tow, the Premier stopped in at Prince Rupert City Hall, taking advantage of the time in the city to discuss some themes with Mayor Brain and other Council members.
So far there has been no indication from Premier's Office, or City Hall as to what themes they may have discussed, or if any issues have been resolved from the list of concerns that the City recently outlined as part of their 2018 Budget process.
Over the course of the last few months, such themes as the Port Cap tax and Ridley Island Tax agreement have made for a portion of the City of Prince Rupert's narrative on the challenges of civic governance.
There was also no indication if such issues as housing, health care and the need for a new Middle School in the city ever made it to the list of topics for those gathered around the table at City Hall on Monday.
Prince Rupert, like many other communities in the Northwest is also a member of the Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance, and while the Premier did mention the topic of resource development and the prospect of benefits returning over the long term from those resources, there was no indication from his time in Prince Rupert that any announcement is pending when it comes to the ambitions of the NWBCRBA.
Through the range of his media availabilities on the day, the Premier held to many of the same talking points for the most part, speaking to the economy, growth of the port and the future prospects that it could deliver to the province.
As well, the Premier returned to his notes related to the recent change in the NDP's framework for LNG development, something the Premier notes is not limited to projects proposed for Kitimat.
You can review some of those tour snapshots below:
March 26 -- Premier Horgan in Prince Rupert (video)
March 26 -- Horgan talks Resource Benefits and LNG While Visiting Prince Rupert
March 26 -- Horgan talks resource benefits in Prince Rupert (audio)
March 26 -- LNG tax benefits not specific to any project, Horgan says
Monday night was given over to socializing, with the Premier hosting a get together at the Ocean View Hotel downtown, where local residents had an opportunity to pop in, bend an elbow and bend the ear of Mr. Horgan.
Today, the Premier is off to Terrace to continue his quick jaunt to the Northwest, he will be at Northwest Community College with Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark for an announcement related to training opportunities at the college.
Later in the day, Premier Horgan will travel to Kitimat, where a meeting with members of Unifor has been arranged for to discuss topics of interest with workers in that community.
More items related to the Premier's tour and other notes on provincial politics can be found on our Legislature Archive page.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
Last week's Prince Rupert homeless count, one of 12 counts to be funded across BC
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| With British Columbia counts the homeless across the Province, Prince Rupert still awaits an update on the status of the modular housing promised to the community last November |
Last Wednesday, volunteers spread out around Prince Rupert to try to get as accurate a picture as possible of the city's homeless situation. A project initiated by the provincial government and something that they call the first step to a better understanding and addressing of the needs of our most vulnerable citizens.
The survey was part of an ongoing collection of data by the province, designed to assess the homeless situation across British Columbia.
To conduct the count, the Province has allocated 550,000 dollars towards the homelessness initiative, with plans to deliver the preliminary results by early summer, the various elements of the study all part of the BC government's Homelessness Action Plan.
Yesterday, the province outlined the scope of their population count, with Selina Robinson, the Minister of Municipal Affairs providing for the guiding themes to the study.
“Good solutions require good data. That’s where these counts come in ... We know that homelessness is a challenge across British Columbia. Last September, when we announced funding for 2,000 units of modular housing for people struggling with homelessness, communities across the province – large and small – jumped at the opportunity to provide homes for those in need. Through these counts, we can get better data on the extent of the challenge in each region, giving us the information we need to plan future housing solutions.”The full announcement of the homeless count and those cities that are participating in it can be found here.
In Monday's announcement, the province makes note of recent funding directed towards new supportive housing units for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Prince Rupert is one of the communities that is supposed to benefit from that initiative, with the first indication of the assistance coming our way delivered back in November, with the timeline back then suggesting that the modular units would be up and in operation by the end of March.
For those that haven't glanced at a calendar recently, today is March 27th.
As we count down the last five days of the month, we still have no sign of those much heralded units of November, nor has anyone offered up any indication as to the status of that plan and when Prince Rupert's most vulnerable and at risk residents may have some form housing to call their own.
Considering how North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice made the first announcement nearly four months ago, it may perhaps be time for an update from her office on the progress of the housing program for the city.
More items related to housing issues can be found on our archive page here.
For more notes on provincial politics see our Legislature archive page.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
Consumption rises in the province, as BC's attention to Earth Hour continues to wane
When the time came on Saturday for BC Hydro customers to dim the lights and reduce consumption, the findings were not quite what organizers might have hoped for.
Data released on Sunday by BC Hydro, noted that across the four service regions for the electric utility, consumption either showed no decrease, or actually increased from this time last year.
A situation that might suggest that Earth Hour organizers may need to do a bit more work, when it comes to spreading their message of conservation in the province for future years.
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| The participation levels for Earth Hour in BC has been on a steady decline for the last few years, with BC Hydro reporting little in the way of Energy Savings found this year |
As we outlined in our preview of Earth Hour last week, part of the problem with the project this year could have been through a lack of awareness. Beyond a lack of attention from most of the media this year in the region, the ability to promote the annual event was also hindered by the school schedule.
With all of British Columbia's schools on Spring break, the opportunity for teachers to turn Earth Hour into a take home project for students was not available.
At times in previous years, the Earth Hour project would turn into a family event, but with no gentle nudge from youngsters as a reminder for this year, the results probably are about what should have been expected.
The full overview of the Earth Hour trends in BC can be found from this information release from BC Hydro.
Prior to this years Earth Hour observance, BC Hydro had provided an eight page look at trends and the elements that motivate British Columbians to want to conserve energy, though if this years results are an indication, seemingly not on the same schedule as Earth Hour organizers.
The document highlighted the ebb and flow of participation since 2008, along with some suggestions for ways for residents of the province to save energy every day of the year, something that British Columbians are apparently interested, in though more in the way that it can keep money in their hands than for anything else.
The BC Hydro review is available here.
Items of interest related to BC Hydro can be found here, with our archive of Community events from the year available here.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
Herring season arrives and as the fish rolls in, the trucks (and jobs) roll out
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| Trucks stand ready to receive their loads, as the 2018 Herring season gets underway, unfortunately for local shore workers, the majority of the work on this years fishery will be taking place at the Canadian Fish Home plant located in Vancouver |
The arrival of the 2018 herring season has once again delivered a growing volume of tractor trailers to the east side of the city, with the Canadian Fish Plant on George Hills Way becoming almost a truck rodeo, as trucks and trailers juggle positions at the various loading docks of the facility.
Much of the volume of those trucks is heading out of town, with tote upon tote of frozen herring, destined for the lower mainland for further processing, a lasting image of jobs leaving the city with each departing refrigerated trailer.
The days of an extensive herring operation taking place in Prince Rupert and the boost to the local economy that those times brought, are now placed somewhat deeper into the history books of the fishery on the North Coast.
The new reality for local shore-workers found in an item posted to the UFAWU-Unifor Facebook page, which on Sunday made note of the start of the herring fishery and along with it, the opportunity for local shore-workers to work this years harvest ... that is, if they are willing to travel to Vancouver to do so.
The nature of the herring season on the North Coast seems custom fit for the recent concerns expressed by UFAWU-Unifor when it comes to fish that is caught in North Coast waters and a stock that should be processed in local plants.
That concept for the North Coast industry has been one that has picked up some momentum in the region in recent months, with the topic raised both at the provincial and local level.
MP Nathan Cullen joins the debate over DFO plans for summer fishing season
Commercial fishing makes for theme of latest Fish Notes in Legislature from MLA Rice
Call from MLA for Legislature support for commercial fishermen in BC
City Council's letter for Fisheries Minister a call for equal treatment with Atlantic Canada
The topic has received much in the way of discussion, letter writing and commentary from local politicians pushing for some kind of change to be made to the current oversight on the industry.
That attention to the issue is surely a welcome thing, particularly for those that have worked and would like to continue to work in the fishing industry in the region.
Though all of the talk is of little immediate help to those sitting on the sidelines for another North Coast herring season, with many no doubt worried about what may come in three months time when it comes to the state of the salmon fishery.
More items of note related to the fishing industry on the North Coast can be found on our archive page.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
Prince Rupert's Cherry Blossom Tree Manifesto
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| The destruction of a stand of Cherry Blossom Trees downtown has become a social media discussion topic that has lasted for a number of days |
After a weekend of social media outrage over the extreme pruning of a stand of Cherry Trees on the property of the Department of Fisheries downtown, Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain issued a lengthy statement on the topic on Monday, impressing on the public how the blame for the situation rests with Federal officials, seemingly far from the local offices that are found in the city.
Taking to his Facebook page (a location which channelled much in the way of anger over the weekend following his initial advisory) the Mayor worked a bit of damage control on the still heated issue, while keeping the focus on the Federal officials who went ahead with the unwelcome landscaping work.
While he was offering up the City's review of events, he also noted, and correctly so, that the public should not turn its frustration and anger on those who work in the Federal building and who are residents of the community, noting that many of them are also upset by the work that took place.
The Mayor's Facebook presentation makes for a rather protracted overview of the situation, with a range of pathways to follow along the way, however, two items stand out from all of the Mayor's message making.
The first being some information not previously disclosed, with the Mayor noting that the City of Prince Rupert, had indeed known about the Federal plan much earlier in the week prior to the Friday cuts.
Something that wasn't made quite so clear on Friday, with the delivery of the original notice of the incident as relayed through the Mayor's Facebook page.
From Monday's update and review of the situation, segment Four of the Mayor's commentary provides for the timeline of sorts between Tuesday and Friday for us to review:
4. Permitting: PSPC’s contractors came in to the City on Tuesday to request a 'sidewalk closure permit' from the City so they could park their vehicles on that street for longer than two hours and encumber the sidewalk.
The City inquired what for, and they mentioned to cut down the trees. Our engineering department mentioned they could not cut down those trees, but the contractors claimed they were on federal property.
Our surveying crew then came out to check whether these trees were in fact on federal property, and discovered that they were. The federal government does not need a permit from the City to cut down trees on their property.
The sidewalk closure permit was not granted that day, and on Friday morning they started cutting the trees down, without an authorized sidewalk closure permit until midway through.
Our engineering department did what they could midstream to try to stop the situation, but legally could not do anything about it. Never in a million years would Council or anyone at the City chop these beautiful trees down.
And while that passage explains how, despite the city's objections, the trees still managed to get cut down. Friday's incident also tends to highlight the second takeaway of yesterday's commentary from the Mayor.
That being an indication as to how the City seems unable to deliver community concerns to outside officials in a fashion that nips such situations in the bud, something which has been a recurring theme in the community for a number of years, for a number of past councils and Mayors.
The Cherry Blossom Tree issue, is somewhat similar to the episode with CN Rail and the fencing off of the waterfront last year, another incident which found the City somewhat out of the loop and unable to effect change.
And that is not the first time that the community has found actions taken without any form of consultation.
Back in August of 2011 local residents who once enjoyed the peaceful nature of Ridley Island and its waterfront area, were suddenly denied those opportunities by the Port of Prince Rupert, which put in security measures to ensure that there was no more public access to the Ridley Island site.
And while the actions at that time time did make for some sense on a corporate level and the land is, and remains under the control of the Port of Prince Rupert, somehow missed in that move was the sense of loss that the community felt, without benefit of discussion, or an offer of some other option to provide for a replacement of similar nature.
Over the last decade, bit by bit, Prince Rupert residents feel that they are being squeezed out of their own hometown, with the incident of Friday another sign that no one is inclined to consult with them before irreversible actions are taken.
What must be disappointing for the Mayor is how the latest incident was launched despite his frequent trips to the nation's capital, where Mr. Brain has sought to build relationships with federal officials and to raise and address local issues.
With each journey that the Mayor and City Manager have made back east, Prince Rupert residents have been advised through the same Facebook page, of the importance of those trips and how they provide benefits to the community.
Yet it seems that in the case of the Cherry trees, through the three days of last week, from the initial notice of the planned work, to the time that the chainsaws came out, neither the Mayor, City Manager, nor anyone else at the City could apparently reach anyone on the phone to put a stop to what has now become another symbol of community outrage.
With the trees now reduced to unsightly stumps in the sidewalk, the Mayor is calling for "respectful" commentary, funnelling those contributions though his social media page, noting how Public Services and Procurement Canada is willing to make amends for the incident.
Towards that engagement, the Mayor is now asking for submissions from the public as to how the Federal Services Department can honour the history of the trees for the community.
The Mayor also provides a list of Federal officials that residents may wish to contact, should they be inclined to follow up on the issue:
Still to be delivered to the community, is any form of communication from Public Services and Procurement Canada that might help to explain their decision and to offer a companion piece to the Mayor's account of the events.
That would provide some guidance for the public as to whether the work was related to safety concerns, or other other considerations that led them to the decision to bring out the chain saws on a Friday morning.
Perhaps at some point Federal officials may provide for their own media release on the topic and offer up more background on the work that took place.
Until that point, all we have is the City's account of events and towards that theme, you can review the Mayor's full manifesto from Monday here.
Friday's Cherry Tree cull has generated a few contributions for the discussion, which can be found below:
Musician hopes to salvage grandfather's legacy by turning destroyed cherry trees into instruments
"It is such a shame that this happened," Mayor responds to chopped cherry trees
History behind the cherry trees the feds cut down in Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert's cherry trees chopped
'They got murdered': anger after decades-old cherry trees destroyed in Prince Rupert
More items of interest related to Civic issues in Prince Rupert can be found on our Council Discussion page.
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