Andy Winslow looks out from his grain tower

“I became attracted to Prince Rupert, because it's, in a word, depressing... It rains all the time, and it's dark and the economy is in the tank.”— author Bill Gaston, on why he partially set his latest novel in Prince Rupert.

Author Bill Gaston was here and he was watching you and you and maybe even me. The British Columbia author spent some time on the North Coast in 2006 researching material for his latest work of fiction, The Order of Good Cheer.

The novel which splits the time lines between Samuel de Champlain’s arrival in the New World, to Prince Rupert’s existence in the current one, the work described by the Tyee as a fluid prose in which “Gaston charts Canada since colonization from coast to coast, re-imagining history and offering a fresh vision of the modern world.”

Of particular interest to Rupertites will be his impressions of the local subject matter, the result of his observations and conversations with residents during the course of his visit. Thoughts observed through his character of Andy Winslow, a fictional Rupertite, a rather broken kind of guy searching for answers.

From the Tyee website we learn a few of Andy's and by fictional divinity, the thoughts of Gaston's on our little corner of the world Champlain sought to conquer.

Contrasted with Champlain is Andy Winslow, a down-on-his-luck grain worker in down-on-its-luck Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Andy's life is characterized by entropy, the slow decay of Canada's mystery. With global warming encroaching on his land, Andy spends his life at the height of a grain elevator, reading Champlain's journals, and nursing a broken heart. As his grip on his loved ones becomes increasingly tenuous, Andy invokes Champlain's Order in a final bid to fend off emotional ruin.

On spying on the people of Prince Rupert

"I flew up to Prince Rupert with no real expectations. I guess you could call it research, but I just wanted to hang out in the town, and absorb what it feels like to be there. I hung out in the Tim Horton’s and the restaurants. I walked endlessly. I rented a car and zoomed off to Terrace, just to pretend that I was bored of Prince Rupert and had to get out of town for a while. I didn't aggressively interview people, I just met them here and there. I got all sorts of nice colour from them. One person in particular, who worked at the hotel I was at, she had a really nice overview of what it meant to live there.

"I became attracted to Prince Rupert, because it's, in a word, depressing. That'll anger some people who live there, but a lot of people who live there would agree with me. It rains all the time, and it's dark and the economy is in the tank. When it came time to write, I tried not to stereotype anything, and I think I caught it pretty accurately -- the depressed population, people going a bit nutty. I'd be interested to hear what [people in Prince Rupert] think."

Suffice to say we’re pretty sure that he will hear a few things from locals and former locals alike, some of them will be in full agreement having long ago moved on from the north coast, while most likely a few others will consider his thoughts and words nothing but heresy.

A full review of the book is available from the Tyee Website as well as a synopsis of the work over at the Chapters website, and of course it will be available in book stores everywhere (even here maybe?) for your full evaluation.

We somehow doubt however, that the book will be used by civic officials for those ceremonial gift giving purposes with visitors to the city any time soon..

Songs, Dances and speeches of welcome herald the opening of 32nd First Nations Edlers Gathering

The Jim Ciccone Civic Centre will be their home for the three day celebration and on Monday it provided the setting for a spectacular opening to the 32nd Elders Gathering.

First Nations Elders have gathered in Prince Rupert this week to take part in the celebrations, Monday they listened carefully to speeches from First Nations leaders from the North coast as well as local politicians, who welcomed them to Tsimshian territory.

The Daily News provided some background on the opening ceremonies with a front page story in Tuesday's paper.

HUGE GATHERING OF ELDERS LAUNCHED IN GRAND STYLE
Representatives of the Tsimshian nation welcome visitors as historic event begins
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Pages one and two

True to the theme of the 32nd Elders Gathering, the First Nations Elders from across British Columbia and beyond were all watching yesterday as everyone was officially welcomed to the event.

With the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre arena packed with honoured guests, local community leaders and residents, Sam Bryant and members of the Sm Haalyt Dance Group welcomed the crowd by performing several songs, including their 'eagle down dance.'

"With the spirit of the eagle now among you, you can know you'll be travelling safely through our Tsimshian territory while you're here," said Bryant.

Due to the size of the group, the dancers performed twice to make sure those Elders in the back of the arena were able to see and hear the welcoming songs.

Master of Ceremonies for this year's Gathering, Kaien Island First Nations Elders member Murray Smith, was handed a note just before the speakers were introduced, and sadly announced that Elders from the villages of Bella Coola and New Aiyansh had passed away.

A moment of silence was given to honour the lives of those two Elders, as well as the rest of the Elders who had passed away in all the communities being represented at the Gathering.

"Such is the way of our people. We honour death and celebrate life," said Smith. "So we pass our condolences on to those who have gone home, and we move forward together here this gathering."

The first local leader to address the Elders was Sm'ooygit Nees Nuugan Natt (Chief Lawrence Helin) of the Gitchiis Tribe, who took the stage along with several other Elders to express pleasure at the way the Gathering had come together, and to welcome all the guests who had travelled to be in Prince Rupert for several days.

Spokesperson for the Allied Tsimshian Tribes James Bryant also took the stage to welcome everyone on behalf of the nine Nations who have co-existed in this region for hundreds of years.
"First off, I'd like to acknowledge my uncle for letting us meet on his land. I've never seen so much grey hair in one place before," joked Chief Councilor of Lax Kw'alaams John Helin.

"I think that it's important to acknowledge our Elders, and their knowledge and experience. When you hear and see our drums beating and our songs being sung, it reminds us how long our ancestors have been on this land. It's important that we treat our Elders with respect and appreciate them while they're here."

Before Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond took the mic, Smith spoke glowingly to the crowd about Pond, as well as District of Port Edward Mayor Dave McDonald and North Coast MLA Gary Coons, all of whom he recognized as working diligently to improve and maintain good relationships between Aboriginal people in the region throughout their elected careers.

"We were ranked by Census Canada as the city with the highest First Nations population in Canada, and we're proud of that," said Pond. "As you wander our streets you'll get a sense of that, and the combination of Chinese, Sikh and many other cultural groups, and it works. It is so good to have you finally come and join us in Prince Rupert, and I understand that there are people here from as far as Alberta and Washington State. I encourage you all while you're here, in addition to having a good Gathering, spend a lot of money in Prince Rupert!"

Before lunch was served to the hundreds of Elders, the volunteers and organizing committee were given several rounds of applause for the hard work they've been doing since it was announced the 2008 Elders Gathering would be held in Prince Rupert, many months ago.

Dig a little deeper to ride the bus in September

Prince Rupert City council has examined the costs of running its transit system and with expenses jumping 24,000 dollars in the last two years; council felt that they could no longer hold the line on fare increases.

With the cost of fuel rising and an expected increase in labour costs to come as well, council outlined some new fare guidelines set to come into effect in September.

When you go to hop on the bus September first, you’ll be digging a little deeper into your pocket as adult fares will rise from $1.25 to $1.50, while seniors will be paying an extra quarter as well with their fares increasing to $1.25.

Monthly and daily passes will also be increased on September 1, with the adult passes rising by six dollars to $38.00. Seniors and students will have to budget an extra five dollars a month for a pass as their passes rise to $30 a month.

Daily passes for adults and college student’s rise to $3.75 while seniors and school age riders will need an extra quarter to meet the new $2.75 fare.

The Northern View provided some background on the increases with a story posted on their website on Tuesday night.

Council passes increase to bus fares
By Shaun Thomas
The Northern View
Published: July 08, 2008 9:00 PM
Updated: July 08, 2008 10:09 PM

While the rider count has continued to climb aboard Prince Rupert's transit system the cost to operate the service has grown even faster, and that prompted council to pass an increase in fares during the July 8 council meeting.

Citing a jump in operational costs from $219,000 in 2005 to $243,000 in 2007, with costs expected to increase in 2008 with fuel and wage increases, adult fares will increase from $1.25 to $1.50, while senior and student fares will increase from $1.00 to $1.25.

A monthly adult pass will increase from $32.00 to $38.00, and monthly passes for seniors and students, including college students, will increase from $25 to $30. Day passes for adults and college students will increase from $3.00 to $3.75, while seniors and school age riders will pay $2.75 for a day pass compared to the current $2.50.

The increase, which comes into effect on September 1, puts the Prince Rupert fares in line with those in Powell River, which increased its transit fares this January.

Look for more on this story in the July 16 issue of The Northern View.

Googles of July 2008

Our listings of the Google Alert items that come across our mail server on a daily basis. Archived here for your viewing enjoyment. (Red are most recent additions, Blue are older items)


July 31-- Uncle Ted: Up close
July 30-- Oil Sands’ Byproduct: Dross to Gold
July 29-- BC Ferry Services claimed $61 million for insurance on sunken vessel
July 26-- Study Finds Booming Ports Industry In British Columbia
July 25-- $765 million sailing into B.C.
July 25-- Canadian official says faster imports could help Wal-Mart
July 25-- Suncor's coke solution? Ahoy, Port Alberta
July 24-- Fallen friend to spur riders
July 24-- Prince Rupert port boosts cargo, container volumes in first half
July 23-- Rupert port getting busier
July 23-- The Prince of intermodalism
July 23-- BC Ferry rates to rise again
July 23-- Officials happy with ambulance pilot project
July 23-- Envionmental filmmakers buzz Houston
July 23-- CN ready to drop Chicago track deal; would derail advantage for Memphis
July 22-- Prince Rupert RCMP respond to over 200 calls for service
July 22-- Auxiliary Constables wanted to assist local detachment
July 22-- Shoreworkers' shifts cut in worst sockeye season in 30 years
July 21-- Commercial gillnet coming to Skeena River
July 21-- Gas leak in Prince Rupert forces evacuation of dozens of homes
July 21-- Puget Sound competitor attracts second weekly containership
July 21-- Prince George To Host Yellowhead Highway Conference
July 19-- Rescuing Fantasy Island
July 19-- First, crush the 'general attitude of defeat'
July 18-- Puzzling predicament
July 18-- FER Building Solutions plans restoration for Prince Rupert’s historic CN building
July 18-- Don’t blame other ports for Halifax woes
July 18-- Upswing Potash creating a very favourable business climate in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Prince Rupert, B.C.
July 18-- Citizens learn about money laundering
July 17-- Commercial crab season begins in northern B.C.
July 16-- Making the community shine
July 16-- Sky's the limit for paramotoring researchers
July 15-- Claws come out as council considers cat control bylaw
July 15-- Pond pitches road
July 15-- Spirit Pole provides residents a chance to make their mark
July 15-- Lock it up or lose it, say Rupert RCMP
July 15-- Gaston to read from The Order of Good Cheer
July 14-- Elders Gathering a Boost
July 12-- Living in peril and boredom
July 12-- Gaston's parallel narratives work
July 12-- $350,000 for ferry dock work
July 11-- Theft from vehicles on the rise in Prince Rupert
July 11-- Invest more in native kids, Ottawa urged
July 10-- Falcon says the world's eyes are on Rupert
July 10-- Ocean shipping alliance to call on British Columbia port each week
July 10-- Times Are Tough In Prince Rupert In Spite Of New Port
July 9-- Too early to judge effect of new sailing, says CN
July 9-- COSCO Adds Second Ship To Prince Rupert Terminal
July 9-- CN welcomes added vessel call at Port of Prince Rupert container terminal
July 9-- Shell Faces Opposition to Canada Methane Operations, Globe Says
July 9-- Northern councils urge Shell to halt methane hunt
July 8-- Northern Expedition beginning to take shape in Europe
July 8-- First ship of new service delayed
July 8-- Council to look at a downtown curfew
July 8-- Government, Tsimshian talks well underway
July 8-- Second ship coming to Rupert
July 8-- Council passes increase to bus fares
July 8-- Spirit Pole makes a stop in Prince Rupert
July 7-- Hikers find human remains near Terrace
July 7-- Fortune Minerals Mulls Coal Slurry Pipe
July 7-- 'The Order of Good Cheer'
July 7-- Sea lice jump from prey to predator
July 7-- Canpotex Limited plans two British Columbia port terminals
July 5-- RCMP are warning people not smuggle good across the border
July 4-- Real Estate Market Cooling, More Listings, Fewer Sales
July 4-- Coast Tsimshian hopeful port talks moving ahead
July 3-- Rupert's port shipments top 10 million tonnes
July 3-- Targeting Asian traffic, Prince Rupert expands
July 2-- Prince Rupert ports had boom year
July 2-- Lax Kw'Alaams, Metlakatla Negotiating With Canada and the Prince Rupert Port Authority Over Port Expansion Issues; Separate Archaeological Table Also Underway
July 1-- Projects identified for transit funding
July 1-- Council endorses resolution against CBM development
July 1-- Construction of new residential care facility on track
July 1-- All parties thrilled with plans for potash export terminal
July 1-- Locals getting money
July 1-- 'Grow-op' nothing but tomatoes
July 1-- First Nations want pipeline review

Human remains found north of Terrace

A Sunday hike revealed a grisly discovery for a group of hikers as they trekked through the brush lands north of the city. During the course of their walk into the wooded wilderness, the group of four came across a collection of human remains.

The discovery has launched an investigation by both the Terrace RCMP and the BC Coroners Service, both agencies will be examining the remains and consulting past case files for clues as to the identity of the deceased.

The Vancouver Sun had details on the find Tuesday, while the Terrace Standard had a short information piece posted today as well..

Human remains found
Darah Hansen
Vancouver Sun
Tuesday, July 08, 2008

TERRACE - Police will be breaking open the folders on local missing persons cases after a group of hikers stumbled across human remains in a wooded area north of the city Sunday.

The remains have yet to be identified, with police withholding details associated with the discovery, including exactly where the body was found.

"It's the bush. It's certainly not a well-known trail that has been established by other people," said Terrace RCMP Staff Sgt. Eric Stubbs.

Police will also be working with the BC Coroners Service to identify the remains, said Stubbs. He would not comment on the age or sex of the person, nor any suspected cause of death.

Stubbs said it was too early to speculate about a possible link between the discovery of the remains and the disappearance of several women along the so-called Highway of Tears in the B.C. Interior.

Nine women have gone missing or been found dead along Highway 16 since 1990. The cases involve women from Smithers, Burns Lake, Prince George, Terrace and Prince Rupert. They range in age from 14 to 25 years.

Rising fuel costs leave Port Authority with mixed thoughts

The rising cost of fuel is leaving the Prince Rupert Port Authority with a positioning statement of sorts, making the location of the Prince Rupert container port beneficial for those shipping lines looking to save on fuel costs. Thanks to its location one day closer to Asia, the Rupert advantage could become a strong factor for growth should fuel costs continue their march upwards.

However, a troublesome US economy could counter balance that benefit as the demand for goods from Asia could drop if the American economic recession continues or goes deeper than forecasters first thought.

All of that economic talk was presented for a Prince Rupert audience last week as the Port of Prince Rupert hosted their annual general meeting last week, the Daily News had details of the economics of transportation in Monday's paper.

Port hoping high cost of gas will help, not hinder
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, July 07, 2008
Page three

The rising cost of fuel prices is magnifying the Port of Prince Rupert's geographic advantage on the West Coast, according to the head of the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA.)
Don Krusel, president of the PRPA, said during the PRPA's annual general meeting last week that rising oil prices could be both a positive and a negative influence as the port moves to expand container trade.

"It could be a positive impact because this is the closest port to Asia," he said. "If you can convince a carrier to sail between Prince Rupert and Asia they are actually saving on their fuel bill if they are only calling in Prince Rupert."

The PRPA is keeping a close eye, not only on fuel prices but also the economic slow down in the United States and its impact on the development of Fairview. However, the port does expect container traffic will continue to grow.

"Because this is all movement of international goods around the world, we have to pay close attention to international events - what is happening in the economy, what is happening to the exchange rate, what is happening in China, what is happening to oil prices and how does all of this impact our participation in the industry," he said.

"Before, we only had to worry about the local economy and what was happening in the forest industry and fishing industry."

He said the port is concerned about whether or not the U.S. will move into a deep recession because it will have an impact of the flow of containers to the West Coast of North America.
"And therefore it will have an impact on us," he said.

In the first quarter of operations of the Fairview Container Terminal, the port and Maher Terminals saw the movement of 17,000 TEUs (average sized containers.)

On the backhaul (containers moving from North America back to Asia), they are averaging 31.7 per cent, with some vessels up to 50 per cent.

"We can't get any more containers on the backhaul," said Krusel. "Most of the containers coming into North America are filled with lighter products such as clothing, toys and things like that. The products we are shipping out are much heavier, therefore you could not fill every container on that vessel because the product is too heavy. We have reached capacity on the backhaul."

The Port of Prince Rupert, Maher Terminals and CN opened the Fairview Container Terminal this fall. The PRPA has also filled its Environmental Assessment project description for Phase Two, which would see an additional 1.5 million TEU capacity added. The filing of the project description notifies federal agencies of the application. The next step will be for the port to see approval for its terms of reference for an environmental assessment, which will detail the areas to be studied.

Slurry pipeline Stewart bound

Fortune Minerals has weighed its options and determined that the cost of constructing a coal slurry pipeline makes more financial sense if it ends up in Stewart over Prince Rupert.

The Mineral company commissioned a study last year to look into the costing of the project and when the numbers got crunched, Rupert was squeezed out of the picture.

Working against the Rupert option was the inhospitable nature of laying a pipeline along the Skeena River, it's that terrain that sent Enbridge Energy to Kimitat last year with plans for a Natural Gas pipeline to run from Kitimat to Alberta, just one of a number of pipeline options being touted for the Kitimat area.

The Monday Daily News featured details of the Fortune project and what factors contributed to the Stewart option.

Coal slurry pipe will not head for Prince Rupert
The Daily News
Monday, July 07, 2008
Page one

A company looking to pipe coal from a mine for export through a Northwestern port has chosen Stewart over Prince Rupert.

In 2007, Fortune Minerals commissioned a study to explore the cost of piping coal in slurry form from its Mount Klappan mine to either the ports of Stewart or Prince Rupert.
In a study released early this year, the company determined its cheapest option was to pipe to Stewart or Hazelton and the company is now looking at those options in more detail.

"Fortune continues its commitment to aggressively manage the costs and profitability of developing our huge Mount Klappan asset, at the same time we are determined to minimize the impact it has on our environment," said Robin Goad, president and CEO of Fortune.

"We are pleased to have this independent engineering review that gives us some options that may allow Fortune to meet all of these objectives."

The coal slurry pipeline, which would be the first of its kind in Northern B.C., is being proposed to help the company deal withrising fuel costs.

According to the scoping study report, such a pipeline may reduce operating costs by as much as 34 per cent. For example, the study estimates operating costs of $23.89 per tonne for truck transportation to the port of Stewart compared with $15.75 per tonne using a slurry pipeline to the same destination.

The study determined that piping to Prince Rupert would end up costing about $3.75 more per tonne than piping it to Stewart.

The cost of running a pipeline along the Skeena has been prohibitive for other projects in the Northwest, including the Gateway Initiative proposed by Enbridge.

Enbridge is planning twin pipelines to an oil terminal from the Alberta Oilsands to Kitimat. It chose Kitimat as its destination in 2007 because of the added cost of running the pipeline to Prince Rupert.

In the meantime, Fortune has also recently retained CIBC World Markets Inc. to act as Fortune's financial advisor in pursuing strategic alternatives for the advancement of the Mount Klappan anthracite coal project.

The Mount Klappan anthracite coal project is located in Northwest British Columbia and straddles the B.C. Railway right-of-way 150 km northeast of the port of Stewart and 330 km northeast of the port of Prince Rupert. An engineering company, Marston, is currently updating the scenario for a three-million tonne per year mine and wash plant to produce a premium ultra-low volatile pulverized coal injection (PCI) product for truck haulage to the port of Stewart and export to overseas steel customers. This feasibility study update is expected to be completed this month.

Elders Gathering to feature spirit pole carving ceremony

Prince Rupert residents can leave their mark on history on Tuesday, as a Spirit pole will be worked on in Prince Rupert as part of the BC First Nation's Elders Gathering currently taking place at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre.

The pole which is destined for Cowichan's 2008 North American Indigenous Games later this summer, will be on display and available for local input from 11:30 am to 4 pm, among those set to make their mark is British Columbia Lieutenant General Steven Point.

The spirit pole is currently on a tour of the province leading up the games in August, its arrival during the middle day of the gathering of BC's First Nations elders is in part a salute to the elders as well as a way to bring attention to the games.

The Daily news featured details of the plans for the Spirit pole as their front page story in Monday's paper.

EVERYONE INVITED TO HELP CARVE A PIECE OF HISTORY
Spirit Pole arrives in city tomorrow on its epic journey around British Columbia
By Carla Wintersgill
The Daily News
Monday, July 07, 2008
Page one

Ruperites will get to carve a piece of history this Tuesday when Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Steven Point will be on hand to help in the carving of a commemorative totem pole.
The Spirit Pole is part of efforts to mark the Cowichan 2008 North American Indigenous Games and is currently in the midst of a 13-week, 50 community tour.

Along the way, the 20-foot red cedar log will be turned into a ceremonial story pole and raised at the opening ceremony of the Games.

Point, who is in Rupert for the Elders Conference will be among those taking part in the carving event.

People are being invited to come out and contribute to the carving by putting their own cut into the pole.

Leading the tour will be master carver Carey Newman, a Coast Salish and Kwaguilth artist with 20 years of carving experience.

"I love that the people of B.C. will help carve the Spirit Pole," said Newman. "I was blown away by the idea when I first heard about it, and I'm honoured to be able to take part."

Everyone will get a chance to carve a piece of the log as well as learn about traditional carving methods and aboriginal history.

"The Cowichan 2008 Spirit Pole is our opportunity to bring the message of the Games to all of British Columbia and to celebrate our shared history," said vice-chair of the Games, Al Edkins.
Designed by Newman, the pole will commemorate the history of B.C. Aboriginal people by showing the past, present and future of the culture.

The wolf in the middle of the pole represents the past. Variations of the wolf can be seen on many poles from the early days to the present.

A salmon swimming upstream illustrates the present. This ritual represents the cycle of life.
On the top of the pole is an eagle, representing the future. The eagle is strong and proud and expresses a positive future when the young leaders are learning from their elders.

The Spirit Pole carving takes place on Tues., July 8, between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Jim Ciconne Civic Centre.

Real Estate sales cool, while prices remain hot

While many in the city continue to shake their heads at the asking price of many Prince Rupert homes, it would seem that most of us are doing our voting with our wallets and purses when it comes to giving what is being asked.

The Northern BC Real Estate board has released figures for the first half of 2008, which show that the handing over of house keys is starting to decline again on the North Coast.

Last year Prince Rupert realtors had sold 131 properties worth roughly 23.7 million dollars to anxious buyers seeking their spot in the city of Rainbows. This year as of June 30, 87 properties have changes hands through the MLS option, bringing in 17.2 million dollars in sales.

Terrace realtors have sold 169 properties trough MLS this year so far for 31.6 million dollars, compared to 192 properties last year which fetched only 27.8 million dollars.

Kitimat saw an increase in the amount of sales over the first half of this year compared to the first half of last year, the Aluminum City realtors have sold 82 properties through MLS for 12 million dollars compared to last years figures which saw 80 properties sold for 9.6 million dollars.

The Opinion 250 website had thesome details of the report on the entire Northern region posted on line over the weekend.

The local scene was put into perspective with the following details and trends.

Prince Rupert:

87 properties worth $17.2 million changed hands through the MLS® in the Prince Rupert area this year, compared to 131 properties worth $23.7 million in the first half of 2007.

The median price of the 63 single family homes sold was $185,000 – up from last year’s median of $152,000.

On average it took 68 days for a single family home to sell – down from last year’s 104 days.

At the end of June there were 247 properties of all types available for sale through MLS® in Prince Rupert, up from 172 properties a year ago.

Now go to your rooms!

"We felt for a host of reasons it was important to bring the parties together and make it clear to both organizations that public comments disparaging the other were bad for the business and would no longer be tolerated,"— NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on why the NHL told their feuding GM’s to put a lid on their antagonistic ways.




NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has finally said enough is enough, tired of the bickering between Anaheim GM Brian Burke and Edmonton’s GM Kevin Lowe, Bettman issued a cease and desist order to the NHL’s most colourful if slightly embarrassing feud.

Bettman’s intervention came after Lowe went thermo nuclear on the weekend finally relieving himself of the burden of biting his tongue over Burke’s frequent jabs at his General Managers duties in Edmonton.

To be fair to Lowe, he’s been a pretty patient fellow as the bellicose Burkie has on more than a few occasions taken Edmonton to task for their offer to and subsequent signing of Dustin Penner last season.

In Burke’s world it seems that the move by Lowe was the start of the end of the NHL, while Lowe and more than a few others suggest that it was just another day at the office with the real line in the sand having been crossed much earlier with Columbus’ offer to Rick Nash.

It’s an argument that apparently didn’t sell in Anaheim, as through this past season, Burke has made the occasional jab at Lowe’s ability to run an NHL franchise properly, making for lively subject matter for hockey reporters, who always love a good feud.

As NHL feuds go it’s been a beaut, while Lowe has kept a low profile for the most part, with only occasional contributions, that all went out the window this weekend past when he appeared on an Edmonton radio station, to open up the shotgun with both barrels delivering a withering assessment of Burke’s abilities as an NHL executive.

Among some of the more blistering observations that Lowe provided:

He described his Anaheim Ducks counterpart as "a moron" and "an underachieving wannabe"

Accused Burke of being a media junkie who gets his name in the headlines, though Lowe hates the idea of his name being attached to Burke's.

Suggesting that Burke is an underachieving wannabe in terms of success in the NHL, going on to count Stanley Cup rings Lowe tallied up his six to Burke’s one, "He won a Stanley Cup? Great. I've won six Stanley Cups, you want to count rings? Who cares? It's just a little pathetic that he carries on.”

Finally Lowe reviewed some past NHL history and offered up the theory that Burke had destroyed the Vancouver Canucks before he left, leaving successor Dave Nonis with nothing to work. Nonis has since been replaced by Mike Gillis.

With Lowe dropping the gloves on Friday and leveling his most fierce rebuttal yet, Bettman felt that he had no option but to step in today and enforce a little family discipline.

Making for what he hopes will be a more sedate summer season from his two bad boys, a wish that more than a few observers may hope doesn’t come to pass.

Nasty as it’s been, the feud has made for some pretty lively commentary, though judging by the reports over the last few days, more than a few are quite content that Lowe finally took Burke head on, toe to toe.

We found a few of the media highlights over the last few days to provide some colour commentary to Lowe’s play by play descriptions of Friday Night fights…

Edmonton Journal-- Silence is golden only for so long
Orange County Register-- Burke, Lowe ordered to knock it off
Orange County Register-- Lowe fires back at Burke
National Post-- It's about time Lowe fired back
National Post-- Lowe fires back about Burke
National Post-- Lowe's rant long overdue
Los Angeles Times-- Kevin Lowe finally fires back at Brian Burke
Vancouver Sun-- Silly season in the NHL
Toronto Sun-- Lowe levels blast at Ducks' Burke
Winnipeg Sun-- Lowe boils over
Calgary Sun-- Angry Lowe targets Ducks' 'moron'
Globe and Mail-- Gotta love that Brian Burke
CBC Sports-- Oilers GM Lowe fires back at Ducks' Burke
CBC Sports-- NHL orders truce between GMs Lowe, Burke
Maclean's-- Burke v. Lowe: L’il Gary wades in
Sporting News-- Oilers' Lowe unloads new salvo on Ducks GM
TSN.ca-- OILERS' GENERAL MANAGER LOWE RIPS BACK AT BURKE
The Hockey News-- League would be smart to allow Burke-Lowe feud to fester

The above post first appeared on my HockeyNation blog, for more items about hockey check it out.

Podunkian Music Club

Madonna-- 4 Minutes



We're a day late with our selection for the Music Club this week, but we felt the need to wait for the legal papers to be dropped before we launched this weeks selection.

With New York Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez finding himself in some hot water with the missus (well boiling might be more like it) we felt that only Madonna would suffice for this weeks tune. Madam M seems to be walking a path trail blazed by Mariah Carey and Marilyn Monroe with a new affection for baseball players, though neither Miss Carey nor Miss Monroe were quite as controversial in their relationships of the day.

This week in honour of her new found notoriety, we feature 4 minutes, which judging by the New York tabloids is about how long the soon to be Mrs. Rodriguez probably gave Alex to clear out his closets. That after reported liaisons with the once upon a time Material Girl became tabloid fodder, showing that Madge apparently still has enough material in her resume to end up with the role of the "other woman".

She's certainly come a long way from the days of frolicking with a lion in Venice... Giving hope to middle aged folks everywhere that you can still be controversial as well as musical..

Artist-- Madonna
Recording-- Hard Candy

School District layoff plans face union backlash

While Prince Rupert parents learn of yet a few more of its School District administrators and former principals packing their bags for other opportunities elsewhere, the fallout from recent School District layoff decisions continues to grow.

Last weeks Northern View had details of plans from the International Union of Operating Engineers to contest the recent layoff announcements, suggesting that the School District is in violation of section 54 of the labour relations code, mainly due to the lack of proper notice to affected employees of their fates.

It's a challenge that School District Treasurer Kim Morris doesn't accept as she claims that the School District has indeed followed the proper process in the collective agreement.

Another contentious issue that has popped up on the labour front is a concern by the IUOE that the Treasurer exerted too much influence over local trustees regarding a recently held meeting between the District and the union. According to union General Manager , Saundra Taylor Morris had instructed trustees not to attend the meeting, leaving them unaware of the union side of the debate and the issues that they wanted to impress upon the local elected officials.

The sabre rattling of the summer months, no doubt suggests that things will be heating up shortly as the plans continue to evolve for School District 52 as they try to meet the financial challenges that have been placed upon them after funding reductions from Victoria.,

The Northern View provided a bit of background on the stormy relationship between one union and the District, with an update on their website.

Union fights layoffs
By Brooke Ward
The Northern View
July 01, 2008

When International Union of Operating Engineers general manager Saundra Taylor was in town last week and made an appearance at the special board meeting, she made her thoughts on the districts “massive layoffs” well known, telling trustees and district staff that they would be hearing from the labour relations board.

Citing section 54 of the labour relations code, wherein it says “if an employer introduces a measure, policy, practice or change that affects the terms, conditions or security of employment of a significant number of employees to whom a collective agreement applies... the employer must give notice to the trade union... at least 60 days before.. it is to be effected,” Taylor claims the district still has yet to formally notify the union of the layoffs, thus violating the collective agreement.

Taylor was also critical of the board of trustees headance to secretary-treasurer Kim Morris’ recommendation not to attend a meeting that the IUOE had specifically requested trustees attend.

“Who works for who?” she asked, adding that she was “appalled” by the seeming indifference of the trustees.

“If we’d been properly informed, we could have had liason meetings and the timeline would have given the union a couple of months to get together with the board to try and work as a team. Even the mayor should have been thoroughly involved in the process,” said Taylor, saying that the union’s lawyer will be applying to the LRB this week.

“From the district point of view, we have followed the process in the collective agreement,” said Morris.

“We’ve been working hard with the local IUOE over the past six months or so. I think we need to lay out the context. We’ve had declining enrollment for ten years, we’ve just closed two of our elementary schools, we’ve had our funding shortfall so it’s not a mystery why we are where we are at.”

“We’ve got concerns, yes, we’re very concerned about our community and the board is very sensitive to the needs of the students and of our staff,” she continued.
“It’s our intent [to be], and I do believe we have been, as transparent as possible,” said superintendent Eric Mercer, noting the various stakeholder groups involved in the district visioning process.

“We understand all employee groups are trying to protect their members but it’s easy enough to see that fewer schools and fewer students means fewer staff but it was not an easy decision.”
“The board has been faced with many tough decisions this year,” added Morris.
More concerns also recently circulated for the special needs children who would be left without care workers in the fall due to an incomplete hiring process and no hiring during the summer, as per the collective agreement.

“We’ve been in the staffing process since May and we haven’t been able to complete that because we’ve been in discussion with the union. I want the public to rest assured that we do have people available through the callout process, and although they might not be the workers who will be with [the children] all year, they will not be alone come September. And we will be doing the best we can to get all positions filled as quickly as we can in the fall, in cooperation with the union.”

Mercer suggests that the district may have to even recruit for administration, with the announcement of Pineridge principal Daryl Wright accepting a position in the Cowichan Valley.
“Vice principal at Roosevelt Kathy Dann will be put into the principalship [at Pineridge] but we will be shy administrators,” said Mercer.

Protests mount over increasing ferry prices

"We support a return of B.C. Ferries to a Crown Corporation model that realizes the importance of ferries as an essential service,"-- NDP MLA Gary Coons, outlining his desire to see BC Ferries placed closer to governmental oversight through a Crown Corporation setup.

Last week residents of numerous communities of coastal BC launched what they hope will be a wave of protest over BC Ferries plans to increase the cost of travelling on the coastal waters of the province.

Called "Rock the Boat", protests were planned for Friday to let the Ferry Corporation and the provincial government know that the cost of coastal transportation is becoming a major issue for many of the provinces residents, dependant on the ferry system for much of their day to day living.

North Coast MLA Gary Coons has been instrumental in raising the ferry concerns in the Legislature in the past session and has been calling for the the system to return to a Crown Corporation model, one that will be more responsive to the needs of rural residents of the province.

The Daily News featured some background on the "Rock the Boat" campaign on Friday.

Communities protest ferry hikes

North Coast MLA attending gatherings against rising fares
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, July 04, 2008

Pages one and three

While North Coast MLA Gary Coons will be helping rock the boat on the South Coast today, his thoughts will be with those on the Queen Charlotte Islands also taking part in protests against rising fares on B.C. Ferries.

Rock the Boat protests are taking place today on Denman and Hornby Islands on the South Coast as well as in Alliford Bay and Skidegate on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

"I want to ensure all those concerned about our marine highway that I and Carole James realize that the social and economic contract with coastal communities has been broken by Gordon Campbell and this Liberal government," said Coons.

Ferry fares have continued to rise as B.C. Ferries has sought fuel surcharges to compensate for rising oil prices, as well as annual fare increases.

On the Queen Charlotte Islands, ferry users have seen prices increase by 11 per cent so far this year. Between 2003 and 2011, the tally for ferry increases is expected to hit triple digits, hitting home especially hard for those who use B.C. Ferries as part of their highway system.
People on the Queen Charlotte Islands, for example, have to use the ferry system to access medical services in Prince Rupert.

B.C. Ferries revealed on June 5 that another fare increase will be made due to a rise in fuel prices.

As of April, the government created a new rule that allows B.C. Ferries to increase fuel surcharges without seeking approval, and gives the company four opportunities each year on which it can increase the fuel surcharge.

"We support a return of B.C. Ferries to a Crown Corporation model that realizes the importance of ferries as an essential service," said the North Coast MLA.

"We have been pushing for a moratorium on any fare increase until we have a special legislative committee to review the Coastal Ferry Act and a strategy is developed," said Coons.

Earlier this year the NDP introduced a bill called The Fair Ferries Act to ensure the public interest is looked after when determining fare increases, to open B.C. Ferries to Freedom of Information requests and to be scrutinized in the Legislature and to stop pay hikes for B.C. Ferries' board of directors.

"We will ensure that government subsidies are at a level to maintain a reliable, affordable and safe ferry service. We must; to ensure the economic viability of ferry-dependent communities," said Coons. "Although we cannot commit to rolling back fares until we have full access to the finances of B.C. Ferries, we understand that our ferries cannot be privatized and must be affordable."

For some, All that glitters may not always be gold...

Divining the thoughts of a former employee; or a hint as to an undercurrent of percolating personnel problems at Prince Rupert’s newest entertainment destination?

Those are some of the options that readers of the local message board hackingthemainframe will be exploring, after a number of postings about the Chances location in Prince Rupert appeared over the weekend on the popular Prince Rupert website.

Readers of the local board can sift through a number of inside revelations about the day to day operations of the local gambling centre, most of which revolve around either issues relating to labour or liquor law concerns.

The replies and conversations that follow the anecdotal information, highlight the high profile that the waterfront gambling centre has taken on since its arrival on the local scene. A move that proved to be a tad controversial at the time and every once and a while continues to heat up again on the local agenda.

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It’s an industry that is traditionally known for its high turnover, especially in the early years of operation as managers and staff; try to learn their roles in a fast paced and challenging environment. Yet, sometimes as they say, where there’s smoke, there could be a little fire. When you read of terms like Labour Relations Boards and Unions, well we might be excused if we get the idea that there may just be something to this percolating story at the local centre.

Chances locally is operated by a Prince George group, which own and operate the Treasure Cove Casino in that city. Recently they applied to Terrace council for approval to purchase land in that city on the old Terrace Lumber Yard site, with plans to build a hotel and entertainment centre for that city which would include a water park.

With all those expansion plans moving quickly forward, perhaps the local Prince Rupert operation has taken on a lesser corporate profile with the company, getting a tad lost in the shuffle. If some of the issues raised on the message board of hackingthemainframe are any indication, then the owners and managers of the company may want to look a little more closely into the details at the local operation.

There would seem to be a few simmering local issues that need to be addressed there, or at least investigated by the senior management at Chances before they become bigger problems.

When it was first proposed, the entertainment centre was hailed by most local politicians as a much needed addition to the Prince Rupert scene; the gala opening which was attended by many of those same Prince Rupert politicians was one of the “social happenings” of the last year, bringing many Rupertites to the party. It will be interesting to watch the reactions of locals, both political and just the plain residents, if there proves to be substance to the concerns that are making the rounds of the city.

The glitter of that day, as it always does would eventually fade, leaving just the day to day requirements of operating a gambling and entertainment centre. And while every industry has its challenge and every business has its own inside machinations and secrets, surely not every business gets the kind of attention that Chances might and apparently does.

The problem for the local entertainment centre is that they operate in such a public circumstance, a high profile operation that is constantly being watched and talked about by the locals.

Prince Rupert is still a small town in many ways and word spreads quickly about local issues, making for a situation where sometimes perception can prove more dangerous to the bottom line than reality.

Something to be kept in mind as those day to day operations continue and with them speculation as to what goes on behind those front doors and beyond the noise of the gambling machines, bingo hall, restaurant and lounge..

Below are some entries from The Chances evolution. Items from the Podunkian archives of stories about or related to Chances, detailing the dreams, promises and events that came with the arrival of the entertainment centre on the north coast.

May 2008-- Ahoy there yacht Captains, throw us a line if you can find a space...
April 2008-- Examining revenues and wishful tax thinking at City Hall
March 2008-- Ah yes, soon Rupertites may have yet another reason for a trip to Terrace

March 2008-- Holding a hot hand in the hinterlands
February 2008-- Chances to roll the dice on a Terrace entertainment/hotel complex
February 2008-- Celebrating Chances
October 2007-- Chances is set to open
September 2007-- Plans afoot for the waterfront?
September 2007-- The Doors are almost ready to open at Chances
September 2007-- Chances look to win over community concerns
September 2007-- Let's talk over drinks
August 2007-- Prince Rupert construction plans gain notice
July 2007-- The House always wins
July 2007--Is this a glimpse to our future?
July 2007-- Investigation continues into Gambling Centre blaze
July 2007-- Arson at the Gaming Centre!
June 2007-- Place your bets on September for Gaming centre opening
June 2007-- Proactive approach urged to combat problem gambling
March 2007-- Under the B, broken
September 2006-- Rupert Hotel scene sees a major change
July 2006-- More than you’re run of the mill Bingo Palace!
March 2006-- Local companies winners at the Casino and nary a handle has been pulled!

Elders arrive in Prince Rupert for annual gathering

The traffic into Prince Rupert this weekend has been like a BCAA tour guide of the far reaches of British Columbia, with cars and vans from across the province have arrived, their passengers eager to take part in the annual gathering of British Columbia’s First Nations.

All through the weekend, people have filled up the hotel, motels and bed and breakfast homes, all while the Kaien Island Elders make their last minute preparations to host this much treasured event which brings together Elders, eager to share and continue to learn as the gathering begins today and continues through to Wednesday.

It’s the continuation of a 32 year tradition, which began when the Sto:lo nation and its Coqualeeza Elders hosted the various First Nations on their territory. This year the Kaien Island Elders return the favour and host the event, as Elders gather in our city seeking out common ground to strengthen their links

A variety of meetings, workshops, family gatherings and information sessions are planned, as well as an entertaining opening night event, set to welcome the elders to the north coast.

The local website for the event has been having problems it seems and has been out of service for the weekend, once those difficulties are taken care of, you will be able learn more about the event and its importance to the First Nations across the province.
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Until then you can gain a thumbnail sketch of the event from this information from the B. C. Elders Communication Centre Society website.

The planning of the event began well before the Kaien Island Elders first learned they would host, some of the work to bring the gathering together was chronicled by the Daily news last year

Elders win bid to host a huge 2008 gathering
Planning underway for elders gathering
Planning already begun for '08 elders gathering

The Daily news highlighted tonight’s All Nations Variety show in Friday’s paper.

Elders to hear famed sounds of many top entertainers
BY CARLA WINTERSGILL
The Daily News
Friday, July 04, 2008
Pages one and three

One of the highlights of the upcoming Elder's Gathering is sure to be Monday's All Nations Variety Show, taking place at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre.

The many performers set to take the stage include, Fara Palmer, The 7th Generation, Tsimshian Dancers, Street Spirit Crew, Nassville 5's, Glen Robinson, Gingolx Choir, Lil' Kiki and the Wolf, Mudcat Joe and more.

Palmer, who has released three Juno-nominated albums, is excited to be performing at the Elders Gathering for the second time. Last year, she sang in Vancouver when the event was held there.

"I had a wonderful time," said Palmer.

"There were just elders everywhere. When I got onstage I almost started crying. I was surrounded by so much wisdom and knowledge and medicine. I just felt so happy to be there. It was one of my best performances."

Palmer is from the Saulteaux First Nations in Saskatchewan and is part Cree as well.

She currently lives with the Skeetchestn Indian Band in between Kamloops and Cache Creek.

Her latest album, Phoenix, has been nominated in five categories for the Aboriginal People's Choice Awards. Palmer hopes that her performance in Prince Rupert will encourage people to check out her music and vote for her.

"I call myself pop, R&B, Aboriginal folk-rock," said Palmer about her style of music.

"Each of my albums has at least two songs that deal with aboriginal issues. Some of them are contemporary music with native issues and lyrics and some of them might have contemporary and native sounds in them too."

She is returning to music after an eight-year hiatus to focus on her family.

She now has four daughters.

Before taking time off, she shared the stage with performers including, Ray Charles, Sarah McLachlan and Jann Arden. She once performed for Prince Charles.

Palmer is looking forward to returning to Prince Rupert to perform. The last time she was in town, she played the All-Native basketball tournament. During her performance, she sang with the Metlaktla Women’s basketball team.

“It was one of my really great and memorable performances,” said Palmer. “As far as concerts go, that was one of my favourites. I’m really looking forward to coming back.

CFL mourns the passing of an icon

“I look back on my life and my career and feel like the luckiest man in the world. Few people get to spend their days doing something they love with those they love.” - Bob Ackles (1938-2008), a quote posted on the BC Lions website Sunday, following the news of the passing of Bob Ackles.

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The news is still shocking to hear as the day comes to a close, that after learning that Bob Ackles, the President and CEO of the BC Lions and an unabashed defender of Canadian football passed away on Sunday morning of an apparent heart attack.

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The story of Bob Ackles is one of the great stories of Canadian football, rising from the ranks of water boy in the debut season of the BC Lions, he went on to run the Lions through different eras of development, in the successful years and the lean ones, struggling to rebuild a tarnished and damaged brand.

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With his passing his mission in part was complete; the Lions have once again become one of the flagships of Canadian football and the BC Sports scene. Yet it is perhaps a larger mission that now must be handed off to other hands, that of continuing to trumpet the special place that Canadian football has in this nation and how important the CFL has been and continues to be to the fabric of the land. Ackles had become the point man to stem the potential NFL invasion of Canadian territory, a position that now requires some reinforcements.

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His accomplishments in football stretched far beyond the CFL, he moved on to the NFL with stops with the legendary Dallas Cowboys and stints with the Phoenix Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, he also spent some time with a rather mercurial little experiment the XFL, a league which was fronted by Wrestling’s Vince McMahon, providing for surely one of the most diverse of executives when compared with the not quite so bombastic Ackles.

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Thankfully for the CFL, the XFL days were short and Ackles responded to David Braley’s request to return to BC and help to rebuild the Lions, who had fallen into troubled times, potentially taking the entire league down with them.

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Braley to his credit knew when to step back a bit when he brought Ackles back to the Lions Den, leaving it to him to rebuild the relationships that had been damaged, reconnecting with a lost segment of formerly faithful Lions fans who had grown disillusioned with the gong show atmosphere of Lions football before Braley took over.

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It was with Bob Ackles at the helm that the Lions once again returned to success on the field, at the gate and in the consciousness of an entire province. It’s to those contributions that his loss is being felt across the province and indeed across the CFL family today.

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CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon summed up the numbness across the league with his statement on Sunday, "It was our league that virtually adopted him when he was just a boy, and it's our league that has looked to him as a man for counsel, inspiration and leadership by example," Cohon said. "As much as the CFL has meant to Bob, he has meant so much more to us."

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To get just a small understanding of that importance to both Canadian football and Canada, give a listen to the CKNW sports talk programming of Sunday night, a three hour tribute to the life and times of a great Canadian sports figure. Check out the CKNW audio vault and select the 9 pm to Midnight hours from Sunday, it was a very emotional and informative three hours saluting the Ackles eras in British Columbia.

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Mr. Ackles leaves behind a wife Kay, who he made quite famous from his book “The Water Boy”, two sons, Steve and Scott, Scott a CFL success story in his own right with as the team President of the Calgary Stampeders.

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His passing will also be mourned by the Ackles grandchildren, as well as his many friends, co workers and fans.

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He was enshrined in both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the BC Sports Hall of Fame, worthy achievements for the dedicated football man and devoted Lions executive.

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Bob Ackles went from carrying water onto the field for the BC Lions, to carrying an entire league on his shoulders, seeking to continue to stake its place on the Canadian sports scene.

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His passing is an untimely one, leaving the league shy one valuable resource when it is most needed.

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Many will be needed to take his torch, but few will be able to hold it as high, as effectively and as proudly as “The Water Boy” did over these many years.

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There’s a variety of material on the net tonight, outlining Bob Ackle’s contribution to Canadian football, here are a few of them:

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BC Lions website--Lions mourn loss of Bob Ackles

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Vancouver Sun-- B.C. Lions CEO dead at 69

Vancouver Sun-- Lions mourn 'Mr. Football'

Vancouver Sun-- Ackles an inspiration 'in every way'

Vancouver Sun-- Province lost 'great British Columbian': Premier

Vancouver Sun-- Photo gallery

Vancouver Province-- B.C. Lions president Bob Ackles dead at 69

Vancouver Province-- Remembering Bob Ackles

Georgia Straight-- BC Lions president Bob Ackles dies aged 69 of a heart attack

CBC News-- B.C. football icon Bob Ackles passes away

Globe and Mail-- Ackles was the consummate CFL success story

Globe and Mail-- CFL stunned by death of a giant

Canwest News-- Lions legend dead at 69

National Post-- Lions legend Ackles dead at 69

Edmonton Sun-- "Water Boy" will be missed

Winnipeg Sun-- Lions prez will be missed

TSN.com-- CANADIAN FOOTBALL BUILDER ACKLES PASSES AWAY

Canadian Press-- B.C. Lions president and CEO Bob Ackles dies at age 69 of heart attack

Dallas Morning News-- Former Dallas Cowboys executive Bob Ackles dies

AZ Central-- Former Cardinals, CFL executive dies

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Canadian Football website-- CFL Mourns the Passing of Bobby Ackles

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Vancouver Whitecaps soccer club salutes Bob Ackles

Vancouver Canadians baseball club salutes Bob Ackles

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The above piece first appeared on my Twelve Men on the Field blog, for more items about the CFL check it out.

Unconditionally ours... but not as much as the neighbours

The Province of BC began distrubting grant monies to municipalities across the Northwest last week, with Prince Rupert receiving $278,701 in cash to develop programs and projects of their choosing without any strings attached from Victoria.

The District of Port Edward picks up $269,210 to be used on their wish list of projects, with a number of plans vying for a share of the grant.

Other northwest locations picked up even larger grants, which are based on a number of factors which include, a basic sum for all municipalities under 15,000 residents, an increasing ratio based on population above that level and the property assessment levels of each community.

Among the neighbours, Terrace was allotted $344,154, Kitimat receives $327,788, the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine will get $162,000, Smithers counts in $483,653, Stewart picks up $331,764 and Telkwa will look for ways to use $386,553.

The Daily News and the Terrace Standard both had stories on the injection of grant monies into the northwest.

Port Ed gets injection of cash
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Funding grants were the topic of the day at the last Port Edward council meeting.
First off, Port Edward received written correspondence from the provincial government regarding a new LocalMotion and Towns for Tomorrow grant. The funding of $40 million during a four-year period that is available to B.C.'s smaller communities can be used to make a community "become even better places to live and work," said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.
Port Edward has been trying to secure enough funding to eventually replace the aging waterlines in the community, and Chief Administrative Officer Ron Bedard is hopeful the district can get something out of this grant.

"We have put an application in for this grant, and this is to do with our water," said Bedard.
Also, in Campbell's correspondence, it suggested some of the funds could go toward "meeting the mobility needs of seniors and people with disabilities."

Port Edward currently doesn't have any specific future plans when it comes to addressing the needs of its seniors, but Bedard said it never hurts to look into it.

Acting Mayor Christine MacKenzie suggested that council consider some options that could be brought to light out of that potential funding.

"It can't hurt to investigate that," she said.

Coun. Ed Wampler added: "I think it could work for us."

In addition to Campbell's correspondence, Ida Chong, the provincial Minister of Community Services, informed council that the 2008-09 Small Community Grants will increase by more than $6 million to a total of $43.5 million.

That grant calculation means that the district of Port Edward has just received a total of $269,210 that will be added to the general fund for the current fiscal year.

Locals getting money
The Terrace Standard
July 01, 2008

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS will receive a significant increase in unconditional grants from the provincial government this year.

Terrace is allotted $344,154 this year, almost $50,000 more than last year’s $294,378.

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine will get $162,000, up from last year’s $141,000.

The grant allocation is based on a formula with three elements: a basic sum for all municipalities with a population of less than 15,000, a sum based on population and money based on property assessments.

All told, northern B.C. communities will get more than $12.6 million in grant money this year.

“We recognize that smaller municipalities and regional districts often need extra support to make their communities even better places to live and work,” said community services Minister Ida Chong in announcing the grants.

“These grants are important for them to achieve their goals and provide opportunities for residents and visitors.”

Kitimat receives $327,788, Prince Rupert $278,701 and Smithers $483,653. Stewart was allocated $331,764, and Telkwa $386,553.

This year’s total for the north is $1.9 million more than it was last year and more than the total given for the previous year.

Unconditional grants can be used for a variety of purposes by municipalities and regional districts and don’t have to be tied to any specific purpose or program.

That’s different than conditional grants, the spending of which has to be for specific purposes agreed to by municipal and regional district governments.