Gary Coons and Nathan Cullen, the two local representatives to the provincial and federal houses of governance have put a number of issues on their to-do list for 2008.
From hoping for an announcement of the start up of Phase Two of the container port, to a final resolution when it comes to open net salmon farms on the coast, both NDP politicians plan on making their points in the respective capitals.
The pair listed off a number of key items that they plan to be proactive on in the coming year. They outlined their plans in a front page story in Thursday’s Daily News.
PHASE TWO OF PORT AT TOP OF POLITICIAN'S AGENDA FOR '08
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Pages one and three
An announcement confirming the start of Phase Two of the development of the Fairview Container Terminal is on the 2008 wish list of both Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen and North Coast MLA Gary Coons.
"I'd really like to see launching the container port to the next level, getting it ready for expansion," said Cullen.
The first phase of the development opened this October and that phase is able to handle 500,000 TEUs (average size containers) annually. The second phase will require much more construction and will add an additional capacity of 1.5 million TEUs.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority has said it hopes to complete its environmental assessment process in 2008, and get on with the three years of construction needed to build the new facility.
Currently, plans call for Phase Two to open in early 2012.
“A key for the region is ensuring Phase Two of the container port and ensuring the governments’ agreements with the Coast Tsimshian work for all and promote the economic development we are striving for.”
The federal government announced an offer for Metlakatla, Kitkatla and Lax Kw’alaams in October of 2007 after bringing in a special consultant to deal with the issues that had been stalling an agreement. Confirmation of the deal’s acceptance has not yet been announced.
Cullen added that he hopes this year will be the year that the provincial government stops trying to promote open cage salmon farming and instead, gets on with the development of other mariculture opportunities.
“We should end that conversation and start ones that people want to have about mariculture and other job creation here on the North Coast. It wastes everyone’s time when they keep putting out these dumb ideas, he said.
Coons said he believes the provincial government will have to respond to the public’s opinion on open net fish farms.
“The majority of people have concerns with our wild stocks, our environment and big corporations coming in and wanting to commercialize our ocean,” said Coons.
“If we moved to a closed containment model, then we could become the leaders in that industry. It’s a viable industry, but it has to be done right with public support,” said Coons.
Coons has a host of other priorities in 2008, most of which include continuing his work on social and environmental issues that affect the region.
He’d like to continue working with provincial Minister of Employment Claude Richmond to push the federal government to adjust the Employment Insurance Region to accurately reflect the economic situation on the North Coast.
“Something I’ve talked about with a few people is having a North Coast energy strategy and as we start pushing towards wind farms and on the East Coast we are even seeing tidal power move ahead.”
He said he’ll continue to fight for affordable post secondary education, a strong public health care system and for resources to combat homelessness.
“I was in Old Masset and they have eight people in their villages they consider homeless. It’s something I wouldn’t have thought of. When you go the villages, there’s the family structure and the network, but there are people there who are homeless and we need to work with that,” he said.
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