Some financial Ho Ho Ho for the Christmas season, a Canadian success story and Scrooge is alive and well, a few of our Christmas Eve financial chestnuts, roasting by the open fire.
Globe and Mail-- U. S. retailers celebrate shoppers' return
Globe and Mail-- Economics: The best and worst of 2010
National Post-- The best financial jokes of 2010
National Post-- Nav Canada as beacon
Vancouver Sun-- Synthetic lumber maker hindered by lack of recyclables
New York Times-- The Humbug express
Guardian UK online-- Business Heroes and Zeroes 2010
Telegraph UK online-- Record spike in EMU default risk on Portugal downgrade and Greek restructuring scare
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Cashed-up companies to go prowling in new year
China Daily-- 17 Chinese brands on World's 500 list
Times of India-- Don't risk public money, banks told
Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
It's the economy, Friday, November 19, 2010
Bernanke bites back, Pawn tickets of the rich and famous and a most strange alliance and its potential consequences, some of the items of interest for our Friday financials.
Globe and Mail-- Tired of critical barrage, Bernanke fires back
Globe and Mail-- ‘Misleading’ wireless ads put Rogers in hot water
National Post-- Fresh Fed attack
National Post-- What rich people are selling at the pawn shop
Vancouver Sun-- Bid for Western Coal signals the lure of Canada's reserves
New York Times-- Axis of Depression
Guardian UK online-- Allied Irish Bank suffers massive withdrawals
Telegraph UK online-- IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn urges leaders to cede more sovereignty to EU
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Future Fund humiliates Telstra's execs
China Daily-- More measures to curb inflation, say economists
Times of India-- Panel to clean up financial sector laws soon: Mukherjee
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Podunk Below the Masthead, Friday, October 15, 2010
Council calls community groups to defend their tax exemption requests, A Rupert resident gets a second term on the Northern Health Board and Mayor Mussallem's review of the windstorm gets posted to the CBC website, some of the items of note from our news files from Friday.
The Northern View
Community groups asked to defend tax exemption request -- Groups and organizations seeking tax exemption status have been requested to attend the next council meeting to defend their requests (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Prince Rupert Kids will have gifts under the tree -- Prince Rupert's Harley Riders once again have shown that community spirit is alive and well in the city (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Northern Health Appointees -- Prince Rupert's Cam McIntyre gets a second term of three years on the Board of Northern Health (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Six candidates in running for Kitimat council seat -- The number grows to six of those seeking a seat in Thursday's by election for Kitimat's city council (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Rosswood windstorm -- TV 7 looks at the aftermath of last weekends windstorm in the Rosswood area near Terrace (see article here)
CFTK TV 7
Smithers Homelessness -- TV 7's review of the homeless situation in the Bulkley Valley (see article here)
CFTK TV 7
Bulkley Valley Grow Op in Burns Lake -- Another take down of a Grow Op in the Northwest as RCMP members in Burns Lake shut down an operation in the city (see video report here)
Terrace Standard
Jobless rate steadies out -- A review of the jobless numbers in the northwest for September (see article here)
Terrace Standard
Not everyone happy with minimum wage hike -- Some in the business community in Terrace aren't enthused at that city council's support of an increase in the minimum wage (see article here)
QCI Observer
MIMC meeting date turns controversial-- Just the prospect of setting a date for the next Moresby Island Management Committee has proven to be problematic (see article here)
CBC News Northern BC Daybreak North
Windstorm havoc-- Mayor Jack Mussallem's review of the Thanksgiving windstorm (listen to audio report here)
Daybreak North is only posting selected items on their website now.
The most recently posted items can be found on the archive page for Daybreak North click here
The Northern View
Community groups asked to defend tax exemption request -- Groups and organizations seeking tax exemption status have been requested to attend the next council meeting to defend their requests (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Prince Rupert Kids will have gifts under the tree -- Prince Rupert's Harley Riders once again have shown that community spirit is alive and well in the city (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Northern Health Appointees -- Prince Rupert's Cam McIntyre gets a second term of three years on the Board of Northern Health (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Six candidates in running for Kitimat council seat -- The number grows to six of those seeking a seat in Thursday's by election for Kitimat's city council (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
Rosswood windstorm -- TV 7 looks at the aftermath of last weekends windstorm in the Rosswood area near Terrace (see article here)
CFTK TV 7
Smithers Homelessness -- TV 7's review of the homeless situation in the Bulkley Valley (see article here)
CFTK TV 7
Bulkley Valley Grow Op in Burns Lake -- Another take down of a Grow Op in the Northwest as RCMP members in Burns Lake shut down an operation in the city (see video report here)
Terrace Standard
Jobless rate steadies out -- A review of the jobless numbers in the northwest for September (see article here)
Terrace Standard
Not everyone happy with minimum wage hike -- Some in the business community in Terrace aren't enthused at that city council's support of an increase in the minimum wage (see article here)
QCI Observer
MIMC meeting date turns controversial-- Just the prospect of setting a date for the next Moresby Island Management Committee has proven to be problematic (see article here)
CBC News Northern BC Daybreak North
Windstorm havoc-- Mayor Jack Mussallem's review of the Thanksgiving windstorm (listen to audio report here)
Daybreak North is only posting selected items on their website now.
The most recently posted items can be found on the archive page for Daybreak North click here
Friday, October 08, 2010
It's the economy, Friday, October 8, 2010
Riches to be had in the fertilizer pools, China pushes back on currency concerns and Housing starts in BC on the rebound, some of the financial items of note for Friday.
Globe and Mail-- Canada sheds 6,600 jobs in Sept.
Globe and Mail-- Shares of fertilizer producers soar
National Post-- Canadian companies put machines before jobs
National Post-- China bank chief rejects yuan 'shock therapy'
Vancouver Sun-- Housing starts another sign of B.C. construction rebound
New York Times-- The End of the Tunnel
Guardian UK online-- European bonus rules 'will prompt exodus of banks'
Telegraph Uk online-- Cut or spend: what the IMF really thinks
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Strong dollar 'pressures parts of the economy' says Prime Minister
China Daily-- Hunt is on for domestic reserves of crop nutrient
Times of India-- India wealth to double in 5 yrs; may grow to $6.4 trillion: Report
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Podunk Below the Masthead (Friday, March 26, 2010)
Shared celebrations bring a gift, the Daily News outlines its findings on the Roosevelt Condo story and some YouTube viewing for those wanting to learn more about the Northwest Transmission project, some of the items of note for the news cycle of Friday.
Daily News, front page, headline story
ANOTHER 100 YEAR CELEBRATION - THE NAVY'S AS OLD AS PRINCE RUPERT -- Avast mateys, the Navy has pulled into town to provide salutations to the population on their centennial celebration. The Canadian Navy has joined in on the celebration of Prince Rupert's 100th anniversary, presenting council with a loan of a symbol of some maritime history. The Canadian Navy, which is celebrating it's 100th anniversary as well, provided the city with a bell off of the namesake ship of the city, HMCS Prince Rupert which served in the Atlantic theatre during World War Two, primarily on convoy escort duties, the vessel was sold off out of the navy in 1947. Council will be displaying the bell in council chambers until the end of June.
Some more background on the court proceedings underway between local owners of condo units in the Roosevelt Heights apartments and the Vancouver based developers of the project, which include a high profile real estate specialist, Ozzie Jurock, known for his radio and television appearances in the Greater Vancouver area. As we reviewed on the blog back on March 19 , the local owners have taken the condo developers to court over concerns that there were misrepresentations on the condition of the buildings provided to would be buyers at the time of the sale. Lawyers for the property developers have vowed that their clients take the charges very seriously and will spare no expense in defending their reputations in court. As we examined in our blog piece of the 19th, the transition to condo development at the Roosevelt Heights complexes at the time made for a controversial debate at City council.
The discussion over suitable building materials for Prince Rupert's rather damp climate at times continued on in City Council chambers this week as a local contractor explained some of the challenges he believes the current city regulations on the use of Hardie Board provide. The Daily surveyed a number of local contractors for their opinions on the nature of building material options for the North coast.
The Sports section featured an indepth look at Aboriginal Sport in British Columbia, with a new society that is hoping to pick up the torch from the exciting days of the Cowichan games in 2008 and build upon it for the next Aboriginal Games of 2011 scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(Daily News Archive items for March 26,2010)
Another 100 year celebration - the Navy’s as old as Prince Rupert
Class-action suit against previous condo owners
The ‘Hardie Board’ debate
Sign up for Block Stock 2010
Call for excellence in initiative nominees
The Northern View
No new items were posted to the Northern View website for Friday
CFTK TV 7 News
Online Video Released on Northwest Transmission Line Project -- An online Video outlining the impact of the Northwest Transmission Line has been released, designed to provide an overview of the project and the importance to the region that it could provide (see article here)
Video presentation is below:
CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North
No new items were posted to the Daybreak North website for Friday.
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
Another 100 year celebration - the Navy’s as old as Prince Rupert
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Friday, March 26, 2010
A link to Prince Rupert’s history and involvement in the Canadian military will be on display in the City’s Council Chambers until the end of June.
A bell that once belonged to the HMCS Prince Rupert has been loaned to the city by the Canadian Navy as part of an effort to reacquaint Canadian communities with their namesake warship during the Navy’s centennial year.
Capt. Alex Rueben, Chief of Staff Maritime Forces Pacific, presented the bell to Mayor Jack Mussallem at Monday’s city council meeting.
“I would like to congratulate Prince Rupert on your centennial just as the Navy is celebrating its centennial, which is equally important,” said Rueben.
Appropriately, the ceremony included participation by members of Prince Rupert’s Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps., Captain Cook, who marched in with the bell hanging from a paddle.
The bell was hung on a custom-made display stand on the north side of the room, after which the cadets rang the historic icon. A commemorative plaque of the HMCS Prince Rupert was subsequently presented to the mayor.
The HMCS Prince Rupert, commissioned on August 30, 1943, had an illustrious career on the wartime seas, helping win the Battle of the Atlantic against Nazi Germany by being employed on Convoy duties.
She paused only for refit and maintenance throughout the war, until victory came to Europe.
The ship was sold by the Canadian government in 1947.
“I am sure that the City of Prince Rupert, which played an important role during the Second World War, would be proud of her namesake ship,” said Rueben.
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne asked Rueben about increasing the presence of the Navy in Prince Rupert. Naval ships have visited less frequently in recent years, which Rueben explained was due to budget constraints.
“We would like to do more visits to Prince Rupert. I see a cutback, however, in the number of deployments to Prince Rupert in the next year, but I cannot give an accurate count,” explained Rueben.
Rueben did confirm that a naval ship would not be able to visit Prince Rupert during Seafest this year, because it coincides with the Navy’s International Naval Review.
“But the Navy would like to remain involved in the future,” commented Rueben.
Daily News, front page, headline story
ANOTHER 100 YEAR CELEBRATION - THE NAVY'S AS OLD AS PRINCE RUPERT -- Avast mateys, the Navy has pulled into town to provide salutations to the population on their centennial celebration. The Canadian Navy has joined in on the celebration of Prince Rupert's 100th anniversary, presenting council with a loan of a symbol of some maritime history. The Canadian Navy, which is celebrating it's 100th anniversary as well, provided the city with a bell off of the namesake ship of the city, HMCS Prince Rupert which served in the Atlantic theatre during World War Two, primarily on convoy escort duties, the vessel was sold off out of the navy in 1947. Council will be displaying the bell in council chambers until the end of June.
Some more background on the court proceedings underway between local owners of condo units in the Roosevelt Heights apartments and the Vancouver based developers of the project, which include a high profile real estate specialist, Ozzie Jurock, known for his radio and television appearances in the Greater Vancouver area. As we reviewed on the blog back on March 19 , the local owners have taken the condo developers to court over concerns that there were misrepresentations on the condition of the buildings provided to would be buyers at the time of the sale. Lawyers for the property developers have vowed that their clients take the charges very seriously and will spare no expense in defending their reputations in court. As we examined in our blog piece of the 19th, the transition to condo development at the Roosevelt Heights complexes at the time made for a controversial debate at City council.
The discussion over suitable building materials for Prince Rupert's rather damp climate at times continued on in City Council chambers this week as a local contractor explained some of the challenges he believes the current city regulations on the use of Hardie Board provide. The Daily surveyed a number of local contractors for their opinions on the nature of building material options for the North coast.
The Sports section featured an indepth look at Aboriginal Sport in British Columbia, with a new society that is hoping to pick up the torch from the exciting days of the Cowichan games in 2008 and build upon it for the next Aboriginal Games of 2011 scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(Daily News Archive items for March 26,2010)
Another 100 year celebration - the Navy’s as old as Prince Rupert
Class-action suit against previous condo owners
The ‘Hardie Board’ debate
Sign up for Block Stock 2010
Call for excellence in initiative nominees
The Northern View
No new items were posted to the Northern View website for Friday
CFTK TV 7 News
Online Video Released on Northwest Transmission Line Project -- An online Video outlining the impact of the Northwest Transmission Line has been released, designed to provide an overview of the project and the importance to the region that it could provide (see article here)
Video presentation is below:
CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North
No new items were posted to the Daybreak North website for Friday.
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
Another 100 year celebration - the Navy’s as old as Prince Rupert
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Friday, March 26, 2010
A link to Prince Rupert’s history and involvement in the Canadian military will be on display in the City’s Council Chambers until the end of June.
A bell that once belonged to the HMCS Prince Rupert has been loaned to the city by the Canadian Navy as part of an effort to reacquaint Canadian communities with their namesake warship during the Navy’s centennial year.
Capt. Alex Rueben, Chief of Staff Maritime Forces Pacific, presented the bell to Mayor Jack Mussallem at Monday’s city council meeting.
“I would like to congratulate Prince Rupert on your centennial just as the Navy is celebrating its centennial, which is equally important,” said Rueben.
Appropriately, the ceremony included participation by members of Prince Rupert’s Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps., Captain Cook, who marched in with the bell hanging from a paddle.
The bell was hung on a custom-made display stand on the north side of the room, after which the cadets rang the historic icon. A commemorative plaque of the HMCS Prince Rupert was subsequently presented to the mayor.
The HMCS Prince Rupert, commissioned on August 30, 1943, had an illustrious career on the wartime seas, helping win the Battle of the Atlantic against Nazi Germany by being employed on Convoy duties.
She paused only for refit and maintenance throughout the war, until victory came to Europe.
The ship was sold by the Canadian government in 1947.
“I am sure that the City of Prince Rupert, which played an important role during the Second World War, would be proud of her namesake ship,” said Rueben.
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne asked Rueben about increasing the presence of the Navy in Prince Rupert. Naval ships have visited less frequently in recent years, which Rueben explained was due to budget constraints.
“We would like to do more visits to Prince Rupert. I see a cutback, however, in the number of deployments to Prince Rupert in the next year, but I cannot give an accurate count,” explained Rueben.
Rueben did confirm that a naval ship would not be able to visit Prince Rupert during Seafest this year, because it coincides with the Navy’s International Naval Review.
“But the Navy would like to remain involved in the future,” commented Rueben.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Podunk Below the Masthead, (Friday, March 19, 2010)
Shames Mountain's early closure stirs up discussion, No time like spring to talk Christmas carols and the Mayor's honour is defended by the ANBT chairman, some of the items of note from the Friday news cycle.
Daily News, Front page,headline story
LATE IN THE SEASON SNOW IS A SHAME FOR SHAMES MOUNTAIN SKIERS-- Shames Mountain shut down for the season on March 14 (as we outlined here on the blog on March 10 ), and with the early end to the ski season there are rumblings that it may have be the final season for the Northwest ski hill. With the General Manager of Shames saying that's not so, the Daily News put George T. Baker and Patrick Witwicki on the file to find out more.
Coming up on the first day of Spring seems like an interesting time to introduce the topic of Christ and Christmas into the local schools, but such was the case at the recent gathering of School District 52. George T. Baker reviews Catherine Hague's desire to see more Christianity in the School Christmas shows and Christmas classroom sessions. Hague a substitute teacher in the School District is seeking to challenge the Ministry of Education policy on the issue of Christian Christmas Carols in the schools and at Tuesday's School District meeting found some support to her position that the policy of the Ministry was an uneven guideline. Baker's article gained him his second mention in recent days in the Vancouver Sun's education blog.
Mayor Mussallem's absence at the All Native Basketball Tournament's opening ceremonies gets another lookover, this time as the Tournament Chairman offered up some background on the circumstances surrounding the now controversial no show. Peter Haugan, admits that the Mayor was not provided with a "formal invite" to the ceremonies, a case of misplaced delegation, that he has decided to take ownership of. Wrapping up his review of the events of those days, Haugan re-affirmed that in his belief, Mussallem has been one of the biggest supporters of the All Native Tournament at City Hall.
Hawkair sought out the Daily News to clarify what it calls misinformation about its current ownership situation. Under the headline "The correct information concerning Hawkair", the Daily News on Friday provided a forum for Hawkair officials to explain that Central Mountain Air has not purchased Hawkair, but that all three airlines are all partners within the same group.
For some the concept may be akin to splitting hairs on the terminology reflecting partnership and ownership, and it doesn't quite reflect what was said in the Hawkair press release when the story first broke on the local scene. As we recounted on the blog on March 16th, Hawkair's press release stated: "Hawkair would like to announce that effective March 15, 2010 the control and ownership of the Company has been purchased by a British Columbia corporation which currently owns and operates Northern Thunderbird Air and Central Mountain Air.".
Regardless of the terminology, for the most part Rupertites are just glad that Hawkair will still be operating out of the city, whether as a stand alone airline or as part of a consortium of three separate airlines.
The Sports section featured a review of Thursday night's battle of the high school hockey teams, the annual clash of the school saw PRSS eke out a 5+4 victory over cross town rival CHSS at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre's Arena.
(Archive for Daily News articles for March 19, 2010)
Late in season snow is a shame for Shames Mountain skiers
Putting the ‘Christ’ back in carols
ANBT president wants to ‘clear the air’
The correct information concerning Hawkair
Centennial Round Table brings industry and local government together
Popular performer returns
The Northern View
No new articles were posted on the Northern View website on Friday
CFTK TV 7 News
No new articles were posted on the Northern View website on Friday
CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North
A Significant Saikuz Loss-- Daybreak interviews Wil Fundal regarding the passing of Saikuz elder and healer, Sophie Thomas. (listen to interview here)
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
The Daily News, headline, front page story
Late in season snow is a shame for Shames Mountain skiers
By George T. Baker and Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Friday, March 19, 2010
Pillowy snow, covering long tracks of ski and snowboard terrain was not enough to keep Shames Mountain open until Easter this year.
Unlike most years, Shames Mountain closed for the season on March 14 at the conclusion of Spring Break, leading to speculation that it was closed for good and that North Coast slopes enthusiasts would be forced to make the long carve from Prince Rupert to Smithers whenever they wanted to ski.
Not so, says Laird Carmichael, Shames Mountain General Manager, who just concluded his first season on the job.
“I’m definitely back for another year,” he said. “And the support from the community is unbelievable.
“We’re not going to work on mother nature … we’re going to work on the corporate side of things and continue to provide a good product.”
That said, El Nino wreaked havoc on the “product” this season, with unseasonably warm temperatures throughout January and February, which meant “early season” conditions at Shames never really improved.
Until Spring Break, that is, when snow finally began falling regularly up at Shames, and is still continuing to fall right now. Yet, Carmichael said they had no choice but to call it a season on March 14.
“Normally we go into the first weekend of April,” he said.
“But we’re trying to protect our assets so we can keep our mountain open for next year.”
Marc Page, owner of local skateboard and snowboard shop, Loaded Sports, said that he predicted another return to the northwest ski hill next winter.
Page was conducting his annual ‘Throwdown’ freestyle board and ski event on the Shames park area, where a handful of children younger than 12 competed for the first time in a freestyle event. Page said he felt Shames would host at least one more year of competitions.
“It’s not closing. I don’t think so,” said Page.
However, others were not so sure.
Matt Demelo, 15 of Terrace, was snowboarding on the mountain last Sunday. He theorized that the closing was a false one because of the numbers of skiers and boarders on the hills. He was sure that the mountain would open again the next weekend and run until the snow dried up.
But he was less optimistic about the Shames Mountain Ski Corporation, who have listed the mountain resort for sale at the stately price of $1.5 million.
“It will be rough on a lot of the kids in the North if it closes. There is nothing to do in the winter for the kids who don’t play hockey,” explained Demelo.
“But the economy is hurting. I can’t get a job. My dad’s electronics store is probably at the worst we’ve seen.”
Indeed, while the weather certainly didn’t help with skier visits, the economics of the region haven’t helped either, said Carmichael.
“It’s been a very abnormal snow-pack, and we haven’t had enough ski visits,” he said. “The economics has a huge impact on how we did this season … how much disposable income do we have?”
A sales and marketing representative for Oakley was on hand and said he was certainly concerned about the mountain's long term future. Andrew Sharp said that he has made the trip to Terrace from the Okanagan at least once per winter for the past six years because of the preferable conditions the sparsely populated mountain provides.
"It's steep. No one's here. You might get that on the hills of Whistler, but it would be only one run," said Sharp.
Shames Mountain enjoyed three consecutive years of heavy snow packs, including the record-breaking winter of 2006-07.
But 2009-10 is, unfortunately, being compared to the mild winter of 2005-06, where a very rainy and mild December kept Shames from opening until January.
Still, that year, the snow eventually did pick up. In 2010, that didn't happen until the first week of March.
"The mountain used to have a quote "We put everyone to Shame(s)',. Well now it is a shame", opined local DJ and City bylaw office,r Derek Kormendy.
But Carmichael is adamant that Shames will be open next season, and they are beginning their early-bird season campaign as of April 1st.
"Despite what mother nature gave us, everyone had a good season," he said.
Daily News, Front page,headline story
LATE IN THE SEASON SNOW IS A SHAME FOR SHAMES MOUNTAIN SKIERS-- Shames Mountain shut down for the season on March 14 (as we outlined here on the blog on March 10 ), and with the early end to the ski season there are rumblings that it may have be the final season for the Northwest ski hill. With the General Manager of Shames saying that's not so, the Daily News put George T. Baker and Patrick Witwicki on the file to find out more.
Coming up on the first day of Spring seems like an interesting time to introduce the topic of Christ and Christmas into the local schools, but such was the case at the recent gathering of School District 52. George T. Baker reviews Catherine Hague's desire to see more Christianity in the School Christmas shows and Christmas classroom sessions. Hague a substitute teacher in the School District is seeking to challenge the Ministry of Education policy on the issue of Christian Christmas Carols in the schools and at Tuesday's School District meeting found some support to her position that the policy of the Ministry was an uneven guideline. Baker's article gained him his second mention in recent days in the Vancouver Sun's education blog.
Mayor Mussallem's absence at the All Native Basketball Tournament's opening ceremonies gets another lookover, this time as the Tournament Chairman offered up some background on the circumstances surrounding the now controversial no show. Peter Haugan, admits that the Mayor was not provided with a "formal invite" to the ceremonies, a case of misplaced delegation, that he has decided to take ownership of. Wrapping up his review of the events of those days, Haugan re-affirmed that in his belief, Mussallem has been one of the biggest supporters of the All Native Tournament at City Hall.
Hawkair sought out the Daily News to clarify what it calls misinformation about its current ownership situation. Under the headline "The correct information concerning Hawkair", the Daily News on Friday provided a forum for Hawkair officials to explain that Central Mountain Air has not purchased Hawkair, but that all three airlines are all partners within the same group.
For some the concept may be akin to splitting hairs on the terminology reflecting partnership and ownership, and it doesn't quite reflect what was said in the Hawkair press release when the story first broke on the local scene. As we recounted on the blog on March 16th, Hawkair's press release stated: "Hawkair would like to announce that effective March 15, 2010 the control and ownership of the Company has been purchased by a British Columbia corporation which currently owns and operates Northern Thunderbird Air and Central Mountain Air.".
Regardless of the terminology, for the most part Rupertites are just glad that Hawkair will still be operating out of the city, whether as a stand alone airline or as part of a consortium of three separate airlines.
The Sports section featured a review of Thursday night's battle of the high school hockey teams, the annual clash of the school saw PRSS eke out a 5+4 victory over cross town rival CHSS at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre's Arena.
(Archive for Daily News articles for March 19, 2010)
Late in season snow is a shame for Shames Mountain skiers
Putting the ‘Christ’ back in carols
ANBT president wants to ‘clear the air’
The correct information concerning Hawkair
Centennial Round Table brings industry and local government together
Popular performer returns
The Northern View
No new articles were posted on the Northern View website on Friday
CFTK TV 7 News
No new articles were posted on the Northern View website on Friday
CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North
A Significant Saikuz Loss-- Daybreak interviews Wil Fundal regarding the passing of Saikuz elder and healer, Sophie Thomas. (listen to interview here)
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
The Daily News, headline, front page story
Late in season snow is a shame for Shames Mountain skiers
By George T. Baker and Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Friday, March 19, 2010
Pillowy snow, covering long tracks of ski and snowboard terrain was not enough to keep Shames Mountain open until Easter this year.
Unlike most years, Shames Mountain closed for the season on March 14 at the conclusion of Spring Break, leading to speculation that it was closed for good and that North Coast slopes enthusiasts would be forced to make the long carve from Prince Rupert to Smithers whenever they wanted to ski.
Not so, says Laird Carmichael, Shames Mountain General Manager, who just concluded his first season on the job.
“I’m definitely back for another year,” he said. “And the support from the community is unbelievable.
“We’re not going to work on mother nature … we’re going to work on the corporate side of things and continue to provide a good product.”
That said, El Nino wreaked havoc on the “product” this season, with unseasonably warm temperatures throughout January and February, which meant “early season” conditions at Shames never really improved.
Until Spring Break, that is, when snow finally began falling regularly up at Shames, and is still continuing to fall right now. Yet, Carmichael said they had no choice but to call it a season on March 14.
“Normally we go into the first weekend of April,” he said.
“But we’re trying to protect our assets so we can keep our mountain open for next year.”
Marc Page, owner of local skateboard and snowboard shop, Loaded Sports, said that he predicted another return to the northwest ski hill next winter.
Page was conducting his annual ‘Throwdown’ freestyle board and ski event on the Shames park area, where a handful of children younger than 12 competed for the first time in a freestyle event. Page said he felt Shames would host at least one more year of competitions.
“It’s not closing. I don’t think so,” said Page.
However, others were not so sure.
Matt Demelo, 15 of Terrace, was snowboarding on the mountain last Sunday. He theorized that the closing was a false one because of the numbers of skiers and boarders on the hills. He was sure that the mountain would open again the next weekend and run until the snow dried up.
But he was less optimistic about the Shames Mountain Ski Corporation, who have listed the mountain resort for sale at the stately price of $1.5 million.
“It will be rough on a lot of the kids in the North if it closes. There is nothing to do in the winter for the kids who don’t play hockey,” explained Demelo.
“But the economy is hurting. I can’t get a job. My dad’s electronics store is probably at the worst we’ve seen.”
Indeed, while the weather certainly didn’t help with skier visits, the economics of the region haven’t helped either, said Carmichael.
“It’s been a very abnormal snow-pack, and we haven’t had enough ski visits,” he said. “The economics has a huge impact on how we did this season … how much disposable income do we have?”
A sales and marketing representative for Oakley was on hand and said he was certainly concerned about the mountain's long term future. Andrew Sharp said that he has made the trip to Terrace from the Okanagan at least once per winter for the past six years because of the preferable conditions the sparsely populated mountain provides.
"It's steep. No one's here. You might get that on the hills of Whistler, but it would be only one run," said Sharp.
Shames Mountain enjoyed three consecutive years of heavy snow packs, including the record-breaking winter of 2006-07.
But 2009-10 is, unfortunately, being compared to the mild winter of 2005-06, where a very rainy and mild December kept Shames from opening until January.
Still, that year, the snow eventually did pick up. In 2010, that didn't happen until the first week of March.
"The mountain used to have a quote "We put everyone to Shame(s)',. Well now it is a shame", opined local DJ and City bylaw office,r Derek Kormendy.
But Carmichael is adamant that Shames will be open next season, and they are beginning their early-bird season campaign as of April 1st.
"Despite what mother nature gave us, everyone had a good season," he said.
Friday, March 19, 2010
It's the economy (Friday, March 19, 2010 )
The IMF is looking for a fireman, Mr. Brown's annus horribulus, and China says the US is behaving unreasonably, some of the items of note for Friday.
Globe and Mail-- Fed must reveal bailout records
Globe and Mail-- Europe's bruised economies seek way forward
Globe and Mail-- Royal Dutch Shell defends Alberta oil sands investments
National Post-- EU calls for swift agreement on Greek aid
National Post-- German tax evasion probe shakes another Swiss banker
National Post-- Joint venture fixes Rio Tinto-China relationship
Vancouver Sun-- Carl Icahn offers to buy Lions Gate as MGM bid looms
Vancouver Sun-- Victoria business leader makes $10-million gift to UVic business faculty
New York Times-- I.M.F. Chief Calls for ‘Fire Brigade’ to Aid European Banks
New York Times-- Dodd Seeks U.S. Inquiry Into Lehman’s Accounting
New York Times-- Why We Reform
USA Today-- Lehman accounting tricks possibly illegal
USA Today-- FDIC chief: Financial reform bill must completely end 'too big to fail'
Guardian UK online-- BA strike to go ahead after talks collapse
Guardian UK online-- Budget 2010: You the chancellor
Guardian UK online-- Lehman Brothers' golden girl, Erin Callan: through the glass ceiling – and off the glass cliff
Times online UK-- Strikes will plague the run-up to the general election
Times online UK-- We may raise taxes, says Lord Mandelson
Telegraph UK online-- Air and rail strikes threaten travel plans and Labour hopes
Telegraph UK online-- Alistair Darling may have some surprises up his sleeve
Melbourne Herald-- Employers want pay rise delayed until 2011
Melbourne Herald-- Energy Resources of Australia tips stronger uranium prices
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- FOOD giant Heinz has been canned for falsely claiming its Golden Circle subsidiary is Australian-owned.
People's Daily-- U.S. currency demands unreasonable
People's Daily-- Rio Tinto case should not be politicized, Beijing says
China Daily-- China calls on Washington to cool yuan pressure
China Daily-- Job fairs gear up for influx of grads
Times of India-- World Bank to give soft loan of $1.05bn for education
Times of India-- 'More state roads to be highways'
Globe and Mail-- Fed must reveal bailout records
Globe and Mail-- Europe's bruised economies seek way forward
Globe and Mail-- Royal Dutch Shell defends Alberta oil sands investments
National Post-- EU calls for swift agreement on Greek aid
National Post-- German tax evasion probe shakes another Swiss banker
National Post-- Joint venture fixes Rio Tinto-China relationship
Vancouver Sun-- Carl Icahn offers to buy Lions Gate as MGM bid looms
Vancouver Sun-- Victoria business leader makes $10-million gift to UVic business faculty
New York Times-- I.M.F. Chief Calls for ‘Fire Brigade’ to Aid European Banks
New York Times-- Dodd Seeks U.S. Inquiry Into Lehman’s Accounting
New York Times-- Why We Reform
USA Today-- Lehman accounting tricks possibly illegal
USA Today-- FDIC chief: Financial reform bill must completely end 'too big to fail'
Guardian UK online-- BA strike to go ahead after talks collapse
Guardian UK online-- Budget 2010: You the chancellor
Guardian UK online-- Lehman Brothers' golden girl, Erin Callan: through the glass ceiling – and off the glass cliff
Times online UK-- Strikes will plague the run-up to the general election
Times online UK-- We may raise taxes, says Lord Mandelson
Telegraph UK online-- Air and rail strikes threaten travel plans and Labour hopes
Telegraph UK online-- Alistair Darling may have some surprises up his sleeve
Melbourne Herald-- Employers want pay rise delayed until 2011
Melbourne Herald-- Energy Resources of Australia tips stronger uranium prices
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- FOOD giant Heinz has been canned for falsely claiming its Golden Circle subsidiary is Australian-owned.
People's Daily-- U.S. currency demands unreasonable
People's Daily-- Rio Tinto case should not be politicized, Beijing says
China Daily-- China calls on Washington to cool yuan pressure
China Daily-- Job fairs gear up for influx of grads
Times of India-- World Bank to give soft loan of $1.05bn for education
Times of India-- 'More state roads to be highways'
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Podunk Below the Masthead (Friday, February 26, 2010)
Northern BC works the crowd at the Olympics, putting together some talking points for Smithers and the Chamber acknowledges its best, all part of the news cycle for the weekend.
Daily News, front page, headline story
NORTHERN B. C. ON THE PODIUM AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES-- Away from the glow of the medals and the performances, local officials were busy trying to spread the word of economic opportunity in Northern BC, the Daily News outlines the efforts of those involved in the Showcase of Northern BC at the Vancouver games.
British Columbia Communities from 100 Mile House north and west to Haida Gwaii have been busy putting together resolutions of interest, all to be presented to North Central Local Government Association AGM which is planned for Smithers from May 5-7. Among the Prince Rupert concerns will be municipal funding, ferries, EI, fishing and empty schools, the deadline for the writing up their thoughts is March 5.
The latest developments for Naikun were explored in the Daily News, as we outlined on the blog last week, Naikun is currently in the midst of layoffs , reducing the work force of 17 employees by 25 percent. A financial plan designed to conserve cash until further word is heard from BC Hydro and their Clean Power Call which may involved Naikun's Haida Gwaii wind power project.
Basketball again was the main attraction of the Sports section, with a review of the PRSS Rainmakers upset at the provincial finals and salute to the culture of basketball in the city at some of its key levels.
(Archive for Daily News Articles for February 26, 2010 )
The Northern View
Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce hands out business excellence awards -- Shaun Thomas is on the dinner circuit this weekend with a review of the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards from Saturday night (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
No new items were posted to the CFTK website on Friday.
CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North
No new items were posted to the CBC Daybreak site for Friday
The full list of current Daybreak North Interviews can be found here
The Daily News
Northern B.C. on the podium at the Olympic Games
By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Daily News
Friday, February 26, 2010
Northern B.C. was front and centre at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on
Feb. 23.
More than 150 delegates experienced the Prince George and a Northern Decade for British Columbia Showcase at Vancouver’s Robson Square.
Shaun Stevenson, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for the Prince Rupert Port Authority, has been in Vancouver this week and attended the showcase.
“We’ve been meeting with shippers, ocean carriers and new terminal developers through a number of roundtables,” Stevenson said. “Everything from Japanese coal buyers looking at the ports of Prince Rupert and Vancouver. There has been a great deal of things going on. I have been here to represent the port.”
Hosted by Initiatives Prince George, the Showcase focused on Northern B.C.
“This diverse region boasts propulsive trade and investment opportunities in transportation & logistics, forestry, mining, green energy, and industrial development. Northern B.C. is also home to the Port of Prince Rupert’s new Fairview Container Terminal, the first Asia-North America trade corridor in 100 years. This state of the art terminal provides shippers with unparalleled reliability, speed and cost efficiencies in moving their products between Asia and North American markets,” stated Initiatives Prince George in a press release.
The Showcase is part of a larger series of events and outreach opportunities to promote British Columbia’s core industries, diverse regions and communities, and investment and job-creation potential.
Events promoting every region are taking place throughout Vancouver and Whistler, including the BC International Media Centre (BCMC), BC Showcase and the Asia Pacific Business Centre at Robson Square, the BC Canada Pavilion at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Terminal City Club, and the Whistler Discovery Centre.
According to Stevenson, Initiatives Prince George had been planning the showcase over the last three years to be part of the platform at the 2010 Olympics.
“There have been a number of events here to bring businesses together and explore opportunities for investment in B.C. Overall the 2010 Olympics were always positioned as a way to leverage the profile of our province. We’ve participated where it’s practical to put Prince Rupert on the map,” Steveson added.
Stevenson said people in the business of shipping are aware of Prince Rupert, but not always aware of new opportunities. “I also attended a lunch hosted by CN on Wednesday.”
Correction: preamble in the Naikun story above has been changed to reflect the lay off situation at the company, original copy said that there had been 17 lay offs at the company, it should have read "lay offs to their workforce of 25 percent", we apologize for the error.
Daily News, front page, headline story
NORTHERN B. C. ON THE PODIUM AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES-- Away from the glow of the medals and the performances, local officials were busy trying to spread the word of economic opportunity in Northern BC, the Daily News outlines the efforts of those involved in the Showcase of Northern BC at the Vancouver games.
British Columbia Communities from 100 Mile House north and west to Haida Gwaii have been busy putting together resolutions of interest, all to be presented to North Central Local Government Association AGM which is planned for Smithers from May 5-7. Among the Prince Rupert concerns will be municipal funding, ferries, EI, fishing and empty schools, the deadline for the writing up their thoughts is March 5.
The latest developments for Naikun were explored in the Daily News, as we outlined on the blog last week, Naikun is currently in the midst of layoffs , reducing the work force of 17 employees by 25 percent. A financial plan designed to conserve cash until further word is heard from BC Hydro and their Clean Power Call which may involved Naikun's Haida Gwaii wind power project.
Basketball again was the main attraction of the Sports section, with a review of the PRSS Rainmakers upset at the provincial finals and salute to the culture of basketball in the city at some of its key levels.
(Archive for Daily News Articles for February 26, 2010 )
The Northern View
Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce hands out business excellence awards -- Shaun Thomas is on the dinner circuit this weekend with a review of the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards from Saturday night (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
No new items were posted to the CFTK website on Friday.
CBC News British Columbia, Daybreak North
No new items were posted to the CBC Daybreak site for Friday
The full list of current Daybreak North Interviews can be found here
The Daily News
Northern B.C. on the podium at the Olympic Games
By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Daily News
Friday, February 26, 2010
Northern B.C. was front and centre at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on
Feb. 23.
More than 150 delegates experienced the Prince George and a Northern Decade for British Columbia Showcase at Vancouver’s Robson Square.
Shaun Stevenson, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for the Prince Rupert Port Authority, has been in Vancouver this week and attended the showcase.
“We’ve been meeting with shippers, ocean carriers and new terminal developers through a number of roundtables,” Stevenson said. “Everything from Japanese coal buyers looking at the ports of Prince Rupert and Vancouver. There has been a great deal of things going on. I have been here to represent the port.”
Hosted by Initiatives Prince George, the Showcase focused on Northern B.C.
“This diverse region boasts propulsive trade and investment opportunities in transportation & logistics, forestry, mining, green energy, and industrial development. Northern B.C. is also home to the Port of Prince Rupert’s new Fairview Container Terminal, the first Asia-North America trade corridor in 100 years. This state of the art terminal provides shippers with unparalleled reliability, speed and cost efficiencies in moving their products between Asia and North American markets,” stated Initiatives Prince George in a press release.
The Showcase is part of a larger series of events and outreach opportunities to promote British Columbia’s core industries, diverse regions and communities, and investment and job-creation potential.
Events promoting every region are taking place throughout Vancouver and Whistler, including the BC International Media Centre (BCMC), BC Showcase and the Asia Pacific Business Centre at Robson Square, the BC Canada Pavilion at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Terminal City Club, and the Whistler Discovery Centre.
According to Stevenson, Initiatives Prince George had been planning the showcase over the last three years to be part of the platform at the 2010 Olympics.
“There have been a number of events here to bring businesses together and explore opportunities for investment in B.C. Overall the 2010 Olympics were always positioned as a way to leverage the profile of our province. We’ve participated where it’s practical to put Prince Rupert on the map,” Steveson added.
Stevenson said people in the business of shipping are aware of Prince Rupert, but not always aware of new opportunities. “I also attended a lunch hosted by CN on Wednesday.”
Correction: preamble in the Naikun story above has been changed to reflect the lay off situation at the company, original copy said that there had been 17 lay offs at the company, it should have read "lay offs to their workforce of 25 percent", we apologize for the error.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Podunk Below the Masthead, Friday, February 27, 2009
The always emotional topic of wolves in the area, an announcement that the wheels are in motion to work on the steps for the next phase of the Fairview Port development and a ripped from the press release outline of changes for Northern Health provided Friday's main content.
THE WOLVES ARE AT THE DOOR IN PORT EDWARD-- The big black type highlighted the always eye catching story that wolves have once again decided to hang out with the humans. Friday's Daily News outlined some of the concerns that Port Edward residents have as the howling dogs of spring return to the village.
The Port of Prince Rupert announced that the environmental assessment phase of the Fairview Container Port project will go ahead next month, the paper outlining some of the ports thoughts on the expansion issue.
Northern Health's Chief Operating Officer for the Northwest, Marina Ellinson provided the copy and the Daily news provided the forum, as the health official turned into a stringer for the paper with the latest details on how Northern health is working on the Prince Rupert doctor's shortage.
.
George T. Baker offered up an editorial page primer on in camera meetings and the need for transparency in local government, however the lesson plan focused on the tribulations of Vancouver politics, seemingly avoiding the current controversial moments of Prince Rupert City Council's most recent gathering.
Total pages in the Friday edition (18)
THE WOLVES ARE AT THE DOOR IN PORT EDWARD-- The big black type highlighted the always eye catching story that wolves have once again decided to hang out with the humans. Friday's Daily News outlined some of the concerns that Port Edward residents have as the howling dogs of spring return to the village.
The Port of Prince Rupert announced that the environmental assessment phase of the Fairview Container Port project will go ahead next month, the paper outlining some of the ports thoughts on the expansion issue.
Northern Health's Chief Operating Officer for the Northwest, Marina Ellinson provided the copy and the Daily news provided the forum, as the health official turned into a stringer for the paper with the latest details on how Northern health is working on the Prince Rupert doctor's shortage.
.
George T. Baker offered up an editorial page primer on in camera meetings and the need for transparency in local government, however the lesson plan focused on the tribulations of Vancouver politics, seemingly avoiding the current controversial moments of Prince Rupert City Council's most recent gathering.
Total pages in the Friday edition (18)
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