Podunk Below the Masthead (Thursday, April 1, 2010)

Moving pictures tell the electricity story for NTL, the Daily pulls a prank and if you're looking for an Easter Egg hunt the Northern View can steer you in the right direction, some of the items of the news cycle for april Fools Day, Thursday.

Daily News, front page, headline story
NTL PROMOTING PROJECT TO SHAREHOLDERS THROUGH YOUTUBE-- Some background on the debut of the Northern Transmission Line's viral video, (which we featured by way of CFTK TV News in our Podunk Below the masthead feature on March 26) approach to promotion as the coalition to energize the Highway 37 corridor posts it's presentation to video.

The results of the Nisga'a election are featured in Thursday's paper, as we outlined on the blog last Sunday, the Nisga'a Nation has elected Mitchell Stevens to replace Nelso Leeson who passed away late in 2009.

Taking advantage of the nature of the day, the Daily News features a story on the "discovery" of the time capsule, which in the spirit of April fools apparently was "found" at Third Avenue West and Borden, though the accompanying photo to the piece adds to the mystery of the day, featuring as it does the other end of Third Avenue West by Eastwind Emporium.  

The Daily News reviews the sudden increase in reports of abduction attempts on the city's west side, the most recent one from last Thursday. Attempts were reported in the Kootenay Avenue area and around the Pineridge school area, there are different suspects being sought in the two incidents.

The sports section features the return of Rugby to the high school sports calendar as Charles Hays fields a team for the first time in many years, comprised mainly of CHSS students with a few attendees from PRSS. The plan is to invite High School teams from the Bulkley Valley to town for a challenge once Patullo Field is open to the public later this spring.

(Daily News Archives for Thursday, April 1, 2010 )

NTL promoting project to shareholders through Youtube
New President of the Nisga'a nation
Neighbourhood getting anxious
It's a sailor's life for me!
Enbridge attends SQCRD meeting

The Northern View
Weekend of Easter fun planned for Prince Rupert -- Details of the weekend's activities in town surrounding Easter events (see article here)


CFTK TV 7 News
No new items were posted to the CFTK TV 7 News website for April 1


CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North 
No new items were posted to the CBC website for Tuesday Daybreak North is only posting selected items on their website now. 

The most recently posted items for this week can be found on the weekly archive for Daybreak North click here 


Daily News, front page, headline story
NTL promoting project to shareholders through Youtube
By George T. Baker 
The Daily News
Thursday, April 1, 2010

 In an effort to educate British Columbians about the benefits of the Northwest Transmission Line, the Highway 37 coalition has gone ‘virtual’.

Using the Youtube online video format, the coalition ties simple electrons into the future of Northern British Columbia – suggesting that the northwest economy would grow through electrical infrastructure if only the powerline were built.

The ten minute video, created with First Nations input, is a tool the Coalition is using to get the word out about the significance of the $400 million transmission line. The proposed NTL will run from Terrace to Bob Quinn along Highway 37 in the province’s far Northwest - an area of underdevelopment and high unemployment.

“Not everyone is aware of the importance of the power line and not everyone has time to delve into all the reports and documents,” explained Coalition Co-Chair, Gitxsan Hereditary Chief Elmer Derrick.

“This [video] is a way for more people to come to know and understand why we believe this project is so 
important.”

“We have put together the short video to expose the opportunity the Northwest Transmission Line (NTL) represents to British Columbians and our friends in neighbouring jurisdictions,” added Coalition Co-Chair Janine North.

 “We think it’s an excellent tool to inform the public and we hope everyone who watches the video comes to the same conclusion.”

The video explains that the time is now for all stakeholders to seize the opportunity – especially for First Nations, whose territory most of the powerline would traverse.

“First Nations are in a great position – probably one of the best positions they have been in since contact,” Byng Giraud, secretary for the Northwest Powerline Coalition said in the video.

Any mining potential north of Terrace is likely to need a powerline built in order to progress and ‘when’ is more the question than ‘if’.

The $404 million project is already on a list of provincial construction projects. The federal government has committed to paying $130 million, with provincial government promising to kick in the rest.

However, the BCNDP say that the project probably won’t begin in 2010, because the list is a three-year capital plan, so construction could be held off until 2012-13.

It is hoped the video may help motivate stakeholders to move faster.

The video will also be presented at a number of public events in the months to come, including the Yukon First Nations Opportunities Conference this week, the Northern Development Initiative Trust board meeting on April 21, Minerals North in Prince George on April 23rd, the North Central Local Government Association Conference in Smithers the first week of May, and at the Canadian Institute of Mining Conference in Vancouver in May.

The Northwest Power Line Coalition represents communities, First Nations, industry, associations, suppliers, businesses and individuals who support the construction of a transmission line along Highway 37 in British Columbia’s Northwest.