Prince Rupert's Gloria Macarenko to be recognized for her Order of Canada this month at Vancouver event

Officials have set the date for the celebration of Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia honours, with Prince Rupert's Gloria Macarenko among those British Columbians who will be recognized for the honours at a special Vancouver event later this month.

As we outlined last December, Ms. Macarenko was awarded the Order of Canada as part of the 2018 appointments list from Governor General Julie Payette released just before New Years, just the latest of honours for the popular CBC radio host.

While now based out of Vancouver, Ms. Macarenko frequently returns to the North Coast and has lent her assistance to a number of community events and causes over the years.

And in part she is being recognized for those charitable causes that she has taken on over the years around the province, as well as for her work in broadcasting and journalism throughout her career, which has made her a fixture on British Columbia radios and televisions.

The British Columbia celebration will take place on Wednesday, May 15th from 11:45 to 2 PM as part of a luncheon hosted by the Canadian Club and set for Vancouver's Terminal City Club .

Ms Macarenko is among 11 British Columbians to be feted for their Order of Canada honours, the event will also celebrate the 13 British Columbians named to the Order of BC in 2018.

The full list of those who have been appointed to the Order of Canada can be reviewed here, while the recipients of the Order of BC list can be examined here.

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DFO conducting 'forensic audit' on Prince Rupert area fish plant

Officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are seeking some help from the public as they continue with a large scale forensic audit of an un-named fish processing facility in the Prince Rupert area.

At the heart of the investigation by the Federal Office are reports of illegal activities related to the fishing industry in the region, including the bartering or sale of fish in exchange for processing or other services.

DFO officials expect that the audit will reveal the possibility of illegal activities in the industry and that they would like to hear from those that may have sent fish to the processing plant.

DFO is particularly interested in receiving information from those customers who did not have portions of their catch returned or had another species returned to replace the original fish.

The fines and penalties for the incidents under investigation carry extensive fines and up to two years in jail if proven in court.

The newest investigation from DFO officials comes following the discovery of two separate dumps of crabs along Highway 16 in the last month or so, those two files remain under investigation as well by the Prince Rupert Office of the Federal department.

If you have any information related to any of the ongoing investigations you are asked to contact DFO at 250-627-3401

For more items of note related to the Fishery on the North Coast see our archive page here.

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City of Prince Rupert seeks bids for summer paving projects

Paving season in Prince Rupert is getting closer, with the city now
seeking bids for their summer paving plans
(photo from City's Annual report)

The much promised road remediation plans for the City of Prince Rupert seem to be getting closer to fruition, with the City now having posted a request for bids for proposals from qualified proponents for the city's paving agenda for 2019.

The list of streets and what the city looks to achieve from each location provides a glimpse for local residents as to what areas of the city will be seeing some new blacktop over the summer.

Prince Rupert East Side

Prince Rupert West side

Prince Rupert Airport Road
(Click on images above to see where the City plans to pave this year)

The City's paving list as part of their request for Bids with Bid BC

Summit Avenue (Mountain side) - Mill and fill 50mm 
Summit Avenue (Water Side) - Mill and fill 50mm 
1300 Block 6th Avenue East - Mill and fill 50mm (Level Course required) 
1000 Block 6th Avenue East - Mill and fill 50mm (Level Course required) 
Intersection of 6th Avenue and Hayes Cove Circle - Mill and fill 50mm 
7th Avenue East and Green St - Place 80mm of asphalt (2 lifts) 
 600 Block 11th Ave East - Mill and fill 50mm Intersection 
11th Ave East and Conrad St. - Mill and fill 50mm 
1600 Blk Prince Rupert Boulevard - mill and fill 50mm 
Seal Cove Road - Mill and fill 50mm 
Bellis Road - Mill and fill 50mm 
Intersection of 5th Ave East and Green St. - Mill and fill 50mm 
3rd Street - Mill and fill 50mm 
6th Street - Mill and fill 50mm 
10th Street - Mill and fill 50mm 
George Hills Way and Dry Dock Road - Mill and fill 50mm 
Airport Ferry Road - Overlay 35-40mm (Level Course and glass grid in areas required) 
Lester PAC Parking Lot - Place 80mm of asphalt (2 lifts) 
Wantage Road - Overlay 35-40mm (glass grid)

As noted, the paving plan also includes the Road from the Airport Ferry dock to the terminal on Digby Island, as well as the Lester Centre of the Arts Parking lot.

The request for bids was posted to the BC Bid website on Wednesday with the closing date for bids set for May 17th.

The budget for work on the city's roads was increased as part of this years Budget process, thanks mainly to a significant increase in the transfer of money from the Federal governments Gas Tax fund, which double the amount of money that is to be dedicated towards road improvements in municipalities across Canada.

April 10 -- You filled up your gas tanks; and now the city plans to fill some potholes and pave some roads
April 10 -- Council maintains 2 per cent tax cut as part of Budget approval Monday evening

Those with an interest in what the city has planned for the summer can review the particulars of the Bid request from the BC Bid website here.

For past items put out for bid by the City of Prince Rupert see our Bids Archive page here.

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Excavator for Landfill site up next on City's acquisition list

Prince Rupert Landfill site
Photo from City of PR Annual report

The City of Prince Rupert is becoming a fairly frequent contributor to the BC Bids listings this year, with the city's operations department the latest to post a request for proposals, this time in a quest to purchase a new excavator for the Ridley Island landfill Site.

The Request for Proposals was posted to the Provincial bid site in late April with the City looking to replace their 2005 Volvo 25 tonne excavator.

The city has made note of a maximum of $350,000 to be budgeted for the acquisition, along with the value for trade in of the existing excavator.

The quest for the new excavator comes with a fairly extensive wish list, with the city making note that they would give preference to a Northwest distributor for serviceability and warranty works.

The timeline towards the purchase an deliver of the new unit finds the city hoping to close the deal by June 4th, with the delivery schedule still to be determined.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 2 PM on May 14th.

For a look at some of the past Requests for Bids from the City of Prince Rupert see our archive page here.

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Airport Ferry Service shifts to new Schedules in May, June as change to Q400 service nears

Travellers to and from the Digby Island Airport should make note of some new scheduling that is in place for the Airport Ferry for May, with another change still to come in June.

The City has posted the new schedules to their website, which make note of new departure/arrival times from the YPR Shuttle building on Sixth Street for those leaving the city or awaiting passengers on their arrival in town.

Passengers are advised that the departure times for the shuttle station are five minutes prior to the Fairview Dock Departure times.

The June Schedule will also tie in with the change over of aircraft by Air Canada Express which will be introducing its Q400 service to Prince Rupert at the start of next month.

The shift over to the more modern Q400 aircraft makes for a significant upgrade from the Dash 8 service that has been the mainstay of travel in the region for years now.

The Q400 service will continue with two flights per day out of the Digby Island Airport.

For aviation history buffs, the final flight of the Dash 8 out of Prince Rupert will take place on May 31st, with the 5:50 PM departure out of Digby Island.

The new Q400 service will also mark a change for the Ferry schedule once again, with the June 1st change to remain in effect until further notice.

Click on all of the charts above to enlarge

As we outlined yesterday, the Airport Ferry system at the moment is that of a Barge and tug boat service provided by Wainwright Marine, which is filling in for the Airport Ferry which remains in refit in Victoria.

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


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Helijet signs four year deal to continue Air Ambulance service in the province

The familiar sound of whoomp, whoomp, whoomp over the skies of Prince Rupert will continue for almost another half decade, that with the announcement of a new contract between the Province and Helijet to provide Air Ambulance services in the Northwest.

The deal reached last month between the BC Emergency Health and Helijet will see the air ambulance provider continue to deliver their service across the province, with one component of their fleet a Sikorsky Helicopter continuing to fly out of Prince Rupert's Seal Cove base.

The Seal Cove craft is the S 76C and makes for the only one of the four dedicated air ambulances provided by Heli-Jet to operate outside of the lower mainland.

Its use makes for a key element of medical care in the Northwest, with the air crew that staff the Sikorsky on standby on a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week schedule ready to answer any call for assistance that is generated.

The helicopter that serves the Northwest has accommodation for up to 2 stretcher patients and four medical attendants, it's range of service is generally that of a 100 mile wide radius of the Seal Cove base, as well as to provide for transit to and from the airport, or the hospital.

The new agreement which was signed on April 1st, will now extend the service for an additional four years.

You can review more about the air ambulance services provided by Heli-jet here.

For more notes related to health care on the North Coast and across the Northwest see our archive pages here.

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Range of Coast Mountain College Field Schools make for learning opportunities through the year

While May is normally the month where the college school year comes to an end, a look at the listings of the Coast Mountain College Field School Program highlights the year round learning opportunities offered by both the Prince Rupert and Terrace campuses.

The Field School program is a popular addition to the Coast Mountain curriculum and takes students outside of the classroom to gain hands on experience and a chance to explore some of the regions history, culture and environment.

The opportunity to break free of the classroom and explore the vast geography and visual elements of the Northwest make the programs a popular addition to the Coast Mountain programs and provide for something that other a range of interests that other colleges may not be able to offer

Among the upcoming Field Schools through the summer are a Criminal Justice program in June, an opportunity to travel to Haida Gwaii to explore First Nations culture and language later this month and a program that takes participants from the Icefields to the Ocean for two weeks in August.

The full list of other summer schedule opportunities can be reviewed here.

For more items of interest related to Coast Mountain College see our archive page here.

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