The seven year battle between Kitimat and Alcan and its most recent owner Rio Tinto is over, as the BC court of appeal ruled against an appeal from the District of Kitimat over the issue of power sales.
Last week Alcan was given the green light to continue on with its plans to sell excess power to BC Hydro, a move that Mayor Rick Wozney and a number of other Kitimat residents believe will only lead to a major reduction in employment at any renovated Alcan works site.
What remains now for Mayor Wozney and his followers is a need to keep an eye on the modernization project and as the Mayor puts it “hold Alcan to its promise to modernize the smelter.” A move which Wozney claims may very well result in the loss of over 400 jobs at the facility.
While the news as far as the Mayor would be concerned may have been grim, a few other developments for the city are decidedly more positive.
Kitimat will benefit from two separate government grants that will push forward a pair of important projects for the future of the city.
Close to $632,000 dollars will be provided to the District of Kitimat from federal and provincial sources to upgrade its sanitary sewer system. A government news release from Friday described the planned project as designed to improve the structural integrity of the sewer system and replace failing sanitary sewer lines across the municipality. There will be approximately four kilometres of sewer lines revitalized using a new relining technology that reduces the infiltration of ground water.
When complete the upgrade to the Kitimat lines will improve Kitimat's sewers system for years to come.
The second bit of good news for the city of Kitimat involved their desires to increase the capabilities of the Port of Kitimat. The Federal government is providing the Kitimat Port society with $160,000 to complete a study examining the feasibility of converting the private Port into a public break bulk and shipping terminal.
That money will enable the Port society to complete their 4-phased study that will examine the logistics of converting the Port of Kitimat into a public facility. Work includes evaluation of costs, potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, and the development of an implementation plan.
The boosters of the Kitimat Port plan have been touting it as a second port on the northern part of the West coast, designed to make the Northwest transportation corridor even more attractive to world shipping lines. Roger Harris the former Liberal MLA for riding has become the Executive Director of the Society and his vision is to make Kitimat an important player in the National Asia-Pacific Gateway Strategy.
The money should make for a short term consolation prize for the city after their lengthy battle with their largest employer, though the long term concerns for the community will no doubt still remain on the front burner.
Last week Alcan was given the green light to continue on with its plans to sell excess power to BC Hydro, a move that Mayor Rick Wozney and a number of other Kitimat residents believe will only lead to a major reduction in employment at any renovated Alcan works site.
What remains now for Mayor Wozney and his followers is a need to keep an eye on the modernization project and as the Mayor puts it “hold Alcan to its promise to modernize the smelter.” A move which Wozney claims may very well result in the loss of over 400 jobs at the facility.
While the news as far as the Mayor would be concerned may have been grim, a few other developments for the city are decidedly more positive.
Kitimat will benefit from two separate government grants that will push forward a pair of important projects for the future of the city.
Close to $632,000 dollars will be provided to the District of Kitimat from federal and provincial sources to upgrade its sanitary sewer system. A government news release from Friday described the planned project as designed to improve the structural integrity of the sewer system and replace failing sanitary sewer lines across the municipality. There will be approximately four kilometres of sewer lines revitalized using a new relining technology that reduces the infiltration of ground water.
When complete the upgrade to the Kitimat lines will improve Kitimat's sewers system for years to come.
The second bit of good news for the city of Kitimat involved their desires to increase the capabilities of the Port of Kitimat. The Federal government is providing the Kitimat Port society with $160,000 to complete a study examining the feasibility of converting the private Port into a public break bulk and shipping terminal.
That money will enable the Port society to complete their 4-phased study that will examine the logistics of converting the Port of Kitimat into a public facility. Work includes evaluation of costs, potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, and the development of an implementation plan.
The boosters of the Kitimat Port plan have been touting it as a second port on the northern part of the West coast, designed to make the Northwest transportation corridor even more attractive to world shipping lines. Roger Harris the former Liberal MLA for riding has become the Executive Director of the Society and his vision is to make Kitimat an important player in the National Asia-Pacific Gateway Strategy.
The money should make for a short term consolation prize for the city after their lengthy battle with their largest employer, though the long term concerns for the community will no doubt still remain on the front burner.
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