Sour notes from Gordon Campbell’s Harmonized songbook

The Campbell Liberals are finding that not everyone is on the same page of the song book when it comes to the lure of federal lucre in return for Harmony on the tax front.

The decision to introduce a harmonized tax regimen with the GST for next July is proving to be a bit of a summer time hot potato for the Premier and his Finance Minister, as both NDP opposition members and disgruntled sectors of the Liberals finely cobbled coalition find some common ground on the anticipated tax consolidation.

With any number of previously untouched sectors suddenly expected to pony up some tax monies next year, the backlash against the plan is starting to smoulder across the province.

And while you would expect the taxation plan to come under fire from NDP leader Carole James or local MLA Gary Coons, what is a bit of a surprise is a voice from BC’s right wing past rising up in opposition to the Campbell plan.

None other than former Social Credit Premier Bill Vander Zalm has returned from his political exile to offer up his thoughts on the taxation juggernaut about to be released on unsuspecting British Columbians.

No doubt finding that the Campbell plan is decidedly Not Fantastic, the Zalm has weighed in with a personal mission to organize a rally and petition drive determined to force a referendum over the taxation without consultation aspects of the Campbell forces.

Some sharp eyed observers of the provincial media have been quick to point out that Mr. Vander Zalm, now a property developer, may stand to lose some pocket change himself if the value of his new homes should pass beyond the proposed HST threshold of 400,000 dollars and more. A concern that our former Premier, gardener and now house builder says is not relevant as his properties are so far price points below the magic 400 thousand mark.

Yet, for those seeking to build a coalition against the HST the prospect of Mr. Vander Zalm becoming the Moses with the anti tax stone tablets may be a tad disconcerting. You can almost hear them collectively heaving a sigh and mumbling "oh no, he's back and wants to lead!".
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The rather public past events involving financial matters and the ex Premier will of course forever follow his return to political debate, and no doubt the quest to stem the rush to HST won’t be receptive to a Vander Zalm sideshow getting in the way.

Another surprise intervention was that of the Mayor and City council of Prince Rupert (unanimous sans councillor Gordon Payne and an absent Councillor Kinney, weighing in with their own opposition to the HST) making their plans to introduce a motion against the plan at the upcoming UBCM gathering in the fall.
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And while local residents may welcome their interjection to the debate, there should be a wee bit of bemusement from locals at the prospect of a council that shows no hesitation to increase the local tax load each year, should suddenly find the anti tax religion on the provincial front.

While the end of summer debate continues to increase in volume, one possible reason for the Liberals sudden attachment to an increased tax load may very well be the declining fortunes of the British Columbia economic picture.

During the recent election campaign it now seems rather suspect as to whether the Liberals were particularly transparent in their declarations regarding the economy and the future troubled skies that were on the way.

Now with a deficit suddenly skyrocketing with no return to balanced books anticipated until 2013-14 and the almost mantra like dedication to service cuts, the injection of that reported 1.6 billion of federal money as a transition to Harmonious tax collection may be too hard to resist.

The Liberals with a four year term in place to ride out an economic storm, may be thinking that much like the GST debate of decades ago, in four years time any anger over the HST will have dissipated and a continuation of their carefully crafted centre right coalition will still have resonance come the next election.

Four years is a long time to carry on a tax fight, other issues come up and with a government that has shown how to manipulate the finances in the past, we suspect that any short term pain over the introduction of HST would have been soothed with some form of economic redistribution just in time for our next election. Whether Mr. Campbell will still be in the position of chief listener and policy developer by that time however will most likely be very much up for debate.

There clearly is anger outside of the doors of the Liberal caucus room in Victoria, but whether it has staying power over the long term is one of those key moments in political calculation. Every known tactician in politics through the ages, has stressed that if you have an uncomfortable political position to implement, do it as early in your mandate as possible, no doubt in the wish that time heals all wounds.

No doubt as we get closer to the introduction of the HST (and we suspect that the Liberals will stay their course, financially they may have no other choice) the Campbell crew will tweak the anticipated impact all in the guise of having listened to British Columbians.

But in the end, a government in dire need of financial deposits is not going to be able to walk away from the transfer of federal monies upon introduction and more importantly from the increased revenue stream that the HST will provide Mr. Campbell and his ministers from previously untapped sources.

As we drift through our final days of summer and prepare for the fall ahead, there is no shortage of late summer reading material on the suddenly hot topic of the day, below we provide a few select items from a variety of sources on the ongoing debate.

A primer of sorts for British Columbians, as we all prepare to watch what surely will be a most fascinating and raucous session of the Legislature.

Globe and Mail-- A question of credibility: the harmonized sales tax in B.C.
Globe and Mail-- What does HST mean for me?
Vancouver Sun-- B.C. Liberals face fiscal storm
Vancouver Sun-- B.C. finance minister: The HST will make us more competitive
Vancouver Sun-- The HST will provide benefits to B.C. for years to come
Vancouver Sun-- Crafty Campbell knew the dangers of HST
Vancouver Sun-- Harmonized tax badly needed and likely revenue-neutral
Vancouver Sun-- A blueprint on how to sell the HST to the public
Vancouver Sun-- HST tax grab may spell beginning of the end of B.C. Liberal government
Vancouver Sun-- Liberals are getting away with the HST because they can
The Province-- Tax strikes a harmonious chord
The Province-- The bright side of HST
The Province-- HST pact between B.C., Canada has Sept. 30 deadline for deal
The Province-- Summer of surprises leaves voters stunned
Victoria Times Colonist-- Fudge-it budget, Round 2
Nanaimo Daily News-- HST will end the dreams Premier Campbell once had for B.C.
National Post-- The amazing shameless government of British Columbia
The Tyee-- One Way We Can Say 'No!' to the HST
The Tyee-- Biggest Tax Shift in BC History: Why Did Campbell Do It?
The Tyee-- BC Liberals Need to Look for a New Leader
CBCNews.ca-- 4-year deficit for B.C.: finance minister
CBCNews.ca-- Anti-HST campaign growing: B.C. NDP
CBCNews.ca-- Christy Clark calls Campbell 'sneaky' on HST
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Locally the rhetoric flies and the opinions exchange on the local community portal hackingthemainframe, where some interesting opinions and debate is flowing.

11 AM Sailing for BC Ferries

Having spent the weekend waiting for further word from BC Ferries, travellers to and from the Queen Charlottes will be relieved to learn that the Ferry service will resume on Monday morning at 11am, with the return to service of the Northern Adventure.

The link between the Charlottes and Prince Rupert has been tied up since Friday, all due to troubles involving some rope picked up while in transit and the vessels propulsion system. Divers had been working during the weekend to try and clear the rope from the vessel, but the task seems to have been more problematic than first anticipated.

According to the 4pm BC Ferries Service Notes update of Sunday afternoon, if all remains on schedule, the first sailing since late Thursday will take place Monday when the vessel departs Skidegate for Prince Rupert.

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It's not clear why the announced resumption of service will take place starting from Skidegate, according to the BC Ferries on line tracker, the current status of the Northern Adventure is that of being docked in Prince Rupert.

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Previous report from Queen Charlotte Islands Observer, outlining the situation.

Searching for work with Dan Veniez

"For some reason, our political leadership thinks that we're idiots sometimes."-- Former North coast resident/investor/CEO Dan Veniez testing the political waters and offering up his thoughts on politics to the online publication publiceyeonline...

Will the job trail lead to the campaign trail for one of Prince Rupert’s most talked about former residents (twice now removed)?

We return from our travels across the Canadian frontier to learn that our once upon a time Pulp Mill owner and subsequent Coal Terminal CEO is contemplating a run for political office, a move that in some ways may prove to be a natural considering his penchant for lengthy dissertations on matters of political intrigue.

Most recently banished from his perch at the top of the coal piles of Ridley Terminals, Mr. Veniez has relayed his potential future ambitions to one of his favourite sounding boards the Globe and Mail.

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The national paper which among many media options in the past , has been home to many of Mr. Veniez’s self penned editorial submissions, and featured some helpful reviews of his career, floated the trial balloon of a Veniez run for Parliament in a mid month edition.

In their August 18th article, the Globe outlines where Mr. Veniez’s inclinations are at this juncture of his career,taking the one time backroom worker of the Mulroney era, back over to the Liberal side of the political spectrum.

In a Macleans portrait, from none other than Peter C. Newman, we learn that Mr. Veniez's camp hopping project doesn't come without past reference, he once upon a time was a member of the Liberal Party having attended a Liberal convention as a young one and becoming president of the Young Liberals at the time. But apparently disenchanted with John Turner's move to the left, he sought out the comfort of the Mulroney machine in Quebec of the time.

That's a lot of political horse changing and baggage collection for what would supposedly be a new face on the political scene, but as we've learned on the North Coast Mr. Veniez's long career has been nothing but one of re-invention at times.

All of this back story material will probably come as a relief perhaps to Stephen Harper and his Conservative compatriots, who will no doubt be more than happy to share some of the highlights of the Veniez political metamorphosis. And if not they, then perhaps the NDP will offer up some reading material on the Internet to share with the voters of Mr. Veniez's would be political home.

But his would be return to the ancestral home of his political youth most likely had no other direction in which to flow. The fact that he was cashiered by the Conservatives probably did leave Mr. Veniez with little in the way of wriggle room into the political arena, moving away from Mr. Harper’s collective.

However, his quest for possible nomination for the Liberals (alas not a third time is the charm in Prince Rupert, but) in West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country does offer up a few questions.

While we could probably see him dropping his parachute into the Liberal camp during the rather short reign of Paul Martin’s Liberals (passim PM’s 21st circa 2004), one wonders if his new found conversion to the Liberal ethos is in sync with current would be PM Michael Ignatieff.

The federal Liberals who did actually try to sell off Ridley during the short lived Martin adventure, seem to have pulled back from the dance with diversification that marked Mr. Martin’s term of office.

We wonder if Mr. Veniez, former admirer of Mr. Mulroney and long time Conservative (recently dispossesed) will find favour with the future ambitions of the Ignatieff agenda, which in theory suggest a return to more traditional Liberal concepts (Mr. Veniez claims he is in lockstep with the Liberal leaders blue print.)

Then again, any opportunity in politics to draw damage to your opposition is a welcome thing we guess, and the prospect of Mr. Veniez putting his finely honed verbal skills and media contacts to work against the Conservatives may just be worth the past taint of the Mulroney era.

In his thoughts to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Veniez expressed his personal political catharsis, that of a "Paul Martin Conservative and a Joe Clark Liberal" seeking membership in what he calls the Big Tent of Canadian politics the Liberal party.

And it has become a big tent, having welcomed a former NDP Premier, Ujjal Dosanjh and former Reformer at the time Dr. Keith Martin into the Libearl fold, eager as the Libs were to keep a beach head on the Pacific coast for the cause of pre destined national governance.

And now, there may be no better character witness for Mr. Veniez than former Liberal Cabinet Minister and current Bay Street insider Brian Tobin, who seems to be priming the pump for a Veniez candidacy.

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Tobin seems to have taken the concept of a Veniez run to heart, outlining in Macleans how Mr. Veniez's CV and past experience may just be the kind of leadership that Liberals are seeking in British Columbia.

Indeed, Tobin seems to have offered up what may be a campaign slogan for the ages, Dan Veniez: "successful businessman, powerfully articulate, a commanding presence on a podium and a passionate Canadian"

Of course in some distant corner of the province of BC, there may be a few dissenting opinions on the first portion of that grand vision statement, but as for the commanding presence and articulation imagery, there is no quarrel we suspect.

What remains to be seen is if Mr. Veniez's newfound adoption of Ignatieff talking points will measure up with the Liberal leaders expectations for his party's success in British Columbia.

Both men clearly like to talk, it would be of interest to see which one carries the conversation when the two meet on September 3rd, even more interesting will be to see if Mr. Veniez still has anything to say on the political possibilities on September 4th.

Some other light reading on the prospective future for Dan Veniez:

Squamish Chief-- Former Tory considers Liberal candidacy
North Shore News-- Former Tory seeks WV Liberal nomination
Public Eye online-- Fired Ridley Terminal head eyes Grit nomination
Public Eye online-- Veniez: "For some reason, our political leadership thinks that we're idiots sometimes."
Whistler Question-- Ex-Tory eyes local Liberal nomination
Coast Reporter-- Former Tory considers running as Liberal candidate
Prince George Citizen-- Dan's new plan
Prince Rupert Daily News--Veniez sets his eyes on a different kind of venture

There's a new kid in the digitized town...

As we get back into the groove of this blogging adventure we notice that there's some companionship to be found on the north coast's blogging trail.

Prince Rumour, a new entry to the wired (and wireless) world of instant notification has joined our little club of self directed would be journalists. Launched it seems on August 19th, it has provided a few interesting snapshots of the events of the north coast.

From the arrival of the Daily News to the digital era, to a visiting tweet from a local snack food shopper to the ever popular topic of CityWest cellular service (or lack of in this case) the new kid on the blog seems to be off to a pretty good start.

We've come to learn that this blog maintenance thing is an ever growing beast, demanding of time and efforts, one which can consume the home life agenda at times.

In the spirit of a free and unfettered competitive citizen's press, we offer our congratulations on the successful launch and wish our new compatriot our best wishes for a long a enjoyable time in the blogosphere.

Podunk Below the Masthead, Friday, August 21, 2009

A return of an artifact to Haida Gwaii, the Port prepares to welcome the transportaiton world and the city adds a few new bylaws to the books, some of the highlights of the news cycle for a Friday in Podunk.

DAILY NEWS Headline story, Friday, August 21, 2009
IT'S BEEN GONE A LONG TIME-- An anonymous caller sheds some light on an eight year mystery and with that call a once lost item is returned to Haida Gwaii (see story here) Article is also reprinted at the bottom of this post.

The transportation industry will gather in Prince Rupert next week, as Prince Rupert plays host to delegates from across Canada arriving for the conference for the Association of Canadian Ports, the delegates also will learn more about the Prince Rupert port as the PRPA hosts it's Annual General Meeting at this same time (see story here)

In a total vote of 5-1, Prince Rupert city council approbed bylaw changes to the zoning bylaw's terms of reference for lot development in the city. Only councillor Thorkelson held back her approval, concerned over potential change to the character of city neighbourhoods with the new bylaw in place (see story here)

The Sports page featured a look ahead to the upcoming action at the Houston Drags.

NORTHERN VIEW web updates
RIDERSHIP DOWN, REVENUE UP ON B. C. FERRIES NORTHERN ROUTES-- BC Ferries released its quarterly figures, which show a reduction in ridership in the first three months of this year, but thanks to an increase in transportation fees from the provincial government, revenues were up 45 per cent on the Northern routes (see story here)

Daily News, front page headline story:

It's been gone a long time
By Patrick Witwicki
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Friday, August 21, 2009
Pages one and five

It took eight years, but finally, the eagle has landed back on home soil in Haida Gwaii.
The carving, long believed lost to the Haida nation since it went missing back in May of 2001, was officially returned to its original home in Skidegate Wednesday afternoon.

Haida carver Dick Bellis may have been the most surprised individual on the North Coast last week when his wife received an anonymous phone call.

"(The caller) asked are you the one who wrote 'in memory of Ted Bellis" on the back of an eagle statue, and she said, yes, that's us," said Bellis.

The anonymous caller then had a bombshell to drop on the Bellis family - they knew where that eagle carving was located. And the surprise became even greater when Bellis was informed that the five-foot carving happened to be in someone's backyard in Prince George.

"We couldn't believe it," said Bellis. "I thought it probably went to Europe."

The anonymous caller went on to tell Bellis that they should contact the RCMP. So that's what they did, getting in touch with the Queen Charlotte City (and Skidegate) detachment, who then quickly made the call to Prince George.

"Prince George RCMP then went out and seized it," said Bellis. "That was very good, prompt work by the RCMP.

"The eagle landed in my yard one week later."

Once the carving was in the possession of the RCMP, arrangements were made to get the eagle back home to the islands.

"A very nice couple from Mackenzie offered to pick it up, and they dropped it off here [Wednesday]," said Bellis.

"Everybody on the island is coming by to see it. Everybody in B.C. knows the eagle."
Indeed, even as Bellis was conducting this interview, Haida Gwaii residents were dropping by the household to take a look at their returned property.

"They're so happy to see it," said Bellis. "Some of them are even crying."

Bellis added that back when the eagle resided on Haida Gwaii, Haida parents would use the carving as a measuring stick to see how tall their children were.

Bellis, who also completed a replica of his brother's statue of St. Mary's Spring in 2004 (located north of Skidegate), initially completed the eagle carving in 1993, dedicating it to his brother who had passed away one year earlier.

Ted Bellis already had his carving of the Bear out at Jungle Beach (17 miles north of Skidegate along Highway 16), so it made perfect sense for Ted to place his carving of the Eagle next to that of his brother's.

And there the eagle stood for the next eight years until suddenly, in May 2001, someone realized the eagle was missing.

"[They] would've had to use a 4x4 to get it out of there," said Bellis. "It was tied to a big stump with two spikes into it. But the guy didn't erase the engraving - otherwise we may never have found it."

As can be expected, a celebration to welcome the eagle home is in the works, although Bellis said that might have to wait while the issue "is still under investigation," he said.

But once everything is cleared up, Bellis has decided to give the eagle to Albert Myshrall, manager of the Hecate Inn in Queen Charlotte City.

Myshrall, a long-time resident of Haida Gwaii, was a good friend of Ted Bellis, and was officially "adopted" into the Bellis family at potlatch within the past decade.

So, putting the eagle on display in front of Myshrall's inn makes perfect sense to them.

"He was a dear friend of Ted," said Bellis.

"And the eagle … it's in amazing shape."
Prince George RCMP are still looking into the matter.

City Hall Tracker August 19 2009

Summer takes its toll on attendance as Councillors Ashley and Kinney are counted among the absent for the middle of August, though Councillor Ashley avails herself of CityWest communications (we assume) and participates over the phone for the second meeting in a row.

Topics for discussion on the night ranged from Library funding to demolition orders, the quest for a Provincial court judge for the Northwest and a rap on the knuckles to the BC Government over its taxation policies.

August 17, 2009

Regular council meeting Agenda for August 17, 2009
Committee of the Whole Meeting Agenda for August 17, 2009

City council session for August 17, 2009

In attendance:

Mayor Jack Mussallem
Councillor Anna Ashley (participated by phone)
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne
Councillor Kathy Bedard
Councillor Gina Garon
Councillor Joy Thorkelson

Absent:

Councillor Nelson Kinney

Regular City council minutes for August 17, 2009
(none posted yet)

Daily News voting summary
Wednesday, August 19, 2009 edition

Attendance at City Hall to date archives

Upcoming events-- City council meeting Tuesday, September 8, 2009

City Council scoresheet for August 17, 2009

The Wednesday, August 19 edition of the Daily News featured their regular scorecard on city council issues, this one featuring the deliberations and votes from selected items of the August 17 session.
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This weeks feature appeared on page three of the Wednesday edition, Councillor Ashley, on vacation, participated in Monday's meeting via telephone, Councillor Kinney was absent from the proceedings.

Question One: That the building located at 544-Ninth Avenue West be declared a hazard under Section 73 and a nuisance under section 74 and of the Community Charter and that the owners are required to remove or demolish the building within 30 days.
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How council voted:

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Absent
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Two: That council receive the monthly department report from Chief Financial Officer, Dan Rodin.

How council voted:

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Absent
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Three: That council consider writing a letter to the minister of education, the honourable Margaret MacDiarmid and Premier Gordon Campbell, stressing the importance of maintaining Provincial support for public libraries.

How council voted:

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Absent
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Four: That the Union of BC Municipalities urge the provincial government to repeal the planned implementation of the HST and instead to focus on improving the PST to be a leaner and easier tax to administer and collect.

How council voted:

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- No
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Absent
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Question Five: The Prince Rupert City Council pursues the appointment of one Provincial Court Judge for the north west area

How council voted:

Mayor Jack Mussallem-- Yes
Councillor Anna Ashley-- Yes
Councillor Sheila Gordon-Payne-- Yes
Councillor Nelson Kinney-- Absent
Councillor Kathy Bedard-- Yes
Councillor Gina Garon-- Yes
Councillor Joy Thorkelson-- Yes

Walking shoes (and a raincoat) a must on a Rupert visit

It may be a little late in the season to be of much use to the folks at Tourism Prince Rupert, but as they say any publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right.

The Vancouver Sun features a helpful guide to what to do upon a Prince Rupert vacation, as Elaine Yong explains the five things you must do when you visit our little corner of the province.

From a trip to the North Pacific Cannery Museum, to a walking tour of the downtown, as well as the ever popular chance to see the whales in local waters or the bears of the Khutzeymateen, Yong covers a variety of options.

For those just looking to hang around the city limits, she offers up enough suggestions to keep a visitor hopping for a good portion of the day, from the shops of Cow Bay to the extensive collection of First Nation artifacts at the Museum.

The review includes links to a number of tourist oriented options available in the city as well.

You can check out the full article from the Sun's website here.

BC Ferries cancels weekend sailings of the Northern Adventure

BC Ferries has cancelled the Friday and Saturday sailings of the Northern Adventure, would be passengers have been advised to check the BC Ferries website after 9am on Saturday for further updates on the sailing schedule.

The Queen Charlotte Islands Observer has reported that the vessel has been delayed (and sailings now cancelled) from Prince Rupert when the vessel got tangled in some rope, Divers worked through the day to try and untangle rope, but thus far there has been little progress in making the vessel ready for travel to the Charlotte's.

Northern Adventure delayed in Prince Rupert
Queen Charlotte Islands Observer
Friday, August 21, 2009

The Northern Adventure is delayed leaving Prince Rupert as of 8:00 pm Friday, and ferry officials were unable to predict when it would be underway again.

The problem began when the vessel got tangled in some rope. Divers went down to try to fix the problem when the ship got to Rupert, but getting the rope untangled was trickier than first thought.

The vessel had been scheduled to leave Prince Rupert at 11 am Friday, but as of 8:00 pm, it still hadn't left and it was not clear when it was going to be ready to resume service.

Check out the BC Ferries website for updated information Friday evening.

Catching up, one click at a time

For the benefit of our readers who find us through the hackingthemainframe portal, we'll reduce the overload on the htmf server, by limiting our "catching up" posts to but one link.

For those inclined to follow our reading log for the last month, the majority of our posts of review can be found on our Podunk Below the Masthead archives.

You can check out our thoughts by clicking on our links from July and August.

Podunk Below the Masthead Archives August 2009

Our archive of the daily headline findings from Prince Rupert's Daily News newspaper, this one for the month of August 2009.

August 20--PRPA WELL AHEAD OF THE PROVINICAL CURVE-- Prince Rupert's Gateway to the world continues to keep a steady pace of progress, that despite some worrisome trends in the world economic structure (see story here)

August 19-- A COMMERCIAL FIRST FOR LAX KW'ALAAMS-- 400 pounds of pink salmon is on its way to Asia and that shipment through the Port of Prince Rupert could be the blue print for future success for the community's fish plant (see story here)

August 18-- CANOERS SHARE A GREETING STEEPED IN TRADITION-- A group of local canoers were one of the first to welcome Ali Howard upon her arrival at Port Edward, the Daily News recounts those first few moments (see story here)

August 17--HISTORIC SWIM MAKES A HUGE SPLASH AT THE CANNERY-- Ali Howards swim to create awareness of the fragility of the Skeena watershed came to an end over the weekend at the North Pacific Cannery Museum, the Daily News outlined the challenges and success of her journey (see story here)

August 14-- CIVIC PRIDE PLANTER PROGRAM IS FLOURISHING THIS SEASON-- Civic Pride has made good use of a $2,000 dollar grant from the City of Prince Rupert and the proof is in the participation level of the groups planter program (see story here)

August 13--MODEL CITIZENS KEEP THINGS ON TRACK--
The history and continuing dedication of the Prince Rupert Railway Club is the featured attraction of the Thursday paper (see story here)

August 12--TWO CHARGES HAVE BEEN LAID, SON HAS CONFESSED--
Charges have finally been laid, after confessions were provided to the RCMP regarding a downtown stabbing incident over the weekend (see story here)

August 11-- FAREWELL TO A VETERAN FIREFIGHTER IN RUPERT-- After thirty three years on the job, thirteen of them as the top firefighter for the City of Prince Rupert, Fire Chief Ron Miller prepares for his retirement on August 31st (see story here)

August 10-- ONE MAN DEAD ANOTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER DISPUTE-- Monday's Daily News provided some of the details of a violent incident in Prince Rupert's downtown area on Saturday night, one which left one man dead, another seriously injured and yet another in police custody. (see story here)

August 7-- LOCAL CHARTER BOAT GOES FOR A DUNK AT THE DOCK-- The arrival of the Norwegian Star cruise ship in Prince Rupert sent a local charter operator into the harbour and his boat to the bottom of it, after a swell from the docking cruise ship swamped the smaller vessel. (see story here)

August 6-- LOCAL CARPENTERS' UNION CELEBRATES ITS CENTENNIAL-- Local 1735 celebrates 100 years of construction activity on the North coast and that 100 years of history was profiled in a front page, headline story in the Thursday paper (see story here)

August 5-- THE GRANDMOTHERS ARE TALKING-- Wednesday's front page, headline story features a look at programs designed to assist Tsimshian children in urban settings continue to continue with their traditional ways and lead healthy lifestyles (see story here)

August 4-- BRIDGING THE GAP IN MEMORY OF A FRIEND-- The 17th hole of the Prince Rupert Centennial Golf course features an interesting conversation piece and a tribute to a long time Prince Rupert doctor who recently passed away. The front page headline story of the Monday paper outlines the bridge spanning Oldfield creek in memory of Dr. Harris Coburn. (see story here)

Podunk Below the Masthead, Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Port continues to keep a steady pace on throughput despite a troubled world economy, Port Edward keeps it's educational desires on the front burner with the province and Dan Veniez seeks out a new future, a few of the days events to make note of.

DAILY NEWS Headline story, Thursday, August 20, 2009
PRPA WELL AHEAD OF THE PROVINICAL CURVE-- Prince Rupert's Gateway to the world continues to keep a steady pace of progress, that despite some worrisome trends in the world economic structure (see story here) Item is also provided at the bottom of this post.

Education in Port Edward remains a priority for council, as the District seeks to keep its local school a going concern in the community by keeping it on the minds of Ministry of Education officials (see story here)

A name familiar to North coast residents is seeking out a more public platform for his thoughts, Dan Veniez, most recently removed as head of Ridley Terminals is contemplating a life in politics and the Daily News outlines where his next forum may be (see story here)

The sports section features a look at Celina Guadagni's recent efforts with Team BC at a Washington state tournament (see story here)

Daily News, front page, headline story:

PRPA well ahead of the provincial curve
By George T.Baker
The Prince Rupert Daily News
The Daily News
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Pages one and five

West Coast statistics say it shouldn't be doing as well as it is. But there the container port goes, chugging along the intermodal success train.

According to the Prince Rupert Port Authority, the first six months of 2009 have been a year of steadiness amidst an economic recession that has punished other west coast ports.

And if shippers consider the Fairview Container Port alone, stability transforms into positive signs of growth.

"The volumes are growing from week to week which reflects the valuable service offering we provide to our customers and the fact that Prince Rupert is an attractive option for shippers," said Canadian National Rails Senior Manager, Public Affairs and Media Relations, Brian Tucker.

"CN is certainly pleased with the number of containers that are coming into the Port of Prince Rupert."

At an increase of 124 per cent over the first half of this year from last year, the port is bucking the trends seen in Vancouver and the Pacific U.S. region.

July containers stats look poor, especially at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, which continue to mark double-digit volume losses in both inbound and outbound cargo.

According to the Cunningham Report, a major information source for the trade and transportation industry, Los Angeles imports were down 16.9 per cent from July 2008; exports were down 20.4 per cent, and total TEUs were down 17.5 per cent.

In Long Beach, imports were down 23.0 per cent from July 2008; exports were down 27.2 per cent, and total TEUs were down 22.5 per cent.

At the Port of Seattle, on the other hand, total TEUs were down only 6.2 per cent from July 2008, with imports down 7.3 per cent and exports actually up 4.7 per cent.

The Fairview Container Terminal handled 97,616 TEUs (20 foot equivalent units) during the first six months of 2009, a substantial increase over the 43,555 TEUs that moved through the terminal during the same period in 2008.

Second quarter 2009 traffic was up 151 per cent, to 56,573 TEUs compared to 22,515 TEUs for April-June in 2008.

According to the PRPA's manager of corporate communications, Barry Bartlett, the numbers are legitimate and not just from traffic diverted from Vancouver.

"These are all planned well in advance," said Bartlett.

The shipments will come through Prince Rupert and then head directly to Winnipeg where containers are diverted in two directions, central Canada and Chicago.

Garland Chow, a UBC expert on intermodal port service, said if this rising volume of container traffic is headed to the U.S. only, then that is super news "It is saying that Prince Rupert is competitive with its main competitor, Los Angeles/ Long Beach," said Chow. "That is just wonderful news if this traffic increases in their main core market."

At the end of the day, the question on a national scale is whether or not the Port of Metro Vancouver diverts traffic to Prince Rupert. If so, it's still good news for the PRPA, said Chow, but for Canada it's at best a shift, not a gain.

"It is inevitable that the Port of Metro Vancouver and the PRPA would compete with each other,' said Chow. "Let's face it, a shipping line that goes to either port, whether they are trying to get the freight to the U.S. or go to some part of Canada, it is all on the same ship. It's inevitable that a ship with goods heading to Toronto is going to go through [Prince Rupert]."

Along with the container terminal's success, the grain terminal had a nice gain, also.

Prince Rupert Grain handled 2.9 million tonnes in the first half of 2009, a 32 per cent increase over the same period in 2008. Wheat was the largest contributor, jumping from 1.6 to 2.7 million tonnes, followed by canola, which was up 31.7 per cent.

Overall, all port terminals moved a combined 5.42 million metric tonnes to June 30, 2009, compared to 5.44 million tonnes during the first half 2008. Tonnage throughput for the first quarter 2009 was 2.38 million, down 24.5 per cent to the 3.07 million tonnes handled in the first quarter 2008.

At the grain terminal, barley took a hit and was down 88.1 per cent to 52,225 tonnes.
Ridley Terminals Inc. second quarter 2009 throughput was slightly higher than the first quarter, but volumes of 1.41 million metric tonnes for the first six months were still down 48.6 per cent compared to the 2.74 million tonnes handled in the first half of 2008. Coal was down 59.1 per cent, from 2.52 million tonnes to 1.03 million tonnes.

"This is a direct result of the current economic downturn, which has seen significant cutbacks in steel production by up to 50 per cent below 2008 levels," according to the PRPA.

Podunk Below the Masthead, Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Lax Kw'alaams finds success with a shipment to Asia, the case of the missing Fisheries Minister and the worrisome state of the salmon fishery, some of the items of interest in the news cycle on Wednesday.

DAILY NEWS, Headline story, Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A COMMERCIAL FIRST FOR LAX KW'ALAAMS-- 400,000 pounds of pink salmon is on its way to Asia and that shipment through the Port of Prince Rupert could be the blue print for future success for the community's fish plant (see story here) Item is provided at the end of this post as well.

While one or two Conservative MP's may make it town on occassion, the person everyone wants to see is still missing in action. Prince George MP Jay Hill offers up hope that Fisheries Minister Gail Shea may one day spend some time on the north coast to learn more about our issues and concerns (see story here)

The future of salmon fishing on the Pacific coast has become a worrisome topic of late, with this years forecast showing serious shortfalls in stock levels. George T. Baker examines the state of the fishery in the summer of 2009 and the prospect for its future years (see story here)

Council weighs in on the controversial Sales tax initiative of the Liberal government, offering up their opposition to the prospect of a Harmonized tax program with the GST. (see story here)

Wednesdays Sports page features a look at the Prince Rupert Rugby club as they prepare for more action in the Northwest.

Daily News front page, headline story:

A commercial first for Lax Kw'alaams
By George T.Baker
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pages one and nine

The community of Lax Kw'alaams celebrated a significant milestone for its fish plant last week.

According to elected Chief, John Helin, the community has sent 400,000 pounds of pink salmon to Asia via the container port, a first for both Port Simpson and Fairview.

"If we had that landing in Prince Rupert, it would make things a lot easier for us," said Helin.

What could make this historic achievement a bigger and more consistent success, said Helin, is the development of the Arrow Point ferry landing, which is scheduled for 2010. At this point, there is no date planned for completion and no date.

"The latest [word] is that the community should be in there by January or February at the earliest," said Helin.

"It's a pretty long, drawn out process and it's frustrating, but what can you do?" he wondered.

There is a significant amount of red tape standing in the way of getting the project off the ground. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Transport Canada are some of the jurisdictions that Lax Kw'alaams must pass through before it gets the final okay.

"We have to go through the process," said Helin

Another entity waiting for the community to go through the process is the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

The PRPA has been interested in sending seafood products from southeast Alaska and the B.C. North Coast since it began container operations in October 2007.

Suppliers, shippers and purchasers just hadn't realized the opportunity until now.

For instance, southeast Alaska salmon average prices have climbed steadily from 12 cents to 16 cents in 2006, then to 17 cents in 2007, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game data. Last year, ex-vessel offers averaged 29 cents per pound, statewide. Offers in Southeast and around Kodiak hit a respective 27 cents and 30 cents, while processors in Prince William Sound paid 33 cents per pound.

Climbing global prices should eventually equal greater gains for Lax Kw'alaams. And greater gains for Lax Kw'alaams would mean more business for Fairview/Maher Terminals and their landlords, the PRPA.

According to the PRPA's manager of corporate communications, Barry Bartlett, the historic salmon send off was welcome news.

"We've been looking for the opportunity to export seafood and we've been trying and hoping that Port Simpson would come through," said Bartlett.

Up to this point the reefer containers have been sitting at the terminal, inspected and ready for service. All that was needed was a customer, which appears to have come.

"We're hoping for more of that because this is certainly good news," added Bartlett.

Podunkian correction: My portion of the item above has been corrected to reflect the total volume of fish from my original misprint of 400 to 400,000, my apologies to all of the pinks for not counting all of those that gave their lives for Asian dinner tables. KP

Podunk Below the Masthead, Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The welcoming committee recounts their time with Ali Howard, NaiKun joins forces with the Haida Nation and First Nations explore more ways to tap into the tourism sector, a few of the items of note for Tuesday.

DAILY NEWS Headline Story, Tuesday, August 18, 2009
CANOERS SHARE A GREETING STEEPED IN TRADITION-- A group of local canoers were one of the first to welcome Ali Howard upon her arrival at Port Edward, the Daily News recounts those first few moments (see story here) Item is also provided at the end of this post.

NaiKun's quest to find a partner in its Wind Generation project has brought the Haida Nation on board, as both sign a memo of understanding to further their relationship on Haida Gwaii (see story here)

Seeking out new opportunities in the tourism sector is an item of interest to local First Nations, the Daily News outlines the efforts of Metlakatla Development Corporation and how it could lead the way to further possibilities for other First Nations of the North coast (see story here)

Golf items provide the sports section with its content for Tuesday.

NORTHERN VIEW Web Updates
MLA CANDIDATE FINANCIAL DETAILS RELEASED--The expenses and financing of the local candidates in the recent provincial election campaign are detailed (see story here)

PRPA HOSTING CONFERENE, AGM-- 170 guests will be making Prince Rupert their destination this weekend as the Port of Prince Rupert hosts a conference and Annual General Meeting . (see story here)

CITY OF PRINCE RUPERT SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HARMONIZED SALES TAX-- Prince Rupert Council prepares to take the fight agains the Harmonized Sales Tax to the UBCM, as council debates their position on the recently announced tax plans by the Campbell Liberals (see story here)

PORT TONNAGE IN LINE WITH 2008 NUMBERS-- The Port of Prince Rupert likes what it sees in its second quarter numbers for 2009, as the Port holds its figures despite the current slowdown of the world economy (see story here)

HAIDA TO TAKE AN OWNERSHIP ROLE IN NAIKUN PROJECT-- The NaiKun Wind Generation project finds an interested partner among its neighbours on Haida Gwaii (see story here)

Daily News, Front page, headline story:

Canoers share a greeting steeped in tradition
By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Pages one and five

A small group of people from Prince Rupert had the privilege of accompanying swimmer Ali Howard on the
last leg of her 610 km swim of the Skeena River Saturday morning.

Paddling a 42-foot fiberglass voyageur canoe, the all-ages crew met 33-year-old Howard and her support team at Cassiar Cannery in the water, floating slowly with the current, during the last hour of the swim.

With time to kill, so as not to arrive at North Pacific Cannery before schedule, the support team paddling in kayaks and canoes chatted with the Rupertites.

Team member Shannon McPhail, activist with the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, invited everyone to introduce themselves.

"Hi I'm Ali and I guess I just swam the Skeena," Howard said, breaking the ice.
She looked thoughtful as she floated in the water, close to kayaker Chris Gee of Hazelton who has been with her through the whole journey.

When Howard introduced herself, everyone else pounded their paddles against the boats in appreciation.

"Thank you elders for coming on this ride," McPhail called out, addressing the four elders in the voyageur canoe.

"It's an honour to paddle with you. We've been riding from Terrace in this Porche of a boat," McPhail added, referring to the war canoe the team has had on loan from artist Roy Henry Vickers.

Within a few moments of being asked by McPhail if the elders could sing a song or tell a story, elder Leonard Alexcee began singing on his own, the beat methodical, the tones low.


A big smile broke out on his face as people thanked him by banging their paddles against the boat again.

"I made up that song just now," Alexcee answered, with one of his notorious grins. "It means Come On. Let's Rock."

Pausing, he looked up again and said, "I ask the creator to keep the river clear and bring back the salmon every year. Ali, I officially welcome you here."

McPhail invited people in the large canoe to introduce themselves and share thoughts as to why they were along for the paddle.

For two in the group, it was their first time in a canoe, including elder Betty Comeau.

"This is amazing," Comeau commented.

Mona Alexcee said her ancestors made a living on the river.

"We can't hear their voices now, but I hope we're doing them justice with Ali bringing attention to the river.

Our people got their winter food along this river. My father told me you could almost walk on the backs of the salmon here at one time. It's an honour for me to be here in person to escort you in and look to the future. Thank you very much, Ali."

McPhail acknowledged feeling like the ancestors have supported the trip through all the gifts and help the team has received along the way.

"If anything had gone differently it could have gone very wrong," she said. "Things we didn't foresee esperately needing, fell into place."

As the Rupert canoe left the group to paddle down to North Pacific Cannery, leaving Howard to swim her last leg of the journey, Howard's brother Chris, who also lives in Telkwa, said the swim has made his sister realize she's happy when she's swimming.

"I think she's a little sad now that the swim is ending," he said. "She's emotionally attached to the river now and people are attached to her.

I think it's great."

Podunk Below the Masthead, Monday, August 17, 2009

Ali Howard completes her journey, Port Edward expresses concerns about the Highway of Tears sign and North Pacific Cannery Museum receives some welcome news, a few of the items of interest on the news file for Monday.

DAILY NEWS Headline story, Monday, August 17, 2009
HISTORIC SWIM MAKES A HUGE SPLASH AT THE CANNERY-- Ali Howards swim to create awareness of the fragility of the Skeena watershed came to an end over the weekend at the North Pacific Cannery Museum, the Daily News outlined the challenges and success of her journey (see story here) The article is also provided at the end of this post.

The proposed sign to alert hitchikers to the dangers along the Highway of Tears is the subject of debate at Port Edward council, as councillors there express their concern over the message that may be sent by it (see story here)

The conservative member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River, Jay Hill brought glad tidings and bit of cash with him in recognition of the work and efforts of the North Pacific Cannery Museum (see story here)

Monday's sports section featured no items of local interest other than the regular calendar of events section.

Front page, headline story:

Historic swim makes a huge splash at the Cannery
By George T. Baker
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Monday, August 17, 2009
Pages one and five

Ali Howard's swim was more than just about Howard.

It was about the Sacred Headwaters, the Skeena River, and the people who depend on them - and the people Howard depended on.

"I don't feel that this is a personal achievement," reflected Howard. "I know it sounds contradictory, but the whole time we prepared for the swim and during the swim, I felt like a vessel for a greater cause."

Ali Howard is not religious, but as she pulled herself out of the water for the final time on her historic 610 km swim down the Skeena River she would be forgiven for thinking that there was some heavenly hierarchy watching over her.

Actually, they were in the water with her the whole time, which is partially why Howard won't take the full credit for her swim.

For every stroke on the way there were eight enchanted believers paddling beside her and making sure she kept it together.

Their names matter, too - Brian Huntington, Kim Ward Roberts, Aaron James, Matt Lewis, Andrew Eddy, Shannon MacPhail, the absent Jim Allen, and the man responsible for Howard's safety, Chris Gee.

"This is about protection," said Gee concerning the swim's message about the Skeena -though he could have easily been talking about Howard. As he stripped his gear off for the final time, he remained on topic.

"This river is vital to the well being of all the people in the province."
No person has ever swum the entire Skeena River. No one. There are whirlpools the size of living rooms, rapids that bite like mad dogs and currents that can sweep people away in a blink of an eye. It is unlikely that Howard would ever have made it without her team.

Looking back on it, Gee was amazed that they had even taken it up.

"I can't think of a time in my life that I held that much responsibility," said an emotional Gee. "Now that I am here, it is all I can do to keep myself from crying."
That Howard had completed the swim is history in the making. But there was a greater point to the journey.

According to Gerald Amos of the Headwaters Initiative, an environmental organization that has fought against drilling and for the protection of the river, the current voluntary moratorium on the coalbed methane drilling in the Sacred Headwaters could be lifted as soon as next year.

It is hoped that Howard's swim marks another shot across the bow towards oil giant Shell's hope for a coalbed methane production future for the Sacred Headwaters - so named because it is the headwaters for three important rivers in the province, the Stikine, the Nass and, of course, the Skeena.

The swim has also become a rallying point for a large percentage of the Northwestern members of this province who are against what they believe to be the continued degradation and over consumption of vital salmon stocks in one of B.C.'s largest salmon reservoirs.

Given that this year' salmon season was dismal, with many Skeena salmon that were expected to return never showing up, Team Howard believes this is another reason, amongst a variety of them, that Shell's plan is unsuitable for the region.

Howard has become the celebrity vessel in the vain of another British Columbian, Terry Fox. Much in the manner that Fox galvanized Canadians by trotting down the highway almost 30 years ago to raise awareness about cancer, Howard has done the same by swimming the Skeena.

What was amazing to most who witnessed Howard during her experience was how calm she was given the circumstances.

And how level and determined she remained while well-wishers wondered if it was really possible for a human to swim that distance - when even her own team thought it was best to pull in from the Skeena. The test was immense.

Had they seen Howard in some more private moments they may have felt vindicated.

According to McPhail, what well-wishers almost never saw were the times after a leg of the swim when Howard would come to shore and collapse on the riverbed, waiting for her team to rescue her as she curled up into a fetal position absolutely exhausted by a river that never relents.

What distant supporters never saw were the times when emotions ran low and a laugh was needed and it would be McPhail - the very woman responsible for Howard jumping in the river in the first place - who would provide a chuckle either in the canoe beside Howard or during camp at night.

They weren't witness to the comedy when a black dog fell into the river. Howard - who had been trained to do this if one her teammates fell in the river - instinctively tossed a throw bag at the bewildered mutt (yes the dog survived).

They weren't there for the evening of terror near the Shames stretch when most of the team hid in fear from a howling wolf that never approached, but made its presence known until morning.

Throughout it all there was Team Howard, which was not limited to the offshore crew. There was also an onshore team making sure that Howard's swim was received well at the different stops on the journey - and Saturday in Port Edward was no different.

Organizers such as Ingrid Granlin, spoke briefly to the Daily News - in between running from one spot of the Cannery grounds with a flat of Diet Coke to another spot of the Cannery grounds to make sure parking did not get out of hand - about how the communities have received the swim.

"We are realizing just how important the Skeena is to people in the Northwest," said Granlin.

Granlin then ran away because two tourists in a behemoth Winnebago with a sedan hauled behind were taking up too much parking space.

Salmon were jumping all over the passage as Howard approached North Pacific's landing dock. Many observers noted their behaviour and remarked that this was what it was all about. Amongst them were Howard's parents, Alex and Jim from Ottawa, there at the end just as they had been during the other large moments of Howard's life.

"As we have said often," said father Jim before Howard made it to shore, "we've always been proud of all of our kids. But now we are in awe of Ali."

Asked what he made of it all, now that his daughter had made it to shore, Jim's voice wavered and his eyes moistened as he walked gingerly down the cannery's boardwalk.

"I'm a bit weepy right now. I'm not a religious man by any means. But I have been on rivers all my life and have been lucky, so to see her come out of the river was a relief. There is a spirit out there for sure. I'm a believer today."

Asked about her father's comments, Howard could not have agreed more.

"This was an enchanted trip. There absolutely was a spirit with us," said Howard. "The conditions could not have been better and everything that was needed was provided for."

After lunch, Howard and her team were treated to a collection of signing, speeches and gift presentations from dignitaries and honoured guests… and several standing ovations.

And when it was time for Howard to speak, the swimmer who was visibly spent from her journey approached the microphone. Before she spoke, she stared at her 10-member team as if she was unable to summon words without their energy.

Something was happening, though no one in the crowd could say just what it was until a jumble of words came out of Howard's mouth. But her team knew full well.

"I'm just a normal person who did something neat," understated Howard, perhaps yet unable to fully grasp her monumental achievement.

It all seemed peculiar to her - not unwelcome, but strange. She had become a celebrity and symbol for a cause she believed in. Kids with Ali Howard training cards asked her to sign their cards. A man asked her to sign a T-shirt for him. An interview was almost impossible because so many people wanted to meet her and greet her or just shake her hand. She had become something different and something more.

She had left a 33-year old water polo player and resort chef. Now she was Michael Phelps and David Suzuki rolled into one. The swim had changed her life forever. There was no going back now.

"I hope to remain part of the discussion about the watershed's future. I would be privileged and honoured to be part of that."

How could a discussion begin without her?

Podunk Below the Masthead, Friday, August 14, 2009

Civic Pride trumpets its successful planter program, Changes to rules of the Harbour at Atlin and the Rod and Gun club has its concerns over a proposed trail to Port Edward, a few of the items of note for Friday, August 14.

DAILY NEWS Headline story, Friday, August 14, 2009
CIVIC PRIDE PLANTER PROGRAM IS FLOURISHING THIS SEASON-- Civic Pride has made good use of a $2,000 dollar grant from the City of Prince Rupert and the proof is in the participation level of the groups planter program (see story here) Article is also provided at the bottom of this post.

The sinking of a charter vessel at Atlin Terminal last week upon the arrival of the Northern Star has made for a change in regulations on the Prince Rupert waterfront (see story here)

A proposal to create a bike and hiking trail from Butze Rapids to Port Edward is raising the concern of the local Rod and Gun club which fears that the proposed route may encroach to close on their shooting range along Highway 16 (see story here)

Friday's sports page features a look at the weekend racing action planned for the Bulkley Valley.

Daily News front page, headline story:

Civic Pride planter program is flourishing this season
By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Friday, August 14, 2009
Page one

It has been a good year for Civic Pride.

For the first time in six years, the group received a grant from the City to the tune of $2,000 and volunteers had less of a scramble to find the funds to purchase supplies for the city's 40 planters.

And after been told the City couldn't afford the manpower to water the plants, the group was pleasantly surprised to see city workers come around and water the plants after all.

"Getting the money was really exciting," said Charlotte Rowse of the grant. "The project costs more than that, but we were able to get sponsors from the community to help as well."

Donations from the community were down from the past, and that makes Rowse concerned.

"Maybe people think the money was enough, but at $125 times 40 planters, we still need the support."

In addition to the planters, Civic Pride is planning another banner project with Tasha Parker at Prince Rupert Secondary School.

"We are saving money to make new banners for Prince Rupert's 100th next year," Rowse explained.

For the most part the planters have survived unscathed this season. There are a couple that have been vandalized, but the majority are looking good.

Rowse would like to remind people who committed to sponsoring the plants to follow through with making their monetary donations.

"I have to wrap up this year's Civic Pride program budget so we can see how much money we have to put toward next year's banner project."

Podunk Below the Masthead, Thursday, August 13, 2009

The Model railroad club continues to provide marvels for Prince Rupert, yet another change at Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District and Acroplis Manor continues to try to ease the adjustments to a new life in a new building. Some of the items of note for August 13.

DAILY NEWS Headline story, Thursday, August 13, 2009
MODEL CITIZENS KEEP THINGS ON TRACK
The history and continuing dedication of the Prince Rupert Railway Club is the featured attraction of the Thursday paper (see story here) Item is reproduced at the bottom of this post.

Past recent history has made the Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District a rather controversial place, and the recent burst of calm may soon give way to more intrigue as the Regional District once again must seek out the services of a new Administrator (see story here)

It's only been open for a couple of weeks, but there are still some growing pains to be dealt with at the New Acropolis Manor, the Daily news outlines some of the concerns of the residents and staff as they work to make their new home as comfortable as possible (see story here)

The Sports section continues its look at the local golf scene.

NORTHERN VIEW Web Extra, Thursday, August 13, 2009
PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY RELEASES RESULTS OF BOAT SINKING INVESTIGATION
The Prince Rupert Port Authority provides some details of their investigation into last weeks sinking of a charter vessel upon the arrival of the Cruise Ship Northern Star (see story here)

Daily News Front page, headline story:

Model citizens keeping things on track
By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Pages one and five

For almost 25 years members of the local model railroad club have been the caretakers of one man's model train collection.

The collection belonged to Norman Kinslor, who passed away on Oct. 5, 1987. It contains 1000 feet of track and switches and over 200 cars.

Housed at North Pacific Cannery Historic Village, the model trains once occupied the entire basement of Kinslor's bachelor home.

The house was crammed with contents, but there was a hatch in the pantry floor, leading to the basement.


"Down in the basement were the trains and everything was absolutely immaculate," recalled Dave Walker, a member of the railway club.

Before Kinslor died, he began making a will to bequeath his trains to NP's society and the railway club for permanent display at the cannery museum.

In preparation, Walker and some of the others began building a display room at NP in 1984.
Kinslor never signed the bequeath papers before he died and Walker said he was worried the trains would end up somewhere else.

Things worked out though because Kinslor's sister Myra Hanson said "no way, the trains were coming to NP. End of discussion," Walker remembered.

Within months the railway club had the trains up and running, but it took another two and half years to have them working fully.

One of the locomotives is over 70 years old and there are few cars that are World War One vintage. Others were made during the Second World War.

"There is one hundred feet of three-rail old gauge tin plate track and 200 pieces of rolling stock.


It's the largest display in Northern BC and probably one of the biggest in the province," said Walker.

Over the years the railway club has bought new equipment to augment Kinslor's original collection. Some of his original cars sit idly.

John Husoy has been part of the club for about ten years and joins Walker on Tuesday evenings to clean out the fare box, wipe down the glass window where tourists peek in to see the trains and do regular maintenance.

"Summer is a fun time," said Walker. "We get to play with the trains. The problem we're finding is that Norman's house was away from the water. Now in this location, we're over the salt water and corrosion is getting into the old tin plate track."

Plus, said Husoy, the building they are in used to be a salt shed and that doesn't help.

To rectify the rusting problem, they have been converting the track as money allows. The old tin plate is being replaced by new nickel/silver track that won't corrode.

So far they've replaced the top and middle levels - there are three - and the eight track, located on the bottom.

"The problem is, the tracks are $10 a foot to replace and so far we've done a couple thousand dollars worth," explained Walker.

With the new tracks, the trains have been running beautifully and all the money collected from the fare box is going toward paying for the next installment of track.

Additional donations from the Chamber of Commerce and the Prince Rupert Port Authority have helped , Walker added.

"When the chamber held its provincial bash here they made a donation. We ran the train steady for people to watch it. We'll be doing the same when Ports Canada holds an event here for its AGM in a couple of weeks."


Walker and Husoy are two thirds of the railway club's present membership. The third member is Wulf Elmer.

Recently the 60-year-old power packs were completely rebuilt and will probably be good for another 50 years.

"The challenge, as much as anything else, is to keep them running and running well," Walker attested.

Husoy's first love is working on the wiring and he admits to owning a large set himself. He got his first model train when he was 10 years old and said his layout keeps growing.

"The problem is finding time to work on it," he added, smiling.


Walker has loved trains since he was 11 years old and also has a set at home.

"It's not scenic, it just runs around the room," he noted.

Inspired by Kinslor's legacy as an amateur radio operator, par extraordinaire and lover of all things mechanical, the guys continue to keep the collection moving.

They received a handmade trestle from a railway club in Ketchikan a few years back and installed it on the top level of the track. "Norman would have installed it if he'd been around," Husoy said.

Podunk Below the Masthead, Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Two charges laid in weekend stabbings, a Rupertite joins in the Ali Howard swim and Environmentalists contemplate their participation level in the Enbridge debate, some of the items of note for Wednesday, August 12.

DAILY NEWS Headline Story, Wednesday, August 12, 2009
TWO CHARGES HAVE BEEN LAID, SON HAS CONFESSED
Charges have finally been laid, after confessions were provided to the RCMP regarding a downtown stabbing incident over the weekend (see story here)

As Ali Howard neared the end of her Skeena River swim, a local swimmer took part in a portion of her remarkable journey (see story here)

With the Canada Environmental Assessment Agency providing some funding for those seeking to provide input into the Enbridge Northern Gateway energy project, some environmental groups are wondering and worrying that they accept the funding, they will be providing a sense of legitimization to what consider a flawed process. (see story here)

The Sports section featured some results from the Skeena Valley Cruzers Club activities over the weekend.

Front page, headline story:

Two charges have been laid, son has confessed
By George T. Baker
The Prince Rupert Daily News
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Page one

According to Cpl Mike Traas of the Prince Rupert RCMP, the son charged with the murder of his father and the attempted murder of his uncle has confessed to both charges.

Edward Dundas, 20, was charged Monday evening with the murder of his father, Randy Dundas 50, after being charged with the attempted murder of his uncle, Irving Reece, 51.

Traas said that formal charges had been laid, but Dundas was not expected to plead guilty to a judge yesterday in court because the accused would need time to find a defense lawyer to represent him.

Dundas was represented Monday by duty counsel, Hollis Lucky.

"There hasn't been any pleading guilty. He is going to court today and then they will probably put it off for two weeks to a month in order to allow him the time to find counsel," said Traas.

The wife of the man who is currently in stable condition spoke to the Daily News on Tuesday and said that she is a lucky woman that her husband has survived.

"I feel more at ease today than I did yesterday, " said Mary Reece, 41.

Reece said that she and her husband had only recently moved to Prince Rupert from Hartley Bay last month, looking for more work opportunities and hopefully a better life closer to family.

While the original plan was for Mary to stay in Prince Rupert while Irving tended to things back in Hartley Bay, Irving changed his mind upon a visit to Prince Rupert on July 15.

"I asked him when he was going back and he said to me there was nothing to go home to," said Reece.

Reece eventually found a job at a local department store and things were looking up for the Reeces.

The last thing she expected was her brother Randy and her husband to be the victims of an attack by her nephew, who lived with Randy at their residence on the 800 block of Second Avenue West.

"Ed lived with his Dad and there had been problems a couple of nights before," said Reece.


Reece said that Edward Dundas had shown up on Sunday at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital with a letter of apology confessing that he had been guilty of the crime, but Dundas was not found until Monday morning in front of the Prince Rupert Library.

Reece said that she hopes one day that the family can move forward, though she knows it won't be easy and it will be a long, hard road.

"I'm sorry for the loss of Randy. Edward is my nephew and I hope his family understands his confession in time," expressed Reece.

The next court hearing is scheduled for Monday, September 14.

Correction notice

The Daily News would like to make the following corrections with regards to the article Two Charges Laid:

Randy Dundas was not the brother of Mary Reece but her uncle, and the letter of apology was not handed
to Reece on the Sunday following the attack, but through the RCMP on the following Tuesday.

Our apologies for any confusion.