While not much has happened on the local front at the Skeena Cel site of late, the rest of the provinces pulp producers are looking for better days ahead as pulp prices rise and BC companies prepare to take advantage of the fibre situation in BC.
It will be interesting to see if this newfound bit of optimism in the pulp and paper sector speeds up plans by the folks at Sun Wave (nee the China Paper Group) to bring the Skeena mill back on line.
Two reports below outline the sudden cause for optimism in the pulp sector for this year and next.
Pulp prices, profits expected to rise
Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, August 03, 2006
B.C.'s pulp producers have a chance to increase their profits this year on a combination of high international pulp prices and low chip costs caused by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.
North American pulp prices are at $747 US a tonne and a further increase of $20 to $30 per tonne has been announced for Sept. 1.
Fibre prices in the Interior are half the level Eastern Canadian producers are paying, setting the stage for continued earnings improvements.
However, maintenance issues have prevented two of the province's main pulp companies from taking full advantage of the opportunity. Both Canfor and West Fraser Timber reported extended downtime at their pulp mills during the second quarter, affecting production.
But with further price increases on the horizon, pulp is looking good for the remainder of 2006, the CEOs of both companies have told investors.
"Strong worldwide demand and a reduction in capacity in the first half of the year has resulted in a substantial decline in worldwide inventories," West Fraser president Hank Ketcham said in his company's quarterly conference call with analysts. "This has led to a rapid improvement in U.S. dollar pulp prices.
"Our outlook for the remainder of the year is quite positive, although we have some concerns as we look to 2007 given the increase in southern hemisphere capacity."
Canfor president Jim Shepherd said in his conference call that he is "very excited" about the future of pulp. Canfor launched a pulp income trust July 1. Shepherd called it good timing.
"With strong pulp markets, the maintenance behind the mills and a strong operating performance going forward, we believe this fund will be very beneficial to shareholders of Canfor and unitholders of the trust."
The trust is owned 80 per cent by Canfor with the remaining 20 per cent being held by trust unitholders.
Catalyst Paper president Russell Horner said in his conference call Wednesday that higher pulp prices helped boost Catalyst's results. Catalyst is mainly a papermaker, although it sells some pulp.
Horner said Catalyst is not able to benefit significantly from lower chip prices in the Interior because transportation costs to the company's coastal mills eat up much of the saving.
Industry analyst Paul Quinn said in a research paper that pulp supply is tight at a time when demand is growing.
"Currently, global pulp markets are experiencing very strong pricing momentum due to growing pulp demand and a number of capacity curtailments," he said.
He said the tight supply is reflected in extremely low inventories. Inventories are currently at 24 days, he said, a level last seen in 2000.
He said demand is particularly high for northern bleached softwood kraft, the type of pulp made in the B.C. Interior.
ghamilton@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
Higher product prices lift Catalyst's second-quarter net profits
1, 2006 - 3:09 pm
VANCOUVER (CP) - Higher prices for pulp and paper products, improved efficiency and big currency and income tax gains helped Catalyst Paper Corp. earn solid profits in the second quarter, reversing a loss last year.
The Vancouver paper producer (TSX:CTL) said late Tuesday it earned $42.4 million or 20 cents a share for the quarter ended June 30, reversing a loss of $23.6 million or 11 cents a share for the same 2005 period.
Sales rose to $469.6 million from $439 million in the first quarter last year.
The strong Canadian dollar squeezed the company's earnings as the currency reached a 28-year high against the U.S. dollar. While this cut operating profits, it also led to a $26.2 million after-tax foreign exchange gain on the translation of U.S.-dollar-denominated debt, a gain that helped boost the bottom line.
Net profits were also bolstered by a $22.9 million drop in future income taxes that followed the federal government's decision to cut corporate income tax rates.
"There were a lot of positives for us in the second quarter," president and CEO Russell Horner said after stock markets closed Tuesday. "Operations ran well in all our mills and this was supported by strong cost control and solid sales. Pulp prices approached a six-year high, but once again the Canadian dollar worked against us to erase the gains made.
"That disappointment aside, we're well-positioned to take advantage of a strong economy as we continue to capture new operational efficiencies and market opportunities."
In another development Tuesday, Catalyst said it has formed special committee to review an unsolicited bid by New York investment company Third Avenue Management to buy more than 18 per cent of the company, or about 39 million shares.
If successful, the bid would increase Third Avenue Management would own nearly 38 per cent of Catalyst.
In its financial report, Catalyst said the company's efficiency drive delivered $19 million toward this year's $70 million goal in the second quarter, Catalyst said, primarily through product optimization, productivity improvements and cost savings for fibre, energy, chemicals and freight.
In breaking down operations, Catalyst said markets for the company's pulp products were strong in the second quarter, with European benchmark pulp prices approaching a six-year high.
Specialty paper markets were mixed, with coated paper prices weakening. Meanwhile, newsprint consumption continued to decline, though industry conditions supported higher prices in the quarter.
Catalyst is a leading producer of mechanical printing papers and market pulp, with five mills and a workforce of 3,800 people on the south coast of British Columbia.
News 1130 website
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Pictures of Podunk: Service Park
Just on the edge of the downtown core and just one block south of City Hall, Service Park rises vertically to a grassy plain above the city. A great view of the city can be found at the top, though the park is best enjoyed in the daytime, night time brings the usual band of local rowdies who use the park to lob cans and bottles at the back of the college across the street.The lines are out and the fish are being brought ashore
The Great Northern Salmon Classic Derby is officially underway, today is day three of the six week event and for the most part those out on the fishing grounds are having a good time of it all.
While the Derby itself finds itself under a bit of attack from folks inland and from some sectors of the commercial industry and the local populace , the idea of luring tourists to the North Coast seems to be working so far, with modest success.
The Daily News had an update on the first day of the derby in its Wednesday edition.
SPORT FISHING FANS HOOKED ON FISH DERBY
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Pages One and Two
Ed Beakhouse knows it’s always his wife who had better luck behind the reel.
And yesterday was no different when the couple arrived at the weigh-in station at Atlin Terminal for the Great Northern Salmon Classic derby.
“She always catches the big ones,” said Beakhouse as his wife Lynn hoisted a heavy catch for a photo before heading to the weigh in station.
“Now, I’m off to go get my minnows.”
The couple, from Morinville, Ontario, caught their limit on their first fishing trip in Prince Rupert.
“We’ve done a lot of salmon fishing but this is the first time we’ve gone fishing in Prince Rupert,” he said. Groups from Prince George and Quebec joined the Beakhouses on the dock as they cleaned their fish for the first weigh ins of the derby yesterday afternoon.
And, despite the common belief that fishing is a man’s sport, there were nearly as many women on the dock as the men.
Bruce Wishart, executive director of Tourism Prince Rupert, said getting the whole family out on the water during the derby was part of the plan.
“One of the goals of Tourism Prince Rupert, when we are working with the local recreational fishery, is to promote fishing as a family activity,” he said. “We have specific prizes for female anglers and anglers under 18.”
According to statistics from Tourism British Columbia, 60 per cent of sport fishermen are male. But Wishart said they didn’t want it to be that way for the Great Northern Salmon Classic.
“We wanted to have something special for each member of the family.”
The derby, which runs from Aug. 1 to Sept 15, includes a prize of $10,000 for the largest coho caught by a female angler, $5,000 largest eligible coho salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age and $500 weekly for the largest eligible pink salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age.
The top prizes are $100,000 for the largest eligible coho salmon, a 2006 Dodge Dakota for the largest eligible coho salmon caught by Aug. 19, and $40,000 for the second largest eligible coho salmon.
“There are also daily mystery weights that will be drawn after the close each weigh-in and the prizes, each valued at about $100, include jewelry, power tools, camping gear and fishing gear among other items.
Four out of five fish judges were down on the docks yesterday for the first day of the event, as were a lot of spectators who crowded along the rail above.
Wishart explained there will always be a member of the judging committee on hand during the weigh-ins to ensure none of the catches are hiding any extra weight.
“These are respected members of the community. Their role is to determine the rules and regulations are being followed,” he said.
But whether or not fishermen walked away with a prize, those out on the water yesterday said they had a good time.
“It was fantastic,” said Tiny Keehn of Prince George, whose fishing foursome caught 14 coho, one spring and seven halibut.
“It was all for the fun of it. Now we are hoping to go drink beer.”
While the Derby itself finds itself under a bit of attack from folks inland and from some sectors of the commercial industry and the local populace , the idea of luring tourists to the North Coast seems to be working so far, with modest success.
The Daily News had an update on the first day of the derby in its Wednesday edition.
SPORT FISHING FANS HOOKED ON FISH DERBY
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Pages One and Two
Ed Beakhouse knows it’s always his wife who had better luck behind the reel.
And yesterday was no different when the couple arrived at the weigh-in station at Atlin Terminal for the Great Northern Salmon Classic derby.
“She always catches the big ones,” said Beakhouse as his wife Lynn hoisted a heavy catch for a photo before heading to the weigh in station.
“Now, I’m off to go get my minnows.”
The couple, from Morinville, Ontario, caught their limit on their first fishing trip in Prince Rupert.
“We’ve done a lot of salmon fishing but this is the first time we’ve gone fishing in Prince Rupert,” he said. Groups from Prince George and Quebec joined the Beakhouses on the dock as they cleaned their fish for the first weigh ins of the derby yesterday afternoon.
And, despite the common belief that fishing is a man’s sport, there were nearly as many women on the dock as the men.
Bruce Wishart, executive director of Tourism Prince Rupert, said getting the whole family out on the water during the derby was part of the plan.
“One of the goals of Tourism Prince Rupert, when we are working with the local recreational fishery, is to promote fishing as a family activity,” he said. “We have specific prizes for female anglers and anglers under 18.”
According to statistics from Tourism British Columbia, 60 per cent of sport fishermen are male. But Wishart said they didn’t want it to be that way for the Great Northern Salmon Classic.
“We wanted to have something special for each member of the family.”
The derby, which runs from Aug. 1 to Sept 15, includes a prize of $10,000 for the largest coho caught by a female angler, $5,000 largest eligible coho salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age and $500 weekly for the largest eligible pink salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age.
The top prizes are $100,000 for the largest eligible coho salmon, a 2006 Dodge Dakota for the largest eligible coho salmon caught by Aug. 19, and $40,000 for the second largest eligible coho salmon.
“There are also daily mystery weights that will be drawn after the close each weigh-in and the prizes, each valued at about $100, include jewelry, power tools, camping gear and fishing gear among other items.
Four out of five fish judges were down on the docks yesterday for the first day of the event, as were a lot of spectators who crowded along the rail above.
Wishart explained there will always be a member of the judging committee on hand during the weigh-ins to ensure none of the catches are hiding any extra weight.
“These are respected members of the community. Their role is to determine the rules and regulations are being followed,” he said.
But whether or not fishermen walked away with a prize, those out on the water yesterday said they had a good time.
“It was fantastic,” said Tiny Keehn of Prince George, whose fishing foursome caught 14 coho, one spring and seven halibut.
“It was all for the fun of it. Now we are hoping to go drink beer.”
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s plan for peace!
Well the idea that France had to involve Iran in the peace process in the Middle East certainly took a bit of a hit today. France which up until today was insisting that any solution to peace in those ancient battle grounds, had to involve the government of Iran, must be thinking ooops, wrong horse there, as the hardline leader of that country spoke out once again with his unusual visions of the Middle East.
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad outlined his simple plan to solve all that ails that troubled part of the world. And well bridge building simply isn’t in the cards judging by his words.
Ahmadinejad: Destruction of Israel is solution
Eliminating Zionist regime cure for conflict: Ahmadinejad
Ahmadinejad: Destroy Israel, End Crisis
Ahmadinejad calls for isolation of Israel, its supporters
After reading the reports and dispatches of the Presidents proclamations, France (a country that for some reason seems to think they’re a world player) in rather understated terms offered up this bit of constructive criticism on the thoughts of Prez Mah.
The key line of which is; “France's foreign minister condemned Ahmadinehjad's comments Thursday, saying Iran is ruining its chances to play a positive and stabilizing role in the Middle East.”
Duh, really?
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad outlined his simple plan to solve all that ails that troubled part of the world. And well bridge building simply isn’t in the cards judging by his words.
Ahmadinejad: Destruction of Israel is solution
Eliminating Zionist regime cure for conflict: Ahmadinejad
Ahmadinejad: Destroy Israel, End Crisis
Ahmadinejad calls for isolation of Israel, its supporters
After reading the reports and dispatches of the Presidents proclamations, France (a country that for some reason seems to think they’re a world player) in rather understated terms offered up this bit of constructive criticism on the thoughts of Prez Mah.
The key line of which is; “France's foreign minister condemned Ahmadinehjad's comments Thursday, saying Iran is ruining its chances to play a positive and stabilizing role in the Middle East.”
Duh, really?
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Caught in the cookie jar!
Good thing that the slogan for the Girl Scouts isn't "Do Your Best", cause one Girl Scout Leader isn't living up to the credo.
A Girl Scout (they apparently don't call then Guides in the USA) leader in Delaware, Ohio has been relieved of her duties and faces charges of theft after being charged with theft over 5,000 dollars. By the time she was caught, she had left her troop with a balance of only 8 dollars in their bank account.
The Scout Leader apparently took the large sum of money out of fundraising efforts through cookie sales and other activities to pay for cell phone bills and other personal expenses. It's going to take a lot of cookie sales to bring back 5,000 dollars any time soon.
Not sure if the Girl Scouts work on badges like the Cubs and Scouts do, but if so, a larceny badge would be a cinch for troop 225!
A Girl Scout (they apparently don't call then Guides in the USA) leader in Delaware, Ohio has been relieved of her duties and faces charges of theft after being charged with theft over 5,000 dollars. By the time she was caught, she had left her troop with a balance of only 8 dollars in their bank account.
The Scout Leader apparently took the large sum of money out of fundraising efforts through cookie sales and other activities to pay for cell phone bills and other personal expenses. It's going to take a lot of cookie sales to bring back 5,000 dollars any time soon.
Not sure if the Girl Scouts work on badges like the Cubs and Scouts do, but if so, a larceny badge would be a cinch for troop 225!
The Last stand of the Neo Cons?
There’s an interesting take on the current conflagration between Israel and Hezbollah in the latest dispatch from the Salon website.
Sidney Blumenthal writes that instead of working towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict that seems to wiping southern Lebanon off the face of the earth, that some White House insiders are actually providing information destined to not only extend the current fighting, but to dramatically escalate things, bringing more combatants out onto the field in the form of Syria and Iran.
While it seems a bit fanciful (if not steeped in hues of conspiracy) that this might be the ultimate plan, it’s never a black and white world when it comes to the players of the Middle East and American influence in the region.
The theory being put forward by Blumenthal is that it’s yet one more grasp of the neo-cons in the Bush Administration to regain control of the agenda in the final stages of the Bush presidency.
Blumenthal paints a rather bleak picture for the prospect of peace in that region anytime soon and seems to have the career of Condi Rice destined for history’s trash can as well. Rice in Blumenthal’s opinion is merely a pawn who is being used and tossed aside as the neo cons march again to the Presidential table.
It’s worth a read, but don’t be looking for a positive ending by the time you finish digesting this theory. For those that hate Bush its confirmation of more of their fears, for those that think he’s the greatest it’s just one more symbol of the leftist and liberal agenda in America run amok
For the rest of us, it’s just another indication that it’s time to hide our heads under the covers again for awhile.
Sidney Blumenthal writes that instead of working towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict that seems to wiping southern Lebanon off the face of the earth, that some White House insiders are actually providing information destined to not only extend the current fighting, but to dramatically escalate things, bringing more combatants out onto the field in the form of Syria and Iran.
While it seems a bit fanciful (if not steeped in hues of conspiracy) that this might be the ultimate plan, it’s never a black and white world when it comes to the players of the Middle East and American influence in the region.
The theory being put forward by Blumenthal is that it’s yet one more grasp of the neo-cons in the Bush Administration to regain control of the agenda in the final stages of the Bush presidency.
Blumenthal paints a rather bleak picture for the prospect of peace in that region anytime soon and seems to have the career of Condi Rice destined for history’s trash can as well. Rice in Blumenthal’s opinion is merely a pawn who is being used and tossed aside as the neo cons march again to the Presidential table.
It’s worth a read, but don’t be looking for a positive ending by the time you finish digesting this theory. For those that hate Bush its confirmation of more of their fears, for those that think he’s the greatest it’s just one more symbol of the leftist and liberal agenda in America run amok
For the rest of us, it’s just another indication that it’s time to hide our heads under the covers again for awhile.
Podunk Below the Masthead for August
A daily look at the BIG TYPE headline of the Podunkian Daily News. We'll list that day's BIG STORY, the one the Daily puts out in the big type just below it's masthead, for all Podunkians to ponder. There will be a link to this feature on the right hand side of the blog. Unfortunately there will be no link to the stories, as . Now you just end up at a dead end, asking you to go purchase your paper for (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story.
Augsut 18--ACTIVISTS STIR THE POT OVER CRAB FEAST--Animal rights activists target the SPCA's proposed Crab Boil fundraiser for action, effectively cancelling the plans. (see the story here)
August 17--NATIVE FISHERMEN SAY DERBY TALKS MISSING--First Nations representatives join those criticizing the organizational plans of the Great Northern Salmon Classic (see story here)
August 16--POOR FISHING SEASON HAS MANY STRUGGLING--A poor salmon season stands to send many Rupertites onto the welfare rolls this winter (see story)
August 15--PLAIN SAILING SO FAR AS PORT SHAPES UP--Construction continues on time and on budget at the Fairview Container Port, the Daily news takes us on a tour of the latest developments (see story here)
August 14--TERRY FOX SENSATION IS HITTING THE ROAD--Jim Terrion makes plans to move away from Prince Rupert, but still intends to return each year for the Rupert Terry Fox Run (see story here)
August 11-CRUISE SECTOR'S NEW WAVE OF OPPORTUNITY--The cruise season reaches the half way mark and new challenges arise for locals hoping to make their money off the big ships in the harbour (see story here)
August 10-LONG WAIT FOR JUSTICE MAY FINALLY BE OVER--Welcome news for a Prince Rupert family as Vancouver Island police release details in the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a former Prince Rupert resident. (see story here)
August 9-PORT EDWARD COUNCILORS ATTACK FISHING DERBY--The controversy over the Great Northern Salmon Classic continues, as Port Edward registers its objections. (see story here)
August 8-SHUTDOWN MAY HURT MILL CLOSER TO HOME--The shutdown of the Terrace Lumber Company may have repercussions with the start up plans of the Sun Wave Pulp Company. The Daily had the details in a front page story (see story here)
August 4--SPECULATION RIFE AS MALL PROJECT GROWS--The Daily provides an update of sorts on the not yet started shopping mall of Highway 16. (see story here)
August 3--CANADA URGED TO CONTINUE ITS ISRAELI SUPPORT--The Daily News pulls on its foreign correspondent trench coat and brings us news of a war in the Middle East. (see story here)
August 2--SPORT FISHING FANS HOOKED ON FISH DERBY--Day one of the Great Northern Salmon Classic Derby is in the books and the Daily news has all the details (see story here)
August 1--GOLFERS DRIVE WOLF PACK OFF THE FAIRWAY--The wolves have returned to Prince Rupert bolder and more numerous than in the past, causing all sorts of concern among the populace. The Daily News had details of the latest meeting of the tennants of Kaien Island. (see story here)
August 31--LOCAL MAN HONOURED WITH NATIONAL AWARD--A member of the Canadian Coast Guard based in Prince Rupert, long time resident Les Palmer, is set to receive the Cross of Valour in October. (see story here)
August 30--BUREAUCRATS BLAMED AS FISH GO UNCAUGHT--Waiting for an answer from DFO and the Provincial Environment department on another sockeye opening is making folks rather anxious around the city (see story here)
August 29--COHO DERBY IS 'ON TARGET' SAYS WISHART--Just past the halfway mark for the Great Northern Salmon Classic and organizers claim it's doing just about what they expected for the community. (see story here)
August 28--CHURCH GROUPS PUTTING FAITH IN ABILITY TO UNITE--Plans for a conference on World Religions in Prince Rupert near completion, as the September 15th conference gets closer. (see story here)
August 25--SONIA DEAL STILL AFLOAT BUT DELAYED SAYS FERRIES--The lengthy process to replace the sunken Queen of the North takes a little bit longer, with a delay in the purchase of a replacement vessel.(see story here)
August 24--URBAN FIRST NATIONS QUESTION NEW FUND--The Provincial Government creates a $100 million dollar New Relationship fund for rural and reserve areas, leaving Urban First Nations to question their place in the arrangements. (see story here)
August 23--CHOPPY WATER AHEAD AFTER CRUISE DECISION--Alaskans vote to tax cruise ship passengers and cruise lines, causing some concern for the BC industry.. (see story here)
August 22--COAST BANDS IN COURT TODAY OVER PORT PLANS--The Coast Tsmishian get their first of two days at the Supreme Court today, the first case to decide if the First Nations were given proper consultation over the project (see story here)
August 21--FERRY PLANS TO CAUSE FUTURE GROWING PAINS--The replacment vessels for BC Ferries Northern Fleet don't leave much in the way for future expansion of the service (see story here)
Augsut 18--ACTIVISTS STIR THE POT OVER CRAB FEAST--Animal rights activists target the SPCA's proposed Crab Boil fundraiser for action, effectively cancelling the plans. (see the story here)
August 17--NATIVE FISHERMEN SAY DERBY TALKS MISSING--First Nations representatives join those criticizing the organizational plans of the Great Northern Salmon Classic (see story here)
August 16--POOR FISHING SEASON HAS MANY STRUGGLING--A poor salmon season stands to send many Rupertites onto the welfare rolls this winter (see story)
August 15--PLAIN SAILING SO FAR AS PORT SHAPES UP--Construction continues on time and on budget at the Fairview Container Port, the Daily news takes us on a tour of the latest developments (see story here)
August 14--TERRY FOX SENSATION IS HITTING THE ROAD--Jim Terrion makes plans to move away from Prince Rupert, but still intends to return each year for the Rupert Terry Fox Run (see story here)
August 11-CRUISE SECTOR'S NEW WAVE OF OPPORTUNITY--The cruise season reaches the half way mark and new challenges arise for locals hoping to make their money off the big ships in the harbour (see story here)
August 10-LONG WAIT FOR JUSTICE MAY FINALLY BE OVER--Welcome news for a Prince Rupert family as Vancouver Island police release details in the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a former Prince Rupert resident. (see story here)
August 9-PORT EDWARD COUNCILORS ATTACK FISHING DERBY--The controversy over the Great Northern Salmon Classic continues, as Port Edward registers its objections. (see story here)
August 8-SHUTDOWN MAY HURT MILL CLOSER TO HOME--The shutdown of the Terrace Lumber Company may have repercussions with the start up plans of the Sun Wave Pulp Company. The Daily had the details in a front page story (see story here)
August 4--SPECULATION RIFE AS MALL PROJECT GROWS--The Daily provides an update of sorts on the not yet started shopping mall of Highway 16. (see story here)
August 3--CANADA URGED TO CONTINUE ITS ISRAELI SUPPORT--The Daily News pulls on its foreign correspondent trench coat and brings us news of a war in the Middle East. (see story here)
August 2--SPORT FISHING FANS HOOKED ON FISH DERBY--Day one of the Great Northern Salmon Classic Derby is in the books and the Daily news has all the details (see story here)
August 1--GOLFERS DRIVE WOLF PACK OFF THE FAIRWAY--The wolves have returned to Prince Rupert bolder and more numerous than in the past, causing all sorts of concern among the populace. The Daily News had details of the latest meeting of the tennants of Kaien Island. (see story here)
Not everybody is going fishing!
The organziers of The Great Northern Salmon Classic are finding that not everyobdy thinks their six week fishing extravaganza is a great thing.
Despite the inclusion of that shiny yellow truck parked in front of the Atlin Terminal, it seems that not everybody is taking the bait!
From the Terrace Standard is this critique of the project and a call for it to be closed down. That's an unlikely thing at this late date, but none the less the fishing expedition is becoming a rather controversial bit of tourist enhancement for the entire northwest.
Derby daze
By ROB BROWN
Terrace Standard
Aug 02 2006
Rin: Just heard today that Prince Rupert is having a coho derby starting August 1 until Sept. 15. Largest coho gets $100,000. Second place is $42,000. This should draw some interest.
Fly20: Wow! That’s huge!!!!!!! Where is the money coming from?
Rin: From BC tourism. With no coast ferry service, people want to get things happening up north again.
Fly20: Far better shot than the 6/49. What a great trip this would be!
Sam Salmon: Is it for a fish caught in Salt or Fresh or both? Much more interesting in the former, less so in the latter. The Kasiks has lots of large Coho – my biggest was 16# head off. (yes I gaffed it) :P.
Steelheadfreak: ROAD TRIP!!!!!! :D Got the boat set up with new riggers! Electrics with duel rod holders plus a third rail mount rod holder. TRIPLE STACKERS BABY!...........lets go, I’m feeling lucky! ;)
And so goes the feverish chatter on one of the many sport fishing weblogs after the announcement of the “Great Northern Salmon Classic.”
Great Northern Salmon Classic – that’s a hoot. When used as noun, a classic is creation of artistic excellence. Even by the most generous reckoning, this event isn’t. It’s a blood-soaked fish bonking derby fully equipped with all the hoopla, bull wool, bad ethics and braggadocio such events inspire.
The derby will be the largest of its kind to be held on the North Coast and, as its promoters are at pains to assert, it’s non invitational, which means anyone and everyone can participate.
Soon after the Queen of the North sank, Prince Rupert businessmen convened a series of so-called stakeholder sessions to discuss how to make up for the lost revenues attending a drop in ferry traffic. The derby idea grew from the ferment created in those meetings.
The arithmetic was simple. There are about 80 full-time charter operators, each capable of taking four fishers onboard, which means over the six long weeks the derby will run, there will be 15,000 anglers bobbing atop the waves.
Factor in the sports fishers from Prince Rupert to Prince George and the considerable contingent that is sure to be lured out of Alberta by the promise of all those big cash prizes and you’ll have in excess of 30,000 souls, according to the best guesstimate of Prince Rupert’s tourism director.
The derby promoters cleverly designed their fishing contest to ensure participation from the whole family. Hence there is five grand for the largest coho caught by an underage angler and a weekly $500 payout for the largest pink caught by a kid. The female angler who boats the largest coho is in for ten large.
With a $500 prize for the largest specimen each week, Chinook don’t escape the chop either. And to further encourage participation, the derby hosts have mystery weight prizes of $100 a day as well as getaway packages for the largest coho killed weekly.
What an extravaganza! Thirty thousand people, consuming food and goods and caving in coho skulls in hopes of winning a Dodge Dakota or one of the many other prizes, all paid for with 160,000 taxpayer dollars taken from the $450,000 provided to the Northern Tourism Region by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts.
Coho had no voice at those stakeholder meetings, apparently. If they had, the derby promoters would know that the latest DFO projections show that this year’s return is the second poorest on record.
The stakeholders have poor memories. Only a few years ago commercial and sport fisheries were subjected to widespread closures to conserve the collapsing coho stocks. Commercial fishers are using holding tanks and taking special pains to conserve coho to this day.
The operative word for DFO managers when it comes to coho is rebuilding. In short, the coho stocks are anything but robust.
At four fish per day per person, the limits on coho in salt water are far too generous to begin with. To increase the pressure on those same stocks by luring fishers with prizes, then encouraging them to increase their odds of winning some cash by killing their limits is irresponsible.
What Tourism Prince Rupert and the downtown businessmen of that town are doing is using funds provided by our PR-oriented bread and circuses government to place a bounty on salmon generally and coho specifically for short term economic gain that will cause long term environmental pain.
The DFO should do right by the fish and close Chatham Sound to coho fishing for the month of August.
Despite the inclusion of that shiny yellow truck parked in front of the Atlin Terminal, it seems that not everybody is taking the bait!
From the Terrace Standard is this critique of the project and a call for it to be closed down. That's an unlikely thing at this late date, but none the less the fishing expedition is becoming a rather controversial bit of tourist enhancement for the entire northwest.
Derby daze
By ROB BROWN
Terrace Standard
Aug 02 2006
Rin: Just heard today that Prince Rupert is having a coho derby starting August 1 until Sept. 15. Largest coho gets $100,000. Second place is $42,000. This should draw some interest.
Fly20: Wow! That’s huge!!!!!!! Where is the money coming from?
Rin: From BC tourism. With no coast ferry service, people want to get things happening up north again.
Fly20: Far better shot than the 6/49. What a great trip this would be!
Sam Salmon: Is it for a fish caught in Salt or Fresh or both? Much more interesting in the former, less so in the latter. The Kasiks has lots of large Coho – my biggest was 16# head off. (yes I gaffed it) :P.
Steelheadfreak: ROAD TRIP!!!!!! :D Got the boat set up with new riggers! Electrics with duel rod holders plus a third rail mount rod holder. TRIPLE STACKERS BABY!...........lets go, I’m feeling lucky! ;)
And so goes the feverish chatter on one of the many sport fishing weblogs after the announcement of the “Great Northern Salmon Classic.”
Great Northern Salmon Classic – that’s a hoot. When used as noun, a classic is creation of artistic excellence. Even by the most generous reckoning, this event isn’t. It’s a blood-soaked fish bonking derby fully equipped with all the hoopla, bull wool, bad ethics and braggadocio such events inspire.
The derby will be the largest of its kind to be held on the North Coast and, as its promoters are at pains to assert, it’s non invitational, which means anyone and everyone can participate.
Soon after the Queen of the North sank, Prince Rupert businessmen convened a series of so-called stakeholder sessions to discuss how to make up for the lost revenues attending a drop in ferry traffic. The derby idea grew from the ferment created in those meetings.
The arithmetic was simple. There are about 80 full-time charter operators, each capable of taking four fishers onboard, which means over the six long weeks the derby will run, there will be 15,000 anglers bobbing atop the waves.
Factor in the sports fishers from Prince Rupert to Prince George and the considerable contingent that is sure to be lured out of Alberta by the promise of all those big cash prizes and you’ll have in excess of 30,000 souls, according to the best guesstimate of Prince Rupert’s tourism director.
The derby promoters cleverly designed their fishing contest to ensure participation from the whole family. Hence there is five grand for the largest coho caught by an underage angler and a weekly $500 payout for the largest pink caught by a kid. The female angler who boats the largest coho is in for ten large.
With a $500 prize for the largest specimen each week, Chinook don’t escape the chop either. And to further encourage participation, the derby hosts have mystery weight prizes of $100 a day as well as getaway packages for the largest coho killed weekly.
What an extravaganza! Thirty thousand people, consuming food and goods and caving in coho skulls in hopes of winning a Dodge Dakota or one of the many other prizes, all paid for with 160,000 taxpayer dollars taken from the $450,000 provided to the Northern Tourism Region by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts.
Coho had no voice at those stakeholder meetings, apparently. If they had, the derby promoters would know that the latest DFO projections show that this year’s return is the second poorest on record.
The stakeholders have poor memories. Only a few years ago commercial and sport fisheries were subjected to widespread closures to conserve the collapsing coho stocks. Commercial fishers are using holding tanks and taking special pains to conserve coho to this day.
The operative word for DFO managers when it comes to coho is rebuilding. In short, the coho stocks are anything but robust.
At four fish per day per person, the limits on coho in salt water are far too generous to begin with. To increase the pressure on those same stocks by luring fishers with prizes, then encouraging them to increase their odds of winning some cash by killing their limits is irresponsible.
What Tourism Prince Rupert and the downtown businessmen of that town are doing is using funds provided by our PR-oriented bread and circuses government to place a bounty on salmon generally and coho specifically for short term economic gain that will cause long term environmental pain.
The DFO should do right by the fish and close Chatham Sound to coho fishing for the month of August.
The moving hazards of Hole Number 6
The wolf pack prowling the golf course these days has quickly become the talk of the town, and as seen previously even become a national story see here and here.
So for the benefit of those from away and not near a Daily News paper proprietor, here is the Daily’s coverage of the prowling wolf packs of Podunk. There is also a story below on the plans of the Conservation department regarding the ongoing wolf situation in Prince Rupert.
GOLFERS DRIVE WOLF PACK OFF THE FAIRWAY
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Pages One and Five
A lone wolf encounter is not an unusual thing for Rupert residents out walking near the golf course. A pack of eight, however, is another situation altogether.
“I had just finished having a conversation about wolves thinking ‘oh my god wouldn’t it be freaky‘ and it was so weird… we saw all their ears poking up,” said Sherry Hilborn of the pack of wolves that descended on her and three companions while out walking their dogs on Friday evening.
“They were spread out about six or seven feet wide up the whole stretch of the hillside.
“They had been stalking us, I was quite clear. They knew where to come in so our dogs did not get their scent – they were above us.”
Hillborn along with Shane Foreman, Dan and Crystal Lorette, were with three dogs walking on the cart path near Hole 6 of the golf course. The pack of hunting wolves came from another hole on a ridge above them.
“All at the same time, the ears moved forward and we saw their heads. They stopped again and watched us and we were trying to figure out our strategy,” she said. “Then all in sync, they moved forward further so we could see their entire bodies standing on the hill – all eight of them the same just like the military coming over the hill for attack.”
Hilborn and Crystal Lorette began screaming for help after hearing some golfers playing the hole behind them. The golfers, a group of four local teens, at first told the group that wolves were often seen in the area and not to worry about it while they continued to play on.
“Us two girls took two of the dogs on leashes and turned that corner to Number 5 still screaming for help,” said Hilborn. “Shane and Dan stayed where they were and were spreading out, trying to make themselves look big. The wolves still came towards them and they’re now yelling at us ‘hurry up, hurry up bring some clubs or something.”
“(The golfers) each grabbed a couple of clubs and the six of us came running back. Once we were eight adults and three dogs, the wolves took off.”
If not for the aid of the four young men, Hilborn said they have no doubt their dogs – an adult Labrador retriever named Lucy and two six month old Husky pups named Bandit and Sophie would have been attacked.
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” she said. “They had stalked us, they had made their move, spread out and they were circling us.”
Later that evening, a local lawyer and his golfing partner were also chased off the course by the wolves.
”The way he described it was quite neat, he said he looked behind him and there was five wolves lined up across the fairway and then one wolf out in front, like in the song The Leader of the Pack, said the Pro Shop’s Moe Hays. “And the wolves just kept coming – they kept walking and the wolves kept coming. They decided to drop their golf clubs and run, but the wolves picked up the pace.
Hays, who has been at the golf course since 1972, says that while the golf course has always been frequented by a couple of wolves this is the first time they’ve seen a pack.
“As far as I understand from talking to people, the wolves that are around .. what they’ve done is packed up,” he said.
“The lone wolf is not of any significance or anything to fear but when they’re in a pack that’s when they’re serious.”
According to Hilborn a number of people have called Conservation to report the incident but have received a luke warm response from the understaffed Terrace based agency that patrols a vast swath of land in the North.
“They’ve said there’s not much they can do,” she said. “Does somebody have to get attacked and ripped apart?”
CONSERVATION OFFICERS DRAWING UP A WOLF PLAN
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Monday, August 1, 2006
Page Five
A pack of wolves prowling the area of the golf course has raised concerns among wildlife officials across the region.
“That was the first we heard of a pack approaching people,” said Conservation Officer Chris Price about a series of incidents involving a large group of wolves from last Friday night.
“We certainly are aware there’s a pack of wolves on Kaien Island between the dump and the golf course, but not that they’ve approached people as a group.
“We need to see if this is a one-time occurrence or if there‘s a pattern of conditioning.”
The issue is a complicated one for Conservation to deal with because many options available to them when animals are in the wild are not available.
“Shooting them is one option, leg hold traps and snare are options, but those are all limited in urban areas because of the proximity of pets, people and children,” said Price.
“That makes it very difficult to employ those measures. If we were considering employing those measures, we’d have to do so very safely.
“We’re going to look at some of our options in terms of dealing with the situation as well as trying to get more information about the frequency of the wolves being seen and their behaviour when they are being seen. Once we’ve got a plan, we’ll address it in the best way that we can to ensure the safety of the public.”
Until a solution is found, Price recommends people keep their pets - a major attraction to a wolf – on a leash, consider carrying a walking stick with them and think about where they’re going to take a dog for a walk.
“The public does need to keep in mind they could encounter a wolf or more than one wolf it they are near the golf course, or along the trail at Butze Rapids or out by the landfill, “ he said.
“We’ve had situations in Prince Rupert where dogs have been attacked when walking with their owners, so the best way to keep a dog safe is to keep them .. under control at all times so the owner can remove the doge from the area if wolves are spotted.
“People should also consider.. walking in areas that are more open, so they can see they wolves and they can’t really approach.”
If people are approached by a wolf or a pack of wolves, Price said their approach to safety should be the same.
“You want to … back away from the area, don’t turn and run but certainly try to leave the area as expeditiously as possible.
“Watch the wolves to see what they’re doing while trying get somewhere safe,” he said.
“Try to make yourself look as big and intimidating as possible yelling and waving your arms will intimidate a wolf.”
He adds that wolves are extremely timid creatures and there is only one suspected fatality as a result of a wolf attack in North America’s history.
What makes them less timid is people feeding them – a criminal offence – or not running them off when they see them in urban areas, allowing them to become habituated.
“Some of the wolves we’re seeing around PR are certainly conditioned to people, they’ve lost their timid ness and they do approach people closely… but it doesn’t mean that they’re going to necessarily attack somebody,” said Price.
If people are approached by a wolf or wolves they should report it to 1-877-952-7277.
So for the benefit of those from away and not near a Daily News paper proprietor, here is the Daily’s coverage of the prowling wolf packs of Podunk. There is also a story below on the plans of the Conservation department regarding the ongoing wolf situation in Prince Rupert.
GOLFERS DRIVE WOLF PACK OFF THE FAIRWAY
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Pages One and Five
A lone wolf encounter is not an unusual thing for Rupert residents out walking near the golf course. A pack of eight, however, is another situation altogether.
“I had just finished having a conversation about wolves thinking ‘oh my god wouldn’t it be freaky‘ and it was so weird… we saw all their ears poking up,” said Sherry Hilborn of the pack of wolves that descended on her and three companions while out walking their dogs on Friday evening.
“They were spread out about six or seven feet wide up the whole stretch of the hillside.
“They had been stalking us, I was quite clear. They knew where to come in so our dogs did not get their scent – they were above us.”
Hillborn along with Shane Foreman, Dan and Crystal Lorette, were with three dogs walking on the cart path near Hole 6 of the golf course. The pack of hunting wolves came from another hole on a ridge above them.
“All at the same time, the ears moved forward and we saw their heads. They stopped again and watched us and we were trying to figure out our strategy,” she said. “Then all in sync, they moved forward further so we could see their entire bodies standing on the hill – all eight of them the same just like the military coming over the hill for attack.”
Hilborn and Crystal Lorette began screaming for help after hearing some golfers playing the hole behind them. The golfers, a group of four local teens, at first told the group that wolves were often seen in the area and not to worry about it while they continued to play on.
“Us two girls took two of the dogs on leashes and turned that corner to Number 5 still screaming for help,” said Hilborn. “Shane and Dan stayed where they were and were spreading out, trying to make themselves look big. The wolves still came towards them and they’re now yelling at us ‘hurry up, hurry up bring some clubs or something.”
“(The golfers) each grabbed a couple of clubs and the six of us came running back. Once we were eight adults and three dogs, the wolves took off.”
If not for the aid of the four young men, Hilborn said they have no doubt their dogs – an adult Labrador retriever named Lucy and two six month old Husky pups named Bandit and Sophie would have been attacked.
“There’s no doubt in my mind,” she said. “They had stalked us, they had made their move, spread out and they were circling us.”
Later that evening, a local lawyer and his golfing partner were also chased off the course by the wolves.
”The way he described it was quite neat, he said he looked behind him and there was five wolves lined up across the fairway and then one wolf out in front, like in the song The Leader of the Pack, said the Pro Shop’s Moe Hays. “And the wolves just kept coming – they kept walking and the wolves kept coming. They decided to drop their golf clubs and run, but the wolves picked up the pace.
Hays, who has been at the golf course since 1972, says that while the golf course has always been frequented by a couple of wolves this is the first time they’ve seen a pack.
“As far as I understand from talking to people, the wolves that are around .. what they’ve done is packed up,” he said.
“The lone wolf is not of any significance or anything to fear but when they’re in a pack that’s when they’re serious.”
According to Hilborn a number of people have called Conservation to report the incident but have received a luke warm response from the understaffed Terrace based agency that patrols a vast swath of land in the North.
“They’ve said there’s not much they can do,” she said. “Does somebody have to get attacked and ripped apart?”
CONSERVATION OFFICERS DRAWING UP A WOLF PLAN
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Monday, August 1, 2006
Page Five
A pack of wolves prowling the area of the golf course has raised concerns among wildlife officials across the region.
“That was the first we heard of a pack approaching people,” said Conservation Officer Chris Price about a series of incidents involving a large group of wolves from last Friday night.
“We certainly are aware there’s a pack of wolves on Kaien Island between the dump and the golf course, but not that they’ve approached people as a group.
“We need to see if this is a one-time occurrence or if there‘s a pattern of conditioning.”
The issue is a complicated one for Conservation to deal with because many options available to them when animals are in the wild are not available.
“Shooting them is one option, leg hold traps and snare are options, but those are all limited in urban areas because of the proximity of pets, people and children,” said Price.
“That makes it very difficult to employ those measures. If we were considering employing those measures, we’d have to do so very safely.
“We’re going to look at some of our options in terms of dealing with the situation as well as trying to get more information about the frequency of the wolves being seen and their behaviour when they are being seen. Once we’ve got a plan, we’ll address it in the best way that we can to ensure the safety of the public.”
Until a solution is found, Price recommends people keep their pets - a major attraction to a wolf – on a leash, consider carrying a walking stick with them and think about where they’re going to take a dog for a walk.
“The public does need to keep in mind they could encounter a wolf or more than one wolf it they are near the golf course, or along the trail at Butze Rapids or out by the landfill, “ he said.
“We’ve had situations in Prince Rupert where dogs have been attacked when walking with their owners, so the best way to keep a dog safe is to keep them .. under control at all times so the owner can remove the doge from the area if wolves are spotted.
“People should also consider.. walking in areas that are more open, so they can see they wolves and they can’t really approach.”
If people are approached by a wolf or a pack of wolves, Price said their approach to safety should be the same.
“You want to … back away from the area, don’t turn and run but certainly try to leave the area as expeditiously as possible.
“Watch the wolves to see what they’re doing while trying get somewhere safe,” he said.
“Try to make yourself look as big and intimidating as possible yelling and waving your arms will intimidate a wolf.”
He adds that wolves are extremely timid creatures and there is only one suspected fatality as a result of a wolf attack in North America’s history.
What makes them less timid is people feeding them – a criminal offence – or not running them off when they see them in urban areas, allowing them to become habituated.
“Some of the wolves we’re seeing around PR are certainly conditioned to people, they’ve lost their timid ness and they do approach people closely… but it doesn’t mean that they’re going to necessarily attack somebody,” said Price.
If people are approached by a wolf or wolves they should report it to 1-877-952-7277.
Hold Onto your wallets, ICBC rates may be rising!
The net income for ICBC is down over the fist six months of the year, sending an alarm bell that BC drivers may be paying a little more next time they renew their policies. While it’s a little early to say that a definite rise in rates is on the way, the seeds of a rate increase have been planted by ICBC officials.
The opinion 250 website has the details on the latest financial dealings with the province’s insurance industry and how it all may affect us.
ICBC Premiums May Increase if Trend Continues
By Anne Blanchard
Tuesday, August 01, 2006 03:25 PM
ICBC has reported net income of $110 million for the first half of 2006, down $50 million from the same period in 2005. The net cost of claims rose by about 10% in that same time period. ICBC says the average payout to customers with claims is increasing. As well, costs associated with prior year claims have continued to increase, resulting in a need for higher reserves.
It’s too early to say if premium costs will go up, but if things continue this way there will be a need for a 4-5% increase in basic premiums, to come into effect sometime next year, says Doug McClelland, Senior Manager of Media Relations for ICBC, though any decision on rate increases is still several months away. “The bottom line is if costs go up, there’s only one place to turn,” says McClelland. “Premium revenue must cover claims costs.”
The cost increases in the first six months of 2006 have been partly offset by increased revenues from premiums. A 6.5% increase for basic coverage came into effect on March 15, 2006, and there has been an increase in the number of basic policies sold in the first six months of 2006, as well as higher sales of optional coverage .
ICBC has a commitment to keeping rates low and stable, says McClelland, but costs have risen across the board, including payments for injuries and lost wages, for medical costs, and for general damage awards.
The biggest thing drivers can do to influence premium rates is to drive safely, says McClelland. The longer the safe driving record, the bigger the discount on premiums for customers.
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 03:25 PM in News by Anne Blanchard
The opinion 250 website has the details on the latest financial dealings with the province’s insurance industry and how it all may affect us.
ICBC Premiums May Increase if Trend Continues
By Anne Blanchard
Tuesday, August 01, 2006 03:25 PM
ICBC has reported net income of $110 million for the first half of 2006, down $50 million from the same period in 2005. The net cost of claims rose by about 10% in that same time period. ICBC says the average payout to customers with claims is increasing. As well, costs associated with prior year claims have continued to increase, resulting in a need for higher reserves.
It’s too early to say if premium costs will go up, but if things continue this way there will be a need for a 4-5% increase in basic premiums, to come into effect sometime next year, says Doug McClelland, Senior Manager of Media Relations for ICBC, though any decision on rate increases is still several months away. “The bottom line is if costs go up, there’s only one place to turn,” says McClelland. “Premium revenue must cover claims costs.”
The cost increases in the first six months of 2006 have been partly offset by increased revenues from premiums. A 6.5% increase for basic coverage came into effect on March 15, 2006, and there has been an increase in the number of basic policies sold in the first six months of 2006, as well as higher sales of optional coverage .
ICBC has a commitment to keeping rates low and stable, says McClelland, but costs have risen across the board, including payments for injuries and lost wages, for medical costs, and for general damage awards.
The biggest thing drivers can do to influence premium rates is to drive safely, says McClelland. The longer the safe driving record, the bigger the discount on premiums for customers.
Posted on Tuesday, August 01, 2006 03:25 PM in News by Anne Blanchard
Petro Canada discovers the Power of You Tube
Petro Can employee explains just why they charge so much for gas!
You Tube, the instrument of big Oil?
Well could this be the end of the YouTube fascination, once the domain of the Oliver Stone wanna be generation, the ever popular internet website has now been discovered by the corporate world.
Petro Canada is using the video option (see add above and look for others here) to explain just why they charge you so much for your litre of gas (mind you they don’t explain why they’re always quick to be the ones to raise their prices first eh!).
Petro Can has posted all of their projects on their own corporate website, but perhaps they may have missed the boat on the You Tube generation and their placement there. If I have read the service correctly, You Tube is supposed to be uh, funny. Gas prices compared to cups of coffee, it's um shall we say, unfunny to say the least.
They do however, wish to hear from all of us voyeurs of the net, so fire off your very own critique!
The Globe and Mail had the following blurb on the sudden fascination of YouTube by Big Oil Canadian style and what it may mean for the little diversion we all enjoy lurking around.
Petrocan breaks ground with YouTube gas price ad
KEITH MCARTHUR
MARKETING REPORTER
TORONTO — Petro-Canada is going grassroots -- using the popular YouTube website to broadcast amateur-style videos of employees talking about gas prices.
YouTube was founded last year with a mission of giving amateur filmmakers a voice -- allowing them to broadcast videos shot on digital cameras or mobile phones. Now, large corporations, which have always had the means to get their messages out, are looking at YouTube as an alternative way to reach young consumers.
The site already broadcasts hundreds of commercials. Where Petrocan is breaking new ground is by using YouTube to broadcast videos that are more educational than entertaining, said Max Valiquette, president of Toronto marketing consulting firm Youthography.
"This is a press release in the form of a video, and I think we're going to see a lot more of that in the coming years," Mr. Valiquette said.
"Corporations say they should be doing more to engage consumers -- to talk to them on their terms -- and, execution aside, this is actually a really interesting example of Petro-Canada doing that."
In a series of videos, Petrocan spokeswoman Allyson Zarowny stands in front of a gas station and explains that gas prices rise and fall, just like coffee prices. But margins in the gas business are much slimmer than they are in the coffee business, she says. Separate video messages were recorded in French.
The videos can be viewed on Petrocan's website or at YouTube.com. Late yesterday afternoon, a week after being submitted to YouTube, one of the videos had been viewed more than 2,000 times.
Jon Hamilton, director of communications for Petrocan's retail operations, said the intent was to have Ms. Zarowny explain gas prices the way any employee would when grilled by a friend or family member at a barbecue or wedding. Petrocan already had information on its site explaining gas pricing, but it was overly technical, dry and not user-friendly, he said.
"We thought, they don't go to barbecues with power point presentations. They just answer the question straight up. And we said, maybe there's something we could learn from that."
Mr. Hamilton said Petrocan spent little on the campaign -- largely by design -- to give it an unpolished feel. It cost about $20,000, considerably less than a traditional advertising campaign, he said.
Petrocan isn't the only marketer to broadcast over YouTube. Coca-Cola's new advertising agency -- Wieden & Kennedy -- is releasing a series of Internet-only ads over YouTube in conjunction with its newest TV campaign.
And Mark Tutssel, worldwide creative director for Leo Burnett, recently called YouTube the advertising model of the future.
The videos that get watched most often on YouTube tend to be the most entertaining -- usually silly, sexy or outrageous.
Mr. Valiquette, whose firm did consulting work for Petrocan about four years ago, said the company's effort won't be one of the most popular videos on YouTube, but will get enough views to cover its meagre costs.
"People will watch anything," he said. "If it's up there, somebody's going to watch it. Somebody's going to be looking for 'gas' or 'pump' or 'Canada' and they're going to look at it."
But Steve Williams, creative director at Calgary-based ad agency Venture Communications, questioned whether Petrocan's effort will be worthwhile.
"It's the least funny thing I've ever seen on YouTube," he said.
Mr. Williams said that for a medium like YouTube, Petrocan would have been better off creating a funny video -- perhaps with a self-deprecating tone -- which would have been more likely to "go viral" and get passed around from user to user.
"I look at stuff like this and I just think 'Why do it?' I understand that people gripe about gas prices, but it's sort of like griping about the weather. You really know you can't do anything about it, but it's just good sport for griping."
Petro Canada is using the video option (see add above and look for others here) to explain just why they charge you so much for your litre of gas (mind you they don’t explain why they’re always quick to be the ones to raise their prices first eh!).
Petro Can has posted all of their projects on their own corporate website, but perhaps they may have missed the boat on the You Tube generation and their placement there. If I have read the service correctly, You Tube is supposed to be uh, funny. Gas prices compared to cups of coffee, it's um shall we say, unfunny to say the least.
They do however, wish to hear from all of us voyeurs of the net, so fire off your very own critique!
The Globe and Mail had the following blurb on the sudden fascination of YouTube by Big Oil Canadian style and what it may mean for the little diversion we all enjoy lurking around.
Petrocan breaks ground with YouTube gas price ad
KEITH MCARTHUR
MARKETING REPORTER
TORONTO — Petro-Canada is going grassroots -- using the popular YouTube website to broadcast amateur-style videos of employees talking about gas prices.
YouTube was founded last year with a mission of giving amateur filmmakers a voice -- allowing them to broadcast videos shot on digital cameras or mobile phones. Now, large corporations, which have always had the means to get their messages out, are looking at YouTube as an alternative way to reach young consumers.
The site already broadcasts hundreds of commercials. Where Petrocan is breaking new ground is by using YouTube to broadcast videos that are more educational than entertaining, said Max Valiquette, president of Toronto marketing consulting firm Youthography.
"This is a press release in the form of a video, and I think we're going to see a lot more of that in the coming years," Mr. Valiquette said.
"Corporations say they should be doing more to engage consumers -- to talk to them on their terms -- and, execution aside, this is actually a really interesting example of Petro-Canada doing that."
In a series of videos, Petrocan spokeswoman Allyson Zarowny stands in front of a gas station and explains that gas prices rise and fall, just like coffee prices. But margins in the gas business are much slimmer than they are in the coffee business, she says. Separate video messages were recorded in French.
The videos can be viewed on Petrocan's website or at YouTube.com. Late yesterday afternoon, a week after being submitted to YouTube, one of the videos had been viewed more than 2,000 times.
Jon Hamilton, director of communications for Petrocan's retail operations, said the intent was to have Ms. Zarowny explain gas prices the way any employee would when grilled by a friend or family member at a barbecue or wedding. Petrocan already had information on its site explaining gas pricing, but it was overly technical, dry and not user-friendly, he said.
"We thought, they don't go to barbecues with power point presentations. They just answer the question straight up. And we said, maybe there's something we could learn from that."
Mr. Hamilton said Petrocan spent little on the campaign -- largely by design -- to give it an unpolished feel. It cost about $20,000, considerably less than a traditional advertising campaign, he said.
Petrocan isn't the only marketer to broadcast over YouTube. Coca-Cola's new advertising agency -- Wieden & Kennedy -- is releasing a series of Internet-only ads over YouTube in conjunction with its newest TV campaign.
And Mark Tutssel, worldwide creative director for Leo Burnett, recently called YouTube the advertising model of the future.
The videos that get watched most often on YouTube tend to be the most entertaining -- usually silly, sexy or outrageous.
Mr. Valiquette, whose firm did consulting work for Petrocan about four years ago, said the company's effort won't be one of the most popular videos on YouTube, but will get enough views to cover its meagre costs.
"People will watch anything," he said. "If it's up there, somebody's going to watch it. Somebody's going to be looking for 'gas' or 'pump' or 'Canada' and they're going to look at it."
But Steve Williams, creative director at Calgary-based ad agency Venture Communications, questioned whether Petrocan's effort will be worthwhile.
"It's the least funny thing I've ever seen on YouTube," he said.
Mr. Williams said that for a medium like YouTube, Petrocan would have been better off creating a funny video -- perhaps with a self-deprecating tone -- which would have been more likely to "go viral" and get passed around from user to user.
"I look at stuff like this and I just think 'Why do it?' I understand that people gripe about gas prices, but it's sort of like griping about the weather. You really know you can't do anything about it, but it's just good sport for griping."
Wolves cause for concern at Golf Course
Prince Rupert's Wolf problem is becoming national news, in addition to a couple of stories in yesterday's Daily (haven't bought it yet so I can't quote details) I found this story from the pages of the Hamilton Spectator, outlining the troubles faced by golfers and hikers alike along the Centennial Golf Course byways.
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.
Northwestern B.C. conservation officers are expressing concern after Prince Rupert walkers found themselves being stalked by a pack of wolves last week.
Sherry Hilborn and several friends were walking their dogs on the coastal island city's golf course on Friday when they spotted eight wolves.
When they screamed for help, other golfers arrived with clubs and the wolves fled.
Later that evening, a local lawyer and his golfing partner were chased off the course by the wolves.
Conservation Officer Chris Price said it was the first time he had heard of groups of people being approached by a pack.
"We certainly are aware there's a pack of wolves on Kaien Island between the dump and the golf course, but not that they've approached people as a group," he said. "We need to see if this is a one-time occurrence or if there's a pattern of conditioning."
Moe Hays has been the golf pro at the course since 1972. The occasional wolf is nothing new, he said.
"The lone wolf is not of any significance or anything to fear but when they're in a pack, that's when they're serious," he said.
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.
Northwestern B.C. conservation officers are expressing concern after Prince Rupert walkers found themselves being stalked by a pack of wolves last week.
Sherry Hilborn and several friends were walking their dogs on the coastal island city's golf course on Friday when they spotted eight wolves.
When they screamed for help, other golfers arrived with clubs and the wolves fled.
Later that evening, a local lawyer and his golfing partner were chased off the course by the wolves.
Conservation Officer Chris Price said it was the first time he had heard of groups of people being approached by a pack.
"We certainly are aware there's a pack of wolves on Kaien Island between the dump and the golf course, but not that they've approached people as a group," he said. "We need to see if this is a one-time occurrence or if there's a pattern of conditioning."
Moe Hays has been the golf pro at the course since 1972. The occasional wolf is nothing new, he said.
"The lone wolf is not of any significance or anything to fear but when they're in a pack, that's when they're serious," he said.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Pictures of Podunk: Now loading cattle at pen number one!
Oh for the golden days of jet travel!Visitors to Podunk these days find themselves taking part in some kind of warped version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Once you navigate the wonderfully strange methods of bus, boat and road transportation to the airport its time to board your plane.
This is the De Havilland Dash 8 Series 300, the mode of transport provided from the folks at Air Canada Jazz. Once upon a time there were spacious?? jets plying the routes of Terrace, Prince Rupert and Sandspit but those days are long gone. Now it's herd the cattle onto the tarmac and into the cattle truck er, cabin.
Perhaps one day progress may once again come to Podunk, if nothing else perhaps Jazz could put one of these on the Rupert run just for a bit of modern day travel. The cattle in the back would gladly moo their thanks.
Creative Writing 101
Well as I get back into the swing of the blogging thing I have perused the month long festival of google alerts clogging up my mailbox.
Found this little gem from the folks at VIA Rail who are busy trying to drum up business on the Skeena line, and while we can appreciate their efforts on our behalf to lure the monied train travelers to our various northern outposts, one must take some of their gushing with a grain of salt. To wit we quote this little blurb about the self anointed Northern Capital of Prince George....
"Prince George, where the Skeena stops overnight on its journey between Jasper and Prince Rupert, is a beautiful city located in some of Canada's densest forests. Not surprisingly, the city is one with nature, as over 100 parks can be found within city limits!
Prince George also offers several fascinating museums, such as the Fraser Fort George Regional Museum, a hands-on natural history and science center featuring "Adventure Theatre", an in-depth history of the region's human culture, and various other activities."
Now I have no bone to pick with the land of Mr. PG, hell I even lived there for two and a half years of my life. But it's a stretch to call the town that sits in a bowl, with its hot haze of pulp effluent hanging over it in the hot and occasionally stinking summer as "Beautiful", it takes a lot of rose in your coloured glasses to call it beautiful, even scenic would be a bit of a challenge as the cut banks aren't exactly the thing of the Rockies. Even Ben Meisner, a rather well known ruminator of all things PG would probably admit that it might be a stretch, his own writing for opinion 250 comes a little closer to the tone and feel of the city today.
In fact when you get off the train in PG your kind of stuck in a no mans land of industrial use, rail yards and warehouses, car lots and questionable characters wandering the streets. Not to mention that you're more than a few blocks away from a decent hotel, which you probably don't really want to hike to. Perhaps a phone number for PG Taxis might have been useful in the piece, that and the address for the Casino!
Now all that being said it's still a sizeable community along the way and has its own particular charms to explore, the museum mentioned is a nice little thing but not quite the Science Centre in Vancouver, the University site is quite nice up above the pulp haze and overlooking the bowl area and yes there are many parks to explore once you get off that monstrosity of a fast lane called the by-pass, but sheesh beautiful?.
Somebody got a bonus point in creative writing to pull those adjectives out for this PR piece...
Found this little gem from the folks at VIA Rail who are busy trying to drum up business on the Skeena line, and while we can appreciate their efforts on our behalf to lure the monied train travelers to our various northern outposts, one must take some of their gushing with a grain of salt. To wit we quote this little blurb about the self anointed Northern Capital of Prince George....
"Prince George, where the Skeena stops overnight on its journey between Jasper and Prince Rupert, is a beautiful city located in some of Canada's densest forests. Not surprisingly, the city is one with nature, as over 100 parks can be found within city limits!
Prince George also offers several fascinating museums, such as the Fraser Fort George Regional Museum, a hands-on natural history and science center featuring "Adventure Theatre", an in-depth history of the region's human culture, and various other activities."
Now I have no bone to pick with the land of Mr. PG, hell I even lived there for two and a half years of my life. But it's a stretch to call the town that sits in a bowl, with its hot haze of pulp effluent hanging over it in the hot and occasionally stinking summer as "Beautiful", it takes a lot of rose in your coloured glasses to call it beautiful, even scenic would be a bit of a challenge as the cut banks aren't exactly the thing of the Rockies. Even Ben Meisner, a rather well known ruminator of all things PG would probably admit that it might be a stretch, his own writing for opinion 250 comes a little closer to the tone and feel of the city today.
In fact when you get off the train in PG your kind of stuck in a no mans land of industrial use, rail yards and warehouses, car lots and questionable characters wandering the streets. Not to mention that you're more than a few blocks away from a decent hotel, which you probably don't really want to hike to. Perhaps a phone number for PG Taxis might have been useful in the piece, that and the address for the Casino!
Now all that being said it's still a sizeable community along the way and has its own particular charms to explore, the museum mentioned is a nice little thing but not quite the Science Centre in Vancouver, the University site is quite nice up above the pulp haze and overlooking the bowl area and yes there are many parks to explore once you get off that monstrosity of a fast lane called the by-pass, but sheesh beautiful?.
Somebody got a bonus point in creative writing to pull those adjectives out for this PR piece...
The Googles of August
We continue our mission to monitor the Google news ticker and report on those breaking items of interest to Podunk. Below those news worthy items for the month of August.
August 31 Economy getting hotter, forecasts new report
August 31 Rupert man awarded cross of valour
August 29 B. C. Ferries buys vessel Sonia for northern routes
August 28 Free trade takes a hit from an unlikely corner
August 28 Unemployment rate to rise in Prince Rupert
August 28 Fishing derby unpopular with Regional District
August 27 UNBC to offer Bachelor of Ed classes in Terrace
August 25 Local golfer tees it up in New Mexico
August 23 Thieves on the docks
August 23 Ferries need to get this right
August 23 Kitimat still confident in their fishing derby
August 23 Regional parks get more maintenance this year
August 23 Activists want SPCA to stop serving meat
August 22 BC Ferries to revamp Northern fleet
August 22 UNBC road trip a success
August 21 Liberal candidate says Conservatives lack support for PR gateway
August 18 Catching the 100,000 fish close to reality
August 18 BC Ferries selects German firm to build new vessel for North Coast
August 18 Prince Rupert SPCA to cancel crab boil due to opposition
August 16 Rupert fish derby draws fire for impact on area tourism
August 16 Genetic testing to help out North coast fishery
August 16 Prince George continues to beneift from Rupert Port
August 15 Fairview Container port spurring development in PG
August 14 Alcan to build "world class" smelter in Kitimat
August 13 We're but a tiny fishing village
August 12 Remembering Clyde Westman
August 11 Ferry head count was faulty
August 11 Rupert Chamber official visists the Charlottes
August 10 Smithers officials wonder about CN Rail loads
August 10 Squamish oil spill has many wondering about North Coast LNG
August 9 Kitimat LNG Project gets Env. Canada approval
August 9 Terrace ponders traffic trouble from Rupert port
August 9 Sierra Club lauds management of Nass fishery
August 8 Rupert selected as site to build historic Tsmshian canoes
August 8 Fairview Container Port makes the Wall St. Journal
August 7 Raid the North extreme re-scheduled
August 5 Gitanyow sign forestry deal with province
August 4 Pot Luck crackdown causing anger in Northwest
August 4 Health Connections bus to be used for Highway of Tears?
August 4 Former Rupert resident to skate with Duck and Mouse
August 3 Remembering and learning from the Big One of 1946
August 2 Coho Derby making a negative splash with some inland
August 2 Prince Rupert Port will help Alberta and BC economies
August 2 Wolf problems at the Golf Course
August 1 Coal Mine opens with Ridley as its transportation gateway
August 31 Economy getting hotter, forecasts new report
August 31 Rupert man awarded cross of valour
August 29 B. C. Ferries buys vessel Sonia for northern routes
August 28 Free trade takes a hit from an unlikely corner
August 28 Unemployment rate to rise in Prince Rupert
August 28 Fishing derby unpopular with Regional District
August 27 UNBC to offer Bachelor of Ed classes in Terrace
August 25 Local golfer tees it up in New Mexico
August 23 Thieves on the docks
August 23 Ferries need to get this right
August 23 Kitimat still confident in their fishing derby
August 23 Regional parks get more maintenance this year
August 23 Activists want SPCA to stop serving meat
August 22 BC Ferries to revamp Northern fleet
August 22 UNBC road trip a success
August 21 Liberal candidate says Conservatives lack support for PR gateway
August 18 Catching the 100,000 fish close to reality
August 18 BC Ferries selects German firm to build new vessel for North Coast
August 18 Prince Rupert SPCA to cancel crab boil due to opposition
August 16 Rupert fish derby draws fire for impact on area tourism
August 16 Genetic testing to help out North coast fishery
August 16 Prince George continues to beneift from Rupert Port
August 15 Fairview Container port spurring development in PG
August 14 Alcan to build "world class" smelter in Kitimat
August 13 We're but a tiny fishing village
August 12 Remembering Clyde Westman
August 11 Ferry head count was faulty
August 11 Rupert Chamber official visists the Charlottes
August 10 Smithers officials wonder about CN Rail loads
August 10 Squamish oil spill has many wondering about North Coast LNG
August 9 Kitimat LNG Project gets Env. Canada approval
August 9 Terrace ponders traffic trouble from Rupert port
August 9 Sierra Club lauds management of Nass fishery
August 8 Rupert selected as site to build historic Tsmshian canoes
August 8 Fairview Container Port makes the Wall St. Journal
August 7 Raid the North extreme re-scheduled
August 5 Gitanyow sign forestry deal with province
August 4 Pot Luck crackdown causing anger in Northwest
August 4 Health Connections bus to be used for Highway of Tears?
August 4 Former Rupert resident to skate with Duck and Mouse
August 3 Remembering and learning from the Big One of 1946
August 2 Coho Derby making a negative splash with some inland
August 2 Prince Rupert Port will help Alberta and BC economies
August 2 Wolf problems at the Golf Course
August 1 Coal Mine opens with Ridley as its transportation gateway
Slowly back to the blog.
Jeez I'm still wandering in some kind of hazy post vacation ether, one than seems to render the simple tasks of blogging to being rather a chore. Shall endeavor to get back on track shortly, seems like a few things happened in ole Podunk in my absence.
The most historic of which being the passing of the legendary Peter Lester, hope to hit the library for past issues of the Daily Podunk to catch up and shall provide a suitable posting for the passing of Mr. Lester in the days to come. (How come all the big news happens when you get away, suppose like the big news organizations I should have had a batch file of obits waiting to be posted.)
Be slow blogging for the moment though, still not quite ready to dedicate blocks and blocks of time to a blog, though if the crappy weather continues I can see blogging being ones salvation once again shortly.
As they say watch this space.....
The most historic of which being the passing of the legendary Peter Lester, hope to hit the library for past issues of the Daily Podunk to catch up and shall provide a suitable posting for the passing of Mr. Lester in the days to come. (How come all the big news happens when you get away, suppose like the big news organizations I should have had a batch file of obits waiting to be posted.)
Be slow blogging for the moment though, still not quite ready to dedicate blocks and blocks of time to a blog, though if the crappy weather continues I can see blogging being ones salvation once again shortly.
As they say watch this space.....
Monday, July 31, 2006
Playing Catch up with the July News (July 27)
We try to pick and choose the big stories of our sabbatical, to archive for future generations of Podunkians.
The July 27th recap
TRIO IN COURT FOLLOWING LONG ABALONE STAKE OUT
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Pages One and Seven
Three men accused of illegally harvesting more than 11,000 Northern abalone will have a month to prepare their defence.
Prince Rupert’s Michael (Stanley) McNeill along with Skidegate’s Daniel McNeill and Randall Graff appeared in Prince Rupert Provincial Court Monday on charges that carry fines of up to $500,000 and five years in prison if convicted in what Fisheries calls the largest seizure of Northern abalone in B. C.’s history.
“The operation was the result of a three-year investigation which stemmed mainly from public complaints,” said Trevor Gray, fisher officer, of the February arrests. “Fisheries Officers believe that the three accused are part of a larger group of abalone poachers and are continuing their investigation.”
All three are being charged with violating Section 63 of the Pacific Fishery Regulations (fish for abalone during a closure). Section 33 of the Fisheries Act (illegal possession of fish) and with Section 32 (2) of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (possession of a threatened species).
Abalone were closed to commercial, sport and First Nations fishing in 1990 due to low stocks. In 1999 it was listed as threatened under SARA.
“What that basically means is that the species is likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed – i. e. poaching,” said Gray.
For four continuous days in February, Federal Fisheries Officers from Prince Rupert set up a surveillance operation in Port Edward.
Their targets were these three individuals on board a vessel who were believed to be out harvesting abalone on the weekend. The operation lasted four days and included two Canadian Coast Guard vessels and additional Fishery Officers from Terrace, Hazelton and the Queen Charlotte Islands.
“The officers waited in the bushes around the clock waiting for the vessel to steam into Port Edward,” said Gray. “During the early hours of Monday, February 20, their patience paid off.
“Fishery Officers stopped the suspects after they had loaded up the illegal abalone into a truck and were leaving town under the cover of darkness in the early morning hours.”
The suspects were arrested and taken to the Prince Rupert RCMP station. A 1993 Ford F150 truck and the Zomby Woof, a 35 foot aluminum super punt, were seized along with nearly 2,500 pounds of abalone. Officers then spent the following two days returning the mollusks to the ocean.
“This was a very time consuming job,” he said, because abalone have to be placed in specific rocky areas to increase their chance of survival.”
Fisheries believes the abalone, which can fetch $30-40 still in the shell for less than half a kilogram on the black market, believe the haul was likely headed offshore as part of a larger poaching operation.
Last year there were three Northern abalone cases, in which all individuals were convicted. Punishments included fines of $35,000 and $35,000 as well as a sentence to perform 80 hours of community service under the supervision of the Prince Rupert Restorative Justice Program. A research project, designed to educate the public about the detrimental effects of harvesting Northern abalone, was to be organized by the offenders at their expense.
FISH DERBY LIKELY TO HOOK SOME MASSIVE CROWDS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily news
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Pages One and Two
Fishermen are setting their reels as the largest non-invitational fishing derby in Western Canada gets underway Tuesday.
The Great Northern Salmon Classic starts at 12:01 a. m. Tuesday August 1 and fishermen will chase prizes of $100,000 and a Dodge Dakota until Sept. 15.
Margo Cullen of Vertigo Link Charters and chair of Tourism Prince Rupert has been contracted by the Northern Management Fund Committee to act as the derby manager on the ground.
“During the weigh-in staff and volunteers will be on the dock at Atlin Terminal,’ said Bruce Wishart, Northern Management Fund Committee member.
Weigh-ins will occur between 4 p. m. and 6 p/ m. each day with the exception of Thursday’s where weigh-ins will occur between 4:45 p. m. and 6:30 p. m.
All participants must arrive at the Atlin Dock by boat and once a fish has been weigh using a digital scale, the derby official, participant and an observer will agree to the weight of the fish.
There are many chances to try for a prize. The under 18 category, female category, and mystery weights provide opportunities for all anglers to become involved.
The event was designed following consultation with communities along Highway 16 and will hopefully draw traffic along the Highway to replace the tourists lost following the sinking of the Queen of the North off Gil Island March 22, said Wishart.
“The response from Prince Rupert residents and across the region has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’d like to thank people for the outpouring of support.”
The Northern Fund Management Committee, which received $450,000 in one-time funding from the provincial government to come up with strategies to increase tourism this season, includes representatives from Prince Rupert, the Alaska Highway region, Haida Gwaii, Prince George and the Northern B. C. Tourism Association. They’ve committed $160,000 for the derby.
Other prizes include $10,000 for the largest eligible coho salmon caught by a female angler, $5,000 derby long mystery weight eligible coho, $5,000 largest eligible coho salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age, $500 weekly for the largest eligible pink salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age. $%00 weekly for the largest eligible Chinook salmon, getaway packages awarded to the largest eligible coho salmon caught weekly and daily mystery weight prizes valuing $100. Tickets for the derby are $35 and include three weigh ins.
All the rules and derby information are available on line by visiting http://www.tourismprincerupert.com/.
FEDS ‘REWRITING HISTORY’ OVER OIL TANKER MORATORIUM
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Page One
Any attempts by the federal and provincial governments to deny the existence of a crude oil tanker moratorium in the Queen Charlotte Basin is an effort to rewrite history, said Dr. Gerald Graham, oil spill expert and consultant.
He knows, he says, because he was around at the time and was thrown for a loop when he was recently told by government that it doesn’t exist.
“It’s a contentious issue. Up until about a year ago, it was generally assumed there was a crude oil tanker moratorium,” he said. “It came as a complete shock to me. Government is essentially rewriting history.”
The issue of the tanker moratorium has resurfaced because of a proposal by Enbridge, a Calgary based company, to build a billion dollar pipeline from Edmonton to Kitimat in order to export crude oil to China and the U. S.
Government and the company say the moratorium doesn’t exist, only a voluntary moratorium for U. S. tankers traveling from Alaska to the southern United States. But others, like Graham, say it does.
In fact, he said it pre-dates the offshore oil and gas exploration moratorium.
Graham said that in 1972, at the urging of David Anderson, the Federal Government imposed the moratorium on crude oil tankers traveling through Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and the Queen Charlotte Sound.
“Then someone said we have to be consistent and that’s when the offshore oil and gas moratorium was imposed,” he said. “In a nutshell, the original moratorium was a tanker moratorium.”
And any future changes to this policy require strategic environmental assessment as a result of a cabinet directive passed in 1996.
Graham says it’s ridiculous for government to try and ignore the existence of the moratorium given two of their own recent panels studying offshore oil and gas recognize it.
The terms of reference for the Priddle Panel, the most recent public panel exploring offshore oil and gas development in the Queen Charlotte Basin, expressly mentioned the moratorium.
And the Royal Society of Canada, which conducted the scientific review, only made two recommendations, he said, one of which was to keep the crude oil tanker moratorium.
Graham is a consultant of 33 years who used to work for the Canadian Offshore Oil and Gas Lands Administration. He also wrote about the tanker exclusion zone as a consultant for Canada’s Public Review Panel on Tanker and Safety and Marine Spills Response Capability, the so-called Brander-Smith Panel in the late 1980’s.
The panel was established following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska and the Nestucca barge spill in Oregon. The Panel’s Final Report led to a complete overhaul of Canada’s spill response regime.
Graham isn’t the only one claiming the current Conservative and former Liberal government are trying to re-write history.
Former Minister of Environment David Anderson, who pushed for the tanker moratorium, recently told the Victoria Times-Colonist that the policy exists.
“The idea that somehow you can pretend it doesn’t exist is stretching it a good deal,” he said.
And critics were recently outraged when, they say, the moratorium was violated.
In late June, a tanker carrying approximately 350,000 barrels of condensate – a mix of chemicals and petroleum derivatives used to dilute crude oil – entered B. C.’s inside passage bound for Methanex’s terminal in Kitimat. The tanker off-loaded its condensate into railcars for transport to Encana’s operations in Alberta.
Enbridge is also proposing to import condensate alongside its crude oil exports at its proposed Kitimat Terminal.
However, provincial Minister of Energy and Mines Richard Neufeld said the current government says the moratorium doesn’t exist.
“They agree with us,” he said. “There is no moratorium.”
The July 27th recap
TRIO IN COURT FOLLOWING LONG ABALONE STAKE OUT
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Pages One and Seven
Three men accused of illegally harvesting more than 11,000 Northern abalone will have a month to prepare their defence.
Prince Rupert’s Michael (Stanley) McNeill along with Skidegate’s Daniel McNeill and Randall Graff appeared in Prince Rupert Provincial Court Monday on charges that carry fines of up to $500,000 and five years in prison if convicted in what Fisheries calls the largest seizure of Northern abalone in B. C.’s history.
“The operation was the result of a three-year investigation which stemmed mainly from public complaints,” said Trevor Gray, fisher officer, of the February arrests. “Fisheries Officers believe that the three accused are part of a larger group of abalone poachers and are continuing their investigation.”
All three are being charged with violating Section 63 of the Pacific Fishery Regulations (fish for abalone during a closure). Section 33 of the Fisheries Act (illegal possession of fish) and with Section 32 (2) of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) (possession of a threatened species).
Abalone were closed to commercial, sport and First Nations fishing in 1990 due to low stocks. In 1999 it was listed as threatened under SARA.
“What that basically means is that the species is likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed – i. e. poaching,” said Gray.
For four continuous days in February, Federal Fisheries Officers from Prince Rupert set up a surveillance operation in Port Edward.
Their targets were these three individuals on board a vessel who were believed to be out harvesting abalone on the weekend. The operation lasted four days and included two Canadian Coast Guard vessels and additional Fishery Officers from Terrace, Hazelton and the Queen Charlotte Islands.
“The officers waited in the bushes around the clock waiting for the vessel to steam into Port Edward,” said Gray. “During the early hours of Monday, February 20, their patience paid off.
“Fishery Officers stopped the suspects after they had loaded up the illegal abalone into a truck and were leaving town under the cover of darkness in the early morning hours.”
The suspects were arrested and taken to the Prince Rupert RCMP station. A 1993 Ford F150 truck and the Zomby Woof, a 35 foot aluminum super punt, were seized along with nearly 2,500 pounds of abalone. Officers then spent the following two days returning the mollusks to the ocean.
“This was a very time consuming job,” he said, because abalone have to be placed in specific rocky areas to increase their chance of survival.”
Fisheries believes the abalone, which can fetch $30-40 still in the shell for less than half a kilogram on the black market, believe the haul was likely headed offshore as part of a larger poaching operation.
Last year there were three Northern abalone cases, in which all individuals were convicted. Punishments included fines of $35,000 and $35,000 as well as a sentence to perform 80 hours of community service under the supervision of the Prince Rupert Restorative Justice Program. A research project, designed to educate the public about the detrimental effects of harvesting Northern abalone, was to be organized by the offenders at their expense.
FISH DERBY LIKELY TO HOOK SOME MASSIVE CROWDS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily news
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Pages One and Two
Fishermen are setting their reels as the largest non-invitational fishing derby in Western Canada gets underway Tuesday.
The Great Northern Salmon Classic starts at 12:01 a. m. Tuesday August 1 and fishermen will chase prizes of $100,000 and a Dodge Dakota until Sept. 15.
Margo Cullen of Vertigo Link Charters and chair of Tourism Prince Rupert has been contracted by the Northern Management Fund Committee to act as the derby manager on the ground.
“During the weigh-in staff and volunteers will be on the dock at Atlin Terminal,’ said Bruce Wishart, Northern Management Fund Committee member.
Weigh-ins will occur between 4 p. m. and 6 p/ m. each day with the exception of Thursday’s where weigh-ins will occur between 4:45 p. m. and 6:30 p. m.
All participants must arrive at the Atlin Dock by boat and once a fish has been weigh using a digital scale, the derby official, participant and an observer will agree to the weight of the fish.
There are many chances to try for a prize. The under 18 category, female category, and mystery weights provide opportunities for all anglers to become involved.
The event was designed following consultation with communities along Highway 16 and will hopefully draw traffic along the Highway to replace the tourists lost following the sinking of the Queen of the North off Gil Island March 22, said Wishart.
“The response from Prince Rupert residents and across the region has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’d like to thank people for the outpouring of support.”
The Northern Fund Management Committee, which received $450,000 in one-time funding from the provincial government to come up with strategies to increase tourism this season, includes representatives from Prince Rupert, the Alaska Highway region, Haida Gwaii, Prince George and the Northern B. C. Tourism Association. They’ve committed $160,000 for the derby.
Other prizes include $10,000 for the largest eligible coho salmon caught by a female angler, $5,000 derby long mystery weight eligible coho, $5,000 largest eligible coho salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age, $500 weekly for the largest eligible pink salmon caught by an angler under 18 years of age. $%00 weekly for the largest eligible Chinook salmon, getaway packages awarded to the largest eligible coho salmon caught weekly and daily mystery weight prizes valuing $100. Tickets for the derby are $35 and include three weigh ins.
All the rules and derby information are available on line by visiting http://www.tourismprincerupert.com/.
FEDS ‘REWRITING HISTORY’ OVER OIL TANKER MORATORIUM
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Page One
Any attempts by the federal and provincial governments to deny the existence of a crude oil tanker moratorium in the Queen Charlotte Basin is an effort to rewrite history, said Dr. Gerald Graham, oil spill expert and consultant.
He knows, he says, because he was around at the time and was thrown for a loop when he was recently told by government that it doesn’t exist.
“It’s a contentious issue. Up until about a year ago, it was generally assumed there was a crude oil tanker moratorium,” he said. “It came as a complete shock to me. Government is essentially rewriting history.”
The issue of the tanker moratorium has resurfaced because of a proposal by Enbridge, a Calgary based company, to build a billion dollar pipeline from Edmonton to Kitimat in order to export crude oil to China and the U. S.
Government and the company say the moratorium doesn’t exist, only a voluntary moratorium for U. S. tankers traveling from Alaska to the southern United States. But others, like Graham, say it does.
In fact, he said it pre-dates the offshore oil and gas exploration moratorium.
Graham said that in 1972, at the urging of David Anderson, the Federal Government imposed the moratorium on crude oil tankers traveling through Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and the Queen Charlotte Sound.
“Then someone said we have to be consistent and that’s when the offshore oil and gas moratorium was imposed,” he said. “In a nutshell, the original moratorium was a tanker moratorium.”
And any future changes to this policy require strategic environmental assessment as a result of a cabinet directive passed in 1996.
Graham says it’s ridiculous for government to try and ignore the existence of the moratorium given two of their own recent panels studying offshore oil and gas recognize it.
The terms of reference for the Priddle Panel, the most recent public panel exploring offshore oil and gas development in the Queen Charlotte Basin, expressly mentioned the moratorium.
And the Royal Society of Canada, which conducted the scientific review, only made two recommendations, he said, one of which was to keep the crude oil tanker moratorium.
Graham is a consultant of 33 years who used to work for the Canadian Offshore Oil and Gas Lands Administration. He also wrote about the tanker exclusion zone as a consultant for Canada’s Public Review Panel on Tanker and Safety and Marine Spills Response Capability, the so-called Brander-Smith Panel in the late 1980’s.
The panel was established following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Alaska and the Nestucca barge spill in Oregon. The Panel’s Final Report led to a complete overhaul of Canada’s spill response regime.
Graham isn’t the only one claiming the current Conservative and former Liberal government are trying to re-write history.
Former Minister of Environment David Anderson, who pushed for the tanker moratorium, recently told the Victoria Times-Colonist that the policy exists.
“The idea that somehow you can pretend it doesn’t exist is stretching it a good deal,” he said.
And critics were recently outraged when, they say, the moratorium was violated.
In late June, a tanker carrying approximately 350,000 barrels of condensate – a mix of chemicals and petroleum derivatives used to dilute crude oil – entered B. C.’s inside passage bound for Methanex’s terminal in Kitimat. The tanker off-loaded its condensate into railcars for transport to Encana’s operations in Alberta.
Enbridge is also proposing to import condensate alongside its crude oil exports at its proposed Kitimat Terminal.
However, provincial Minister of Energy and Mines Richard Neufeld said the current government says the moratorium doesn’t exist.
“They agree with us,” he said. “There is no moratorium.”
Playing Catch up with the July News (July 28, 2006)
We try to pick and choose the big stories of our sabbatical, to archive for future generations of Podunkians.
The July 28th recap
Gusts of money prepare to blow into Rupert
The announcement by BC Hydro that it approved of the Mount Hays Wind farm project could pump millions of dollars into the local economy. With purchase agreements reached with BC Hydro, Katabatic Power can now get busy preparing the plans for its 14 turbine wind farm expected to be in operation by 2008.
The Daily News had the details on yet another project that goes from the could be, to the will happen phase of development.
WINDS OF CHANGE BLOW ON NORTH COAST
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, July 28, 2006
Pages One and Three
Some $230 million-worth of power projects on the North Coast that will generate enough “green” electricity to power 81,000 homes got the thumbs up by B. C. Hydro Thursday morning.
B. C. Hydro announced it has agreed to purchase power from Katabatic Power- which is proposing a 14 turbine wind farm on Mount Hays – and the Anyox Hydro Electric Corp – which is proposing to restore the old power generation facilities around the old company towns of Anyox and Alice Arm.
Province-wide B. C. Hydro accepted 38 contracts from independent power producers in order to meet the growing demand for electricity.
Representatives from both Katabatic and Anyox said they can now move ahead quickly with their respective projects.
“We are thrilled with the acceptance of the bid and we are very happy to see B. C. Hydro buying wind power. They accepted three wind power bids, one of them was ours and tow others in the Peace Region,” said Jonathon S. Raymond, chief operating officer for Katabatic Power.
Katabatic’s project is worth $52 million, will generate an estimated 25.2 megawatts and is expected to be in operation by 2008.
Each megawatt generated can power 1,000 homes.
Katabatic is pleased to be the first to take advantage of the world class wind site that has been identified on the North Coast and the company believes the development of a wind energy industry will follow, said Raymond.
“We believe in wind on the North Coast. This will be the first wind farm up there and hopefully the first of many,” said Raymond.
The site proposed for the wind farm is on the back side of Mount Hays, with access from Wantage Road, and only one or tow of the turbines will be visible from town.
The company is currently two-thirds of the way through its environmental assessment – it will be holding an open house in Prince Rupert in September- and has financing in place. Katabatic expects to be able to announce its financial partners within three weeks.
“then we have some contract work to do with the turbine supplier, finish off our construction agreements and then we just have to pick a date to go into construction.” He said.
Meanwhile, John Turpin, director of operations for Anyox Hydro Electric Corp, said the company hopes to move into full construction within 60 to 90 days.
“With this contract in place we can finalize our financing and proceed with full construction this fall,” said Turpin. “It’s a big day; we’ve been waiting on pins and needles for a few months.
“We are very excited about the opportunity and happy the power will be used in B. C.”
Anyox is proposing four projects worth about $180 million, with a combined output of 56.5 megawatts, and the company hopes to be on-line by Jan 1, 2009. The projects include refurbishing the old dam system at Anyox, installing a hydro electric project on the upper Kitsault River at Kitsault Lake and installing tow small run-of-river hydroelectric projects on Trout Creek and Homestake Creek.
All four projects are slated for a remote area, on streams that flow into a narrow fjord system with its terminus at Portland Inlet and all are on water systems where natural barriers have prevented fish from entering the waterways.
The company has been working on the Anyox and Kitsault projects for the last five years.
Most recently, Anyox Hydro Electric expanded its camp to 73 beds. The camp will house the crews needed for construction.
The company hopes to do its tunneling at Anyox this winter. It has to install a tunnel to carry pressurized water three and a half kilometers form the dam, through the mountain to the powerhouse where electricity will be generated.
They hope to start general construction in the spring and have hired Finn Conradsen as a full time coordinator in Prince Rupert.
“We have a lot of excellent suppliers in Prince Rupert and we have been doing a lot of business there over the last five years getting ready for this,” he said.
“We are excited about the next two years; I think there will be a lot of spin off benefits in Prince Rupert, the Nisga’a and communities in the Nass Valley. We will be drawing a lot on the local labour force.
Casting off for fame, fortune and bad feelings
The Great Northern Salmon Fishing Classic gets underway on August 1st, and while the sports fisherman are out seeking the coho, the rest of the northwest is feeling a little left out. The Daily had a report on the backlash to the tournament in its July 28th edition.
FISH DERBY IDEA MAKING LOTS OF RIPPLES IN REGION
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Friday, July 28, 2006
Pages One and Five
Communities from the Queen Charlotte Islands, north to Stewart, along the Skeena River and into the Nass Valley all feel left out in the cold when it comes to a Prince Rupert centered fishing derby.
“It would be really nice if the Charlottes or Terrace and Kitimat and other great fishing destinations could be part of it as well and have the benefit of additional tourism<’ said Urs Thomas of the Golden Spruce Motel in Port Clements. “ We are all suffering form the loss of the ferry and to me it would spread out the money a little it, maybe even the fishing pressure.”
The $160,000 fishing derby launched by the Northern Fund Management Committee – which was given $450,000 by the province in the wake of the Queen of the North sinking – has left a bitter taste in the mouth of some people throughout the region, many who feel the initiative will draw tourism away from their communities.
“If you would have the option to fish on the Charlottes or fish in Rupert and maybe have a similar fishing experience but have the chance to win $100,000 with your biggest coho, what would you decide?” he said.
Thomas contact Tourism Prince Rupert and was told other communities could not participate for a variety of reasons.
“They were always saying there are too many scales and about rules and regulations,” he said,”but on the other side, I just talked with an enforcement officer here on the Charlottes and he said there’s actually no concerns as long as they’re within the (fishery) regulations.
The derby is just the latest apparent misstep on the Charlottes by the Northern Fund. They’ve also raised the ire of people there about plans to distribute 100,000 brochures to tourists in Alaska telling the QCI’s are still accessible
We had a look at the draft and we’re not that excited about it,” said Thomas. “We kind of stopped that project for the moment.”
“We’re not even sure if it makes sense at this point because in our opinion the season is more or less over,” said Thomas.
Concerns are also coming from up river, as Terrace and Kitimat – who were left off the committee by the province –are wondering why they weren’t given a chance to take part.
“They’re not unhappy that money is coming to the Northwest to promote tourism but they are concerned by centralizing the fish derby solely in Prince Rupert. that it’s going to attract all the fishermen to go (there) and have quite an adverse effect on little communities like Kitimat,” said Skeena MLA Robin Austin.
Over the Labour Day weekend in September, Kitimat has traditionally held a fishing derby.
“(The Rupert Derby) is going to draw tones of tourists and fishermen who would normally pull their boats down the Kitimat River or into Kitimat.. to Rupert to take advantage of what will be a huge prize,’ said Austin. ”People just wish it would spread out a bit and say have a weigh station in Kitimat for people to partake.”
Tourism representatives in Terrace are congratulating Prince Rupert for their good marketing efforts, but say the whole situation is very unfortunate.
“What inadvertently happened is, they’ve actually pinned one community against another when we were really working well together as communities for tourism,’ said Jennifer Lewis, Terrace Tourism Society executive director/ “It’s really unfortunate, but it’s too important that we stick together in the North.”
While there may be some pull away form other Northern communities to Rupert, there is some benefit in that more people should be coming down Highway 16, she said.
Our lodges are not going to go empty because of this fishing derby,” said Lewis. “I think it’s a benefit all the way around, but it’s hard when you live in these communities and one of them gets something when everyone’s supposed to be represented.
“It’s all those bad feelings when your brother gets the best piece of pie and you get a little slice. It’s those feelings that hurt and make you feel excluded, but I think we do really need to rally around Prince Rupert.
The July 28th recap
Gusts of money prepare to blow into Rupert
The announcement by BC Hydro that it approved of the Mount Hays Wind farm project could pump millions of dollars into the local economy. With purchase agreements reached with BC Hydro, Katabatic Power can now get busy preparing the plans for its 14 turbine wind farm expected to be in operation by 2008.
The Daily News had the details on yet another project that goes from the could be, to the will happen phase of development.
WINDS OF CHANGE BLOW ON NORTH COAST
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, July 28, 2006
Pages One and Three
Some $230 million-worth of power projects on the North Coast that will generate enough “green” electricity to power 81,000 homes got the thumbs up by B. C. Hydro Thursday morning.
B. C. Hydro announced it has agreed to purchase power from Katabatic Power- which is proposing a 14 turbine wind farm on Mount Hays – and the Anyox Hydro Electric Corp – which is proposing to restore the old power generation facilities around the old company towns of Anyox and Alice Arm.
Province-wide B. C. Hydro accepted 38 contracts from independent power producers in order to meet the growing demand for electricity.
Representatives from both Katabatic and Anyox said they can now move ahead quickly with their respective projects.
“We are thrilled with the acceptance of the bid and we are very happy to see B. C. Hydro buying wind power. They accepted three wind power bids, one of them was ours and tow others in the Peace Region,” said Jonathon S. Raymond, chief operating officer for Katabatic Power.
Katabatic’s project is worth $52 million, will generate an estimated 25.2 megawatts and is expected to be in operation by 2008.
Each megawatt generated can power 1,000 homes.
Katabatic is pleased to be the first to take advantage of the world class wind site that has been identified on the North Coast and the company believes the development of a wind energy industry will follow, said Raymond.
“We believe in wind on the North Coast. This will be the first wind farm up there and hopefully the first of many,” said Raymond.
The site proposed for the wind farm is on the back side of Mount Hays, with access from Wantage Road, and only one or tow of the turbines will be visible from town.
The company is currently two-thirds of the way through its environmental assessment – it will be holding an open house in Prince Rupert in September- and has financing in place. Katabatic expects to be able to announce its financial partners within three weeks.
“then we have some contract work to do with the turbine supplier, finish off our construction agreements and then we just have to pick a date to go into construction.” He said.
Meanwhile, John Turpin, director of operations for Anyox Hydro Electric Corp, said the company hopes to move into full construction within 60 to 90 days.
“With this contract in place we can finalize our financing and proceed with full construction this fall,” said Turpin. “It’s a big day; we’ve been waiting on pins and needles for a few months.
“We are very excited about the opportunity and happy the power will be used in B. C.”
Anyox is proposing four projects worth about $180 million, with a combined output of 56.5 megawatts, and the company hopes to be on-line by Jan 1, 2009. The projects include refurbishing the old dam system at Anyox, installing a hydro electric project on the upper Kitsault River at Kitsault Lake and installing tow small run-of-river hydroelectric projects on Trout Creek and Homestake Creek.
All four projects are slated for a remote area, on streams that flow into a narrow fjord system with its terminus at Portland Inlet and all are on water systems where natural barriers have prevented fish from entering the waterways.
The company has been working on the Anyox and Kitsault projects for the last five years.
Most recently, Anyox Hydro Electric expanded its camp to 73 beds. The camp will house the crews needed for construction.
The company hopes to do its tunneling at Anyox this winter. It has to install a tunnel to carry pressurized water three and a half kilometers form the dam, through the mountain to the powerhouse where electricity will be generated.
They hope to start general construction in the spring and have hired Finn Conradsen as a full time coordinator in Prince Rupert.
“We have a lot of excellent suppliers in Prince Rupert and we have been doing a lot of business there over the last five years getting ready for this,” he said.
“We are excited about the next two years; I think there will be a lot of spin off benefits in Prince Rupert, the Nisga’a and communities in the Nass Valley. We will be drawing a lot on the local labour force.
Casting off for fame, fortune and bad feelings
The Great Northern Salmon Fishing Classic gets underway on August 1st, and while the sports fisherman are out seeking the coho, the rest of the northwest is feeling a little left out. The Daily had a report on the backlash to the tournament in its July 28th edition.
FISH DERBY IDEA MAKING LOTS OF RIPPLES IN REGION
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Friday, July 28, 2006
Pages One and Five
Communities from the Queen Charlotte Islands, north to Stewart, along the Skeena River and into the Nass Valley all feel left out in the cold when it comes to a Prince Rupert centered fishing derby.
“It would be really nice if the Charlottes or Terrace and Kitimat and other great fishing destinations could be part of it as well and have the benefit of additional tourism<’ said Urs Thomas of the Golden Spruce Motel in Port Clements. “ We are all suffering form the loss of the ferry and to me it would spread out the money a little it, maybe even the fishing pressure.”
The $160,000 fishing derby launched by the Northern Fund Management Committee – which was given $450,000 by the province in the wake of the Queen of the North sinking – has left a bitter taste in the mouth of some people throughout the region, many who feel the initiative will draw tourism away from their communities.
“If you would have the option to fish on the Charlottes or fish in Rupert and maybe have a similar fishing experience but have the chance to win $100,000 with your biggest coho, what would you decide?” he said.
Thomas contact Tourism Prince Rupert and was told other communities could not participate for a variety of reasons.
“They were always saying there are too many scales and about rules and regulations,” he said,”but on the other side, I just talked with an enforcement officer here on the Charlottes and he said there’s actually no concerns as long as they’re within the (fishery) regulations.
The derby is just the latest apparent misstep on the Charlottes by the Northern Fund. They’ve also raised the ire of people there about plans to distribute 100,000 brochures to tourists in Alaska telling the QCI’s are still accessible
We had a look at the draft and we’re not that excited about it,” said Thomas. “We kind of stopped that project for the moment.”
“We’re not even sure if it makes sense at this point because in our opinion the season is more or less over,” said Thomas.
Concerns are also coming from up river, as Terrace and Kitimat – who were left off the committee by the province –are wondering why they weren’t given a chance to take part.
“They’re not unhappy that money is coming to the Northwest to promote tourism but they are concerned by centralizing the fish derby solely in Prince Rupert. that it’s going to attract all the fishermen to go (there) and have quite an adverse effect on little communities like Kitimat,” said Skeena MLA Robin Austin.
Over the Labour Day weekend in September, Kitimat has traditionally held a fishing derby.
“(The Rupert Derby) is going to draw tones of tourists and fishermen who would normally pull their boats down the Kitimat River or into Kitimat.. to Rupert to take advantage of what will be a huge prize,’ said Austin. ”People just wish it would spread out a bit and say have a weigh station in Kitimat for people to partake.”
Tourism representatives in Terrace are congratulating Prince Rupert for their good marketing efforts, but say the whole situation is very unfortunate.
“What inadvertently happened is, they’ve actually pinned one community against another when we were really working well together as communities for tourism,’ said Jennifer Lewis, Terrace Tourism Society executive director/ “It’s really unfortunate, but it’s too important that we stick together in the North.”
While there may be some pull away form other Northern communities to Rupert, there is some benefit in that more people should be coming down Highway 16, she said.
Our lodges are not going to go empty because of this fishing derby,” said Lewis. “I think it’s a benefit all the way around, but it’s hard when you live in these communities and one of them gets something when everyone’s supposed to be represented.
“It’s all those bad feelings when your brother gets the best piece of pie and you get a little slice. It’s those feelings that hurt and make you feel excluded, but I think we do really need to rally around Prince Rupert.
Playing Catch up with the July News(July 31)
We try to pick and choose the big stories of our sabbatical, to archive for future generations of Podunkians.
The July 31st recap
Harness the wind and Harness the future!
The Mount Hays Wind Farm gets a go ahead from BC Hydro, which has chosen that project as one of three wind farm programs to enhance the provinces electrical needs. The full story was a page one feature in the Daily News.
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR AREA IS IN THE AIR SAYS FIRM
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, July 31
Pages One and Three
B. C.’s Hydro’s acceptance of three wind farm projects as part of British Columbia’s future power supply is a sign that wind power will be part of the province’s future, said the president of Nai Kun Wind Development.
Former Rupertite Ray Castelli is the new president of Nai Kun, the company proposing a large-scale wind farm off the northern tip of Haida Gwaii.
“I think wind power is the future. When you look at the energy needs the province has – the availability of hydro and some of the other options compared to the abundance of wind B. C. has, particularly in the north – I think large-scale wind projects are very much a part of B. C.’s energy future,” said Castelli.
Nai Kun plans to submit its proposal for phase one of its plans to B. C. Hydro during Hydro’s next call for new power suppliers in the coming year.
“The next two calls by Hydro are going to be relatively large. We wanted to get everything ready and in place before we put that bid in.” said Castelli.
He explained the company is planning on building the project in phases. The first phase would produce 320 megawatts (MW) and would connect up with the existing power transmission system just south of Prince Rupert.
The first phase is worth $800 to $900 million and construction on Phase One is expected to being in 2009.
“Phase Two of the project would be approximately the same size but once you have the infrastructure in place – once you have the transmission lines- it’s simply a question of putting more turbines in place,” he said.
The overall project includes five phases of development that would see 1,750 MW of capacity- enough electricity to power more than 600,000 homes.
Castelli was born and raised in Prince Rupert and still has lots of family in town, however he hasn’t lived in B. C. for a long time.
He was most recently Senior Vice President of Quadrem, a Dallas based procurement and e-business company focused on the natural resource industry.
“I’m excited to be coming back to British Columbia. I’ve been away for several years. I spent the last five years in Dallas, Texas, with an internet company, and before that with Alcan for five and six years and before that five or six years in Ottawa with the federal government. I was looking for an opportunity to get back to British Columbia,” he said.
As director of Corporate Development for Alcan Aluminum of Montreal, Castelli was involved in evaluating acquisition and development opportunities around the world, including smelters and electricity projects and as a Director of Corporate Affairs for Alcan British Columbia, he was responsible for resolving energy-related issues and negotiations of a Power Purchase Agreement with B. C. Hydro.
Although he will be based in Vancouver, Castelli said he will be spending a fair amount of time up north, both in Prince Rupert and on Haida Gwaii.
“We are likely going to try and use the port facility in Prince Rupert as a staging area for the development. A lot of the parts and equipment come in by sea, so we will be talking to the port about using the port facility.”
There are several companies currently exploring wind power projects on the North Coast. Katabatic Power was one of three companies to sign a purchase agreement with B. C. Hydro for its Mount Hays wind farm proposal last week and the company is looking at opportunities on Banks Island.
English Bay Energy Limited, which has 283 wind turbines in the Tehachapi Pass in Southern California has also installed four test masts on the North Coast near Banks Island, Porcher Island, McCauley and Stephens Island.
Bad Boys, Bad Boys whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you!
Like a page from the new Miami Vice movie just released on Friday, real life drug and gun law enforcement found itself played out on the front pages of the Daily News. The 800 Block of Fulton street was the scene, the Daily News had all the details.
POLICE SEIZE HAUL OF DRUGS AND WEAPONS
The Daily News
Monday, July 31, 2006
Page One
RCMP say they have seized cocaine, heroin and a variety of stolen property from a residence on Fulton Street.
The find was made after police obtained a search warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for a residence in the 800 block of Fulton. Charges of possession for the purposes of Trafficking are pending against one adult male and one adult female who occupied the residence.
RCMP are continuing to urge the public to report all thefts of personal property when they occur as often these drug-related warrants turn up a quantity of property believed to be stolen.
Anyone with information on stolen property or drug activity are asked to contact police at 624-2136 or, to remain anonymous Crimsetoppers at 627-TIPS.
The July 31st recap
Harness the wind and Harness the future!
The Mount Hays Wind Farm gets a go ahead from BC Hydro, which has chosen that project as one of three wind farm programs to enhance the provinces electrical needs. The full story was a page one feature in the Daily News.
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR AREA IS IN THE AIR SAYS FIRM
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, July 31
Pages One and Three
B. C.’s Hydro’s acceptance of three wind farm projects as part of British Columbia’s future power supply is a sign that wind power will be part of the province’s future, said the president of Nai Kun Wind Development.
Former Rupertite Ray Castelli is the new president of Nai Kun, the company proposing a large-scale wind farm off the northern tip of Haida Gwaii.
“I think wind power is the future. When you look at the energy needs the province has – the availability of hydro and some of the other options compared to the abundance of wind B. C. has, particularly in the north – I think large-scale wind projects are very much a part of B. C.’s energy future,” said Castelli.
Nai Kun plans to submit its proposal for phase one of its plans to B. C. Hydro during Hydro’s next call for new power suppliers in the coming year.
“The next two calls by Hydro are going to be relatively large. We wanted to get everything ready and in place before we put that bid in.” said Castelli.
He explained the company is planning on building the project in phases. The first phase would produce 320 megawatts (MW) and would connect up with the existing power transmission system just south of Prince Rupert.
The first phase is worth $800 to $900 million and construction on Phase One is expected to being in 2009.
“Phase Two of the project would be approximately the same size but once you have the infrastructure in place – once you have the transmission lines- it’s simply a question of putting more turbines in place,” he said.
The overall project includes five phases of development that would see 1,750 MW of capacity- enough electricity to power more than 600,000 homes.
Castelli was born and raised in Prince Rupert and still has lots of family in town, however he hasn’t lived in B. C. for a long time.
He was most recently Senior Vice President of Quadrem, a Dallas based procurement and e-business company focused on the natural resource industry.
“I’m excited to be coming back to British Columbia. I’ve been away for several years. I spent the last five years in Dallas, Texas, with an internet company, and before that with Alcan for five and six years and before that five or six years in Ottawa with the federal government. I was looking for an opportunity to get back to British Columbia,” he said.
As director of Corporate Development for Alcan Aluminum of Montreal, Castelli was involved in evaluating acquisition and development opportunities around the world, including smelters and electricity projects and as a Director of Corporate Affairs for Alcan British Columbia, he was responsible for resolving energy-related issues and negotiations of a Power Purchase Agreement with B. C. Hydro.
Although he will be based in Vancouver, Castelli said he will be spending a fair amount of time up north, both in Prince Rupert and on Haida Gwaii.
“We are likely going to try and use the port facility in Prince Rupert as a staging area for the development. A lot of the parts and equipment come in by sea, so we will be talking to the port about using the port facility.”
There are several companies currently exploring wind power projects on the North Coast. Katabatic Power was one of three companies to sign a purchase agreement with B. C. Hydro for its Mount Hays wind farm proposal last week and the company is looking at opportunities on Banks Island.
English Bay Energy Limited, which has 283 wind turbines in the Tehachapi Pass in Southern California has also installed four test masts on the North Coast near Banks Island, Porcher Island, McCauley and Stephens Island.
Bad Boys, Bad Boys whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you!
Like a page from the new Miami Vice movie just released on Friday, real life drug and gun law enforcement found itself played out on the front pages of the Daily News. The 800 Block of Fulton street was the scene, the Daily News had all the details.
POLICE SEIZE HAUL OF DRUGS AND WEAPONS
The Daily News
Monday, July 31, 2006
Page One
RCMP say they have seized cocaine, heroin and a variety of stolen property from a residence on Fulton Street.
The find was made after police obtained a search warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for a residence in the 800 block of Fulton. Charges of possession for the purposes of Trafficking are pending against one adult male and one adult female who occupied the residence.
RCMP are continuing to urge the public to report all thefts of personal property when they occur as often these drug-related warrants turn up a quantity of property believed to be stolen.
Anyone with information on stolen property or drug activity are asked to contact police at 624-2136 or, to remain anonymous Crimsetoppers at 627-TIPS.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
