The MLA for the North Coast has offered up his cautious support for the provincial government's plans to add a hydro corridor north from Terrace to Bob Quinn Lake.
Gary Coons was responding to last weeks announcement of a major development along the Highway 37 corridor that will bring an industrial level hydro development into the largely undeveloped areas north of Terrace and Stewart.
Coons, while applauding the plan to build a 287 kilovolt line northwards, still cautions the government to include the Tahltan nation in the plans. Coons wants to make sure that the line that is travelling through their territory will bring benefits to their people as well as industrial development for the province.
He outlined his thoughts in a front page story on the project in Wednesday's Daily News.
MLA LAUDS PROVINCE FOR POWER PROJECT, URGES CARE
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Pages one and three
North Coast MLA Gary Coons said he is pleased with the provincial government decision to proceed with the Northwest Transmission Line from Terrace to Bob Quinn Lake.
"It will definitely open up the region and be a catalyst of economic opportunity. Many have pushed for this to happen and it is great news," said Coons.
On Monday, Premier Gordon Campbell announced the province has entered into an agreement with NovaGold and Tech Cominco to install a $400-million transmission line into Northwestern B.C.
"This will have an immediate impact on future planning and infrastructure necessities as it relates to transportation, healthcare, and the social impacts that accompany any huge regional development," said Coons.
The British Columbia Transmission Corporation will now undertake the environmental assessment, permitting and community and First Nation consultation to proceed with the project.
NovaGold will be picking up $158 million of the capital cost. The province will pay for the rest.
Coons said the project will be taking place in Tahltan traditional territory.
"We must realize that there may be concerns among Tahltan residents who have already waved red flags over the pace and scope of development in the region if a 287 kilovolt line goes through," said Coons.
While NovaGold has struck a development agreement with the Tahltan for the Galore Creek project, the community is concerned about a rapid flood of projects that will follow the arrival of 138 Kv line, which is scheduled to be in production in 2012.
"The Tahltan, who are wary of the social and economic impact of a line, have argued a land-use plan for the area is essential prior to increasing any line beyond their agreement with NovaGold," said Coons.
Mike Farnsworth, chair of the First Nations and Community Relations Committee with the B.C. and Yukon Chamber of Mines recently noted that "effective consultation and accommodation which respect cultural and heritage issues for traditional territories" must take place.
Coons agreed, adding that the Tahltan First Nation have already identified areas of concern and areas of mutual interest following the principles developed by the Tahltan Symposium on Mining and outlined in the document Out of Respect - The Tahltan, Mining and the Seven Questions to Sustainability.
"We need long-term sustainable development that meets the test of social conscience. This is best, both for the province, for industry and for those that live on the land," he said.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Powering up the Highway 37 North corridor
The Province has given the go ahead to an ambitious project to bring electricity north from Terrace along Highway 37 to Bob Quinn Lake. Premier Gordon Campbell announced the particulars on Monday, detaling how the 400 million dollar project known as the Northwestern Transmission Line, is expected to open up the Northwest to economic development.
The project is one of the controversial public-private projects that sees private enterprise share in the costs and developments of what once were purely publicly funded projects.
The planned 335 kilometre, 287-kilovolt line has been described as an economic catalyst for the region and will be of particular use to the number of mining interests in the region.
With its arrival however, could come controversy as a number of provincial critics and local area residents have expressed concern at the scope and pace of development in one of the great untapped regions of the province.
Before the project goes ahead it will have to follow the usual routine of hearings, consultations and assessments. It is a process that will most likely feature more than a few submissions questioning the need and scope of the project in the Northwest.
The Daily News featured the announcement on the front page of Tuesday’s paper.
NEW POWER CORRIDOR SET TO FIRE UP THE NORTH, CAMPBELL
Remote communities will be connected to grid and opportunity
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Pages one and three
Premier Gordon Campbell has given the green light to a half-billion dollar project that will see remote communities in Northwestern B. C. connected to the electrical grid by 2009.
Speaking from Vancouver, Campbell said the $400 million dollar Northwestern Transmission Line (NTL) will extend the British Columbia Transmission Corporation’s electrical grid from the Skeena substation near Terrace to Bob Quinn Lake and will open the Northwest to economic development.
“The electrification of the Northwest region will benefit all British Columbians by building new infrastructure that will improve access to clean, green electricity sources,” said Campbell.
“Designed as a form of public-private partnership, the Northwest Transmission Line will not only stimulate job creation but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving access to renewable resources and decreasing reliance on diesel-electric power generation for industry and communities,” he explained.
The NTL project is a partnership between NovaGold, which is developing the Galore Creek copper, gold and silver mine 150 kilometres northwest of Stewart, and the province, through the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC.)
Galore Creek is contributing $158 million to the project. The balance, $242 million, will be paid by BC Hydro and recovered through rates.
The new 287 kilovolt line will extend 335 km from Terrace to Meziadin Junction and north to Bob Quinn Lake and will allow NovaGold to operate its mine once the transmission line is up and running.
“The Galore Creek Partnership sees the high-capacity transmission line as very positive for the communities of Northwest B. C. and for the Galore Creek mine,” said Doug Brown, president of the Galore Creek Mining Corporation.
“NovaGold and Teck Cominco are pleased to be able to support the development of infrastructure that encourages long-term use of clean, renewable energy sources.”
The Galore Creek mine has the potential to create more than 1,000 construction jobs and 500 full time jobs.
The electrification of Highway 37 as the route is known, has long been on the radar of mining companies operating in British Columbia.
However, the new line also opens opportunities for independent power producers and brings the province one step closer to connecting with the Alaskan electrical grid, which is currently isolated from the Lower 48.
“This kind of capital investment delivers on an Energy Plan commitment to deliver reliable, clean power to meet our province’s growing demand,” said Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “The Northwest Transmission Line reflects sound transmission planning and shows this government is looking ahead to find long-term opportunities.”
Building the NTL project will depend on an environmental assessment, permitting and First Nations consultation. Community and First Nations engagement has begun through a process of consultation and information exchange. Future public and stakeholder engagement will include meetings, public open houses and information sessions by BCTC.
At this time, BC Hydro has two 25 kilovolt single-phase distribution lines at Meziadin that go south about 30 km to pick up some small individual loads and two 25 kilovolt single-phase distribution lines at Aiyansh that go west to the coast to supply the Kinkolith band (approximately 75 km) and northwest to Nass Camp (11 km).
The new line will be owned by BC Hydro and operated by BCTC as part of BC Hydro’s transmission system. BCTC will be responsible for planning this transmission project, ensuring appropriate approvals and permits are received, and contracting for the project’s construction. BCTC is scheduled to deliver power to the Bob Quinn substation by October 2009, with full project completion by fall 2011.
Prince Rupert real estate sales up 42% from last year
The rebound in the Prince Rupert realty market continues, as figures from the Northern B. C. Real Estate board show that real estate transactions have increased by 42.7% in the first nine months of 2007, compared to last year.
Using information culled from real estate brokers, the numbers don't include any private sales of properties in any of the communities in the Northern B. C. Real Estate Board's territory.
For those sellers and buyers that used a real estate agent however, it's been a busy nine months in many locations, with Prince Rupert particularly busy in 2007.
201 properties have been transferred to new owners through the MLS system in Prince Rupert so far this year. Of the 147 single family homes that have been sold this year, half of them went for less than 150,000 dollars.
Apartment buildings, duplexes and town homes proved to be a popular choice for buyers in the last nine months as well.
By the end of September, there were 163 properties on the market, down by 9 from this time last year.
Terrace remained the hot spot in the Northwest, with 336 properties accounting for total sales of 52.6 million dollars in the first nine months of 2007, it marks an increase of 34 properties sold from this time last year.
Kitimat showed modest growth from last year, with 151 properties sold on the market with a median price of 120,000, as of the end of September Kitimat had 58 properties on the market.
The full Northern BC story can be found on the Opinion 250 website, which posted a story on the real estate board figures.
NORTHWEST
Prince Rupert: 201 properties of all types have changed hands through the MLS® in the Prince Rupert area in the first 9 months of this year. These properties have a total value of $35.9 million – up 42.7% over the first 9 months of 2006. Half of the 147 single family homes sold so far this year sold for less than $150,000. 9 apartment units, 3 half duplexes and four townhouses have sold this year. At month end there were 163 properties in all categories on the market compared to 172 on September 30th, 2006.
Terrace: Sales through the MLS® are ahead of last year with 336 properties of all types selling so far this year compared to 298 by September 30th, 2006. These properties have a value of $52.6 million – a 32.3% increase over last year’s $39.7 million in sales. 184 single family homes and 24 homes on acreage have changed hands this year. 31 parcels of vacant land have sold this year compared to 33 parcels in 2006. As of September 30th there were 219 properties of all types available for sale in the Terrace area.
Kitimat: There have been 151 properties of all types sold by REALTORS® in the Kitimat area this year with a total value $19.4 million –up from last year’s 149 properties worth $16.9 million. The median price of the 101 family homes sold to date was $120,000. There were 58 properties of all types on the market at month end.
Is General Hillier set for the High jump?
When February rolls around in 2008, one person apparently soon to be left off of the Prime Ministers Valentines list will be the Chief of Defence staff, General Rick Hillier.
CTV News is reporting today that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper is making plans to replace the General when his three year term as Chief of Defence comes up for renewal in February.
It’s a move that may prove to be risky for the Prime Minister, replacing a popular general while the country is involved in a rather determined military action in Afghanistan. While Canadians may be split about the mission, most are inclined to offer up their support for the actual troops on the ground, mostly the result of the work of Hillier to make sure that the word gets out about what Canada is doing in Afghanistan.
For the bulk of his time as Chief of Defence, Hillier has if nothing else punched home the message of reminding Canadians about their sons and daughters in harms way. His language has been blunt, at times profane and mostly straight ahead factual, not the kind of talk that politicians are known for.
While critics find him to be brash and bombastic, there certainly can be no doubt that he has as made one of his main missions to ensure that the troops tasked to Afghanistan are provided with the proper equipment to do the job. He has also played a major role in increasing the profile of the Armed Forces while involved in active combat.
Perhaps providing a message that isn’t sitting well with a government that seems inclined to try and massage the message to the populace. Preferring not to highlight the dangers, all the while watching the polling numbers that show Canadians growing nervous about Canada's expanding commitment to that part of the world.
CTV suggests that one of the reasons that the Conservatives are planning on replacing him, is that he “outshone" his political masters and "undermined" the former Minister of Defence Gordon O’Connor. Two tasks which it seems would not exactly be very challenging to complete
Should the Conservatives follow through on the plan to replace the General, the most likely candidate is said to be Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, tapped as the front runner based mainly due to the fact that the Prime Minister likes him.
That's not exactly the best way to select the most important post in Canada’s military while engaged in a near state of war. And while probably not fair to the capabilities of Lt.-Gen. Natynczyk, it most likely wouldn't leave Canadians with a great sense of confidence in the Governments handling of an important and vital department. It would also suggest a process that seems to run counter to what the Conservatives say they are all about, and would remind Canadians that the Conservatives were critical of similar styles of management back in the “bad old Liberal days".
While General Hillier has no doubt ruffled more than a few feathers over his term in office (not necessarily a bad thing by the way), he has been tasked with a rather hard job with a severely depleted Armed Forces cupboard. It has only been in the recent years that the military has been placed back on the top of the spending lists in Ottawa. A situation which the Conservatives deserve some credit for, having reversed the years and years of cutbacks and corner cutting favoured by the Liberals.
All that good karma though could go out the window, if a popular General is given his walking papers because the politicians didn’t like him.
We suspect that should the General’s departure come to pass, the Conservatives will suffer some serious fall out from their decisions. While they may be acting as though they have a majority government, decisions like the rumoured replacement of a popular military leader could come back to haunt them in a very telling way.
Canadian’s generally don’t pay much attention to military matters in the country, they are aware of the Afghanistan force that is in play and have serious questions for their government about its long term plan in that country and whether all that the troops need has been provided.
It won’t be viewed as a good sign if the Government replaces the general who seems to have the highest respect of his troops (and a large chunk of the population as well). The Conservatives have used the military as a talking point for the bulk of their term in office so far, whether it’s through the Afghanistan mission or for the numerous procurement programs that they have rolled out since taking office.
The constant in each one has been the Chief of Defence Staff, who it would seem, has put a few noses out of joint in Ottawa. The Conservatives will have to build a case against the General based on poor managerial skills or dissension in the rank and file. Replacing him because he gets on the nerves of the political class probably will only make the man a larger folk hero than he’s become. Surely there are other tasks for the Prime Minister to busy himself with, than settling scores with a military leader.
It will be with interest that Canadians watch to see if the Conservatives follow through on the rumoured replacement plan, if it comes down to a popularity poll we suspect that the General is going to win as they say; "hands down, walking away".
CTV News is reporting today that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper is making plans to replace the General when his three year term as Chief of Defence comes up for renewal in February.
It’s a move that may prove to be risky for the Prime Minister, replacing a popular general while the country is involved in a rather determined military action in Afghanistan. While Canadians may be split about the mission, most are inclined to offer up their support for the actual troops on the ground, mostly the result of the work of Hillier to make sure that the word gets out about what Canada is doing in Afghanistan.
For the bulk of his time as Chief of Defence, Hillier has if nothing else punched home the message of reminding Canadians about their sons and daughters in harms way. His language has been blunt, at times profane and mostly straight ahead factual, not the kind of talk that politicians are known for.
While critics find him to be brash and bombastic, there certainly can be no doubt that he has as made one of his main missions to ensure that the troops tasked to Afghanistan are provided with the proper equipment to do the job. He has also played a major role in increasing the profile of the Armed Forces while involved in active combat.
Perhaps providing a message that isn’t sitting well with a government that seems inclined to try and massage the message to the populace. Preferring not to highlight the dangers, all the while watching the polling numbers that show Canadians growing nervous about Canada's expanding commitment to that part of the world.
CTV suggests that one of the reasons that the Conservatives are planning on replacing him, is that he “outshone" his political masters and "undermined" the former Minister of Defence Gordon O’Connor. Two tasks which it seems would not exactly be very challenging to complete
Should the Conservatives follow through on the plan to replace the General, the most likely candidate is said to be Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk, tapped as the front runner based mainly due to the fact that the Prime Minister likes him.
That's not exactly the best way to select the most important post in Canada’s military while engaged in a near state of war. And while probably not fair to the capabilities of Lt.-Gen. Natynczyk, it most likely wouldn't leave Canadians with a great sense of confidence in the Governments handling of an important and vital department. It would also suggest a process that seems to run counter to what the Conservatives say they are all about, and would remind Canadians that the Conservatives were critical of similar styles of management back in the “bad old Liberal days".
While General Hillier has no doubt ruffled more than a few feathers over his term in office (not necessarily a bad thing by the way), he has been tasked with a rather hard job with a severely depleted Armed Forces cupboard. It has only been in the recent years that the military has been placed back on the top of the spending lists in Ottawa. A situation which the Conservatives deserve some credit for, having reversed the years and years of cutbacks and corner cutting favoured by the Liberals.
All that good karma though could go out the window, if a popular General is given his walking papers because the politicians didn’t like him.
We suspect that should the General’s departure come to pass, the Conservatives will suffer some serious fall out from their decisions. While they may be acting as though they have a majority government, decisions like the rumoured replacement of a popular military leader could come back to haunt them in a very telling way.
Canadian’s generally don’t pay much attention to military matters in the country, they are aware of the Afghanistan force that is in play and have serious questions for their government about its long term plan in that country and whether all that the troops need has been provided.
It won’t be viewed as a good sign if the Government replaces the general who seems to have the highest respect of his troops (and a large chunk of the population as well). The Conservatives have used the military as a talking point for the bulk of their term in office so far, whether it’s through the Afghanistan mission or for the numerous procurement programs that they have rolled out since taking office.
The constant in each one has been the Chief of Defence Staff, who it would seem, has put a few noses out of joint in Ottawa. The Conservatives will have to build a case against the General based on poor managerial skills or dissension in the rank and file. Replacing him because he gets on the nerves of the political class probably will only make the man a larger folk hero than he’s become. Surely there are other tasks for the Prime Minister to busy himself with, than settling scores with a military leader.
It will be with interest that Canadians watch to see if the Conservatives follow through on the rumoured replacement plan, if it comes down to a popularity poll we suspect that the General is going to win as they say; "hands down, walking away".
Both the Globe and Mail website and CTV's webpage on the story have seen a number of letters in reply to the story arrive in short order since the story was first broadcast and published. The large amount of commentary, much of it in favor of the General, should make for an early warning system for stupid political decisions.
The proposed move could very well be the biggest political mis-step so far by “Canada’s New Government”, a dangerous step that very well may render them to be “Canada’s former Government.”
Monday, October 01, 2007
Renewed concerns over summer border guards, after CBC news story
There are some serious charges being levelled against the Canadian Border Services summer student recruitment program, and the concerns may get a new life after the feature posted on the CBC website Monday.
A number of current and former border guards have spoken out about the controversial summer program which sees some 1200 students hired on to stand on guard for thee at any number of border points in Canada, including Prince Rupert.
The hiring of the students has long been one that the union for the CBSA officers has been concerned about and the latest revelations probably won't do much to change their opinions.
The tempest has been stirred up by two former border guards who were denied full time status and have since left the Agency. And while many might dismiss their concerns as sour grapes, they provide more than enough damning evidence that may cause the Government to rethink its hiring priorities and certainly leave you with a number of questions about the calibre of the people being tasked to keep our borders safe.
Of particular concern seems to be some inappropriate behaviour by the student guards who post their off duty actions on the likes of Facebook or MySpace, events that show them drinking while in uniform and expressing less than complimentary comments about their jobs.
The CBC included some of the facebook postings on its website. In fact, among the more worrisome traits of some of the newest recruits, would be some of the advice that they could be offering to would be terrorists through their postings in the facebook forums. For example, they provide the helpful suggestion that the best time to sneak yourself into the country is when the students first arrive on the job.
That has long been a comment that many experienced guards and critics of the student employment program have been saying for a few years now, but they've tended to keep their thoughts to official channels and not on one of the worlds most popular social network sites.
In their social networking travels, the students at least exhibit a lack of maturity in some cases, a fault that have some questioning their aptitude to for the job at hand and whether those same students that go on to full time status are mature enough to be trusted to be armed with firearms as all Border guards are in the process of doing.
It should prove to be an explosive report that the CBC has aired, one which won't be cause for comfort for many Canadians and leaves more than a few questions for the government to answer for.
Student recruits unfit for service, say former border guards
Facebook postings show drinking and partying while officers in uniform
CBC News
Monday, October 1, 2007
Canada Border Services Agency officers who work in B.C. are being accused of posting inappropriate and offensive material, some of it directly related to their jobs, on the internet.
The material includes jokes about guns and passports, an allegation that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a "serial killer" and insults directed at French-speaking Canadians.
"It's just revolting what is being posted … and the lack of action to stop them from doing that," said Chris Hughes, a former border officer from Victoria who revealed the material, captured on Facebook and similar sites, to CBC News.
The postings also raise questions about whether some of the people trusted to guard Canada's borders are qualified to keep out terrorists and other criminals, he said.
"This is a huge security issue," said Hughes.
Hughes and his former colleague, Levan Turner, both in their 40s, worked summers at the border until the government decided not to hire them permanently.
They claim they were passed over in favour of younger, cheaper, student recruits. Hughes claimed he has been tracking website postings by several of those recruits ever since.
In numerous posted photos, new recruits are seen drinking and partying at a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) centre in Rigaud, Que., where they train to become full-time officers, on taxpayers' money.
One recruit wrote, "My tolerance for alcohol that I built up at Rigaud … is insane."
"It looks like you do a bit of learning and a lot of drinking," Hughes told CBC News.
"I understand if they want to party," said Turner, "But to put that out there for the public to see isn't proper."
Facebook photo shows recruit drinking in uniform
One photo, apparently taken in B.C., shows a Canada Border Services Agency officer drinking from a keg while in uniform. Consuming alcohol in uniform, on or off duty, is a direct violation of CBSA's code of conduct.
Another alleged officer, also pictured in uniform on the web, posted responses to a quiz — answering that she has cheated on a test, smoked pot and felt like killing someone.
When a friend apparently asks her, online, if she has been issued a gun, the officer answers, "I think the prime minister should be getting on the phone, and calling a few people and getting that straightened up real quick," said Turner.
The female officer also wrote: "I don't have a gun... YET!!! You will be the first one to hear about it when serial killer Harper gives me one."
It seems she didn't like training in Quebec. In postings, the writer refers to the province as "the land of poutine and frog," and "f---ing French bastards."
"If they are playing around with Facebook, saying those things, what are they going to do when they get a gun?" asks Hughes. "What kind of jokes and pictures are they going to take with firearms?"
A male officer, who posted his CBSA job title as "Bad Ass," did post a picture of the type of gun he expects to get, with the caption, "Soon enough, baby. Soon enough."
That same officer wrote he is "incredibly excited that he got to arrest someone again." There are pictures of men necking and holding each other down, apparently as a joke. The photos are labelled "Victoria Rape."
"It shows immaturity among people and that's exactly what it is," said Turner. "If this person is going to get a gun I think I would be really nervous if I were the traveller."
The former B.C. officers are also raising alarm bells about how new recruits performed on the job.
"Most of them lack the maturity, they lack the experience," Hughes said. "I've seen so many students that should have been referring so many prime candidates for secondary inspection and have just let them into the country."
According to the Customs Excise Union (CEUDA), which represents border services officers, the majority of staffers trusted to guard Canada's borders are either part-time students or new, full-time recruits, many who started as students.
The CBSA hires some 1,200 students each summer. Those being kept on, as full-time recruits, get nine weeks of training.
Part-time students are not issued firearms, but all recruits hired on full-time eventually will be. The minister responsible for public safety, Stockwell Day, has just announced a $50-million expansion of the Rigaud centre, to increase the number of recruits that can be trained.
CBC News asked Day for his reaction to the internet postings.
"The overall program of training our border officers is a very successful one," Day said.
"We have a highly credible, highly professional force of Canada Border Service agents, men and women. I meet with them on a regular occasion and get out to the borders themselves to meet with them.
"I'm very proud of what they do. There's always going to be a case where one or two or a few may be upset but when you are looking at 4,800 men and women across the country occupying those border station they are doing a great job."
Union says students not qualified
Last year, the CEUDA submitted a report to the Senate committee on national security and defence that said, "Students are not qualified to perform the duties to which they are being assigned, which compromises their own safety, that of other officers, the travelling public and Canadians at large."
The website postings Hughes found show confusion over passports.
One student asks others online, "Did anybody else panic when they saw their first Dutch or (insert weird foreign country) passport?"
Another answers, "Ha, ha. I totally freaked when I saw Österreich (Austria). It was the oldest, most sketch looking thing ever."
Turner's reaction was, "You can make up a phoney passport. If they don't know what it is and they don't know what they are looking at, then they could just let somebody in or let anybody in."
"If you were a terrorist and you wanted to get into Canada," said Hughes, "come when the students first go on the job."
Hughes said he has been sending letters of complaint to the CBSA and to Day for months. He claims most of his concerns have not been acknowledged.
"Anybody can see there is a problem," said Turner. "But nobody wants to do anything about it and that's the reason we had to come to [CBC News] and go public is because nobody else would listen."
The Canada Border Services Agency circulated an internal memorandum to employees on Aug. 24, warning about their participating in social networking websites.
"Even off-duty conduct becomes a work-related matter if it jeopardizes the agency's reputation or programs," said the memo obtained by CBC News.
"For these reasons, we would like to remind you that inappropriate behaviour by employees on such websites could result in administrative and/or disciplinary action," it said.
A number of current and former border guards have spoken out about the controversial summer program which sees some 1200 students hired on to stand on guard for thee at any number of border points in Canada, including Prince Rupert.
The hiring of the students has long been one that the union for the CBSA officers has been concerned about and the latest revelations probably won't do much to change their opinions.
The tempest has been stirred up by two former border guards who were denied full time status and have since left the Agency. And while many might dismiss their concerns as sour grapes, they provide more than enough damning evidence that may cause the Government to rethink its hiring priorities and certainly leave you with a number of questions about the calibre of the people being tasked to keep our borders safe.
Of particular concern seems to be some inappropriate behaviour by the student guards who post their off duty actions on the likes of Facebook or MySpace, events that show them drinking while in uniform and expressing less than complimentary comments about their jobs.
The CBC included some of the facebook postings on its website. In fact, among the more worrisome traits of some of the newest recruits, would be some of the advice that they could be offering to would be terrorists through their postings in the facebook forums. For example, they provide the helpful suggestion that the best time to sneak yourself into the country is when the students first arrive on the job.
That has long been a comment that many experienced guards and critics of the student employment program have been saying for a few years now, but they've tended to keep their thoughts to official channels and not on one of the worlds most popular social network sites.
In their social networking travels, the students at least exhibit a lack of maturity in some cases, a fault that have some questioning their aptitude to for the job at hand and whether those same students that go on to full time status are mature enough to be trusted to be armed with firearms as all Border guards are in the process of doing.
It should prove to be an explosive report that the CBC has aired, one which won't be cause for comfort for many Canadians and leaves more than a few questions for the government to answer for.
Student recruits unfit for service, say former border guards
Facebook postings show drinking and partying while officers in uniform
CBC News
Monday, October 1, 2007
Canada Border Services Agency officers who work in B.C. are being accused of posting inappropriate and offensive material, some of it directly related to their jobs, on the internet.
The material includes jokes about guns and passports, an allegation that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a "serial killer" and insults directed at French-speaking Canadians.
"It's just revolting what is being posted … and the lack of action to stop them from doing that," said Chris Hughes, a former border officer from Victoria who revealed the material, captured on Facebook and similar sites, to CBC News.
The postings also raise questions about whether some of the people trusted to guard Canada's borders are qualified to keep out terrorists and other criminals, he said.
"This is a huge security issue," said Hughes.
Hughes and his former colleague, Levan Turner, both in their 40s, worked summers at the border until the government decided not to hire them permanently.
They claim they were passed over in favour of younger, cheaper, student recruits. Hughes claimed he has been tracking website postings by several of those recruits ever since.
In numerous posted photos, new recruits are seen drinking and partying at a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) centre in Rigaud, Que., where they train to become full-time officers, on taxpayers' money.
One recruit wrote, "My tolerance for alcohol that I built up at Rigaud … is insane."
"It looks like you do a bit of learning and a lot of drinking," Hughes told CBC News.
"I understand if they want to party," said Turner, "But to put that out there for the public to see isn't proper."
Facebook photo shows recruit drinking in uniform
One photo, apparently taken in B.C., shows a Canada Border Services Agency officer drinking from a keg while in uniform. Consuming alcohol in uniform, on or off duty, is a direct violation of CBSA's code of conduct.
Another alleged officer, also pictured in uniform on the web, posted responses to a quiz — answering that she has cheated on a test, smoked pot and felt like killing someone.
When a friend apparently asks her, online, if she has been issued a gun, the officer answers, "I think the prime minister should be getting on the phone, and calling a few people and getting that straightened up real quick," said Turner.
The female officer also wrote: "I don't have a gun... YET!!! You will be the first one to hear about it when serial killer Harper gives me one."
It seems she didn't like training in Quebec. In postings, the writer refers to the province as "the land of poutine and frog," and "f---ing French bastards."
"If they are playing around with Facebook, saying those things, what are they going to do when they get a gun?" asks Hughes. "What kind of jokes and pictures are they going to take with firearms?"
A male officer, who posted his CBSA job title as "Bad Ass," did post a picture of the type of gun he expects to get, with the caption, "Soon enough, baby. Soon enough."
That same officer wrote he is "incredibly excited that he got to arrest someone again." There are pictures of men necking and holding each other down, apparently as a joke. The photos are labelled "Victoria Rape."
"It shows immaturity among people and that's exactly what it is," said Turner. "If this person is going to get a gun I think I would be really nervous if I were the traveller."
The former B.C. officers are also raising alarm bells about how new recruits performed on the job.
"Most of them lack the maturity, they lack the experience," Hughes said. "I've seen so many students that should have been referring so many prime candidates for secondary inspection and have just let them into the country."
According to the Customs Excise Union (CEUDA), which represents border services officers, the majority of staffers trusted to guard Canada's borders are either part-time students or new, full-time recruits, many who started as students.
The CBSA hires some 1,200 students each summer. Those being kept on, as full-time recruits, get nine weeks of training.
Part-time students are not issued firearms, but all recruits hired on full-time eventually will be. The minister responsible for public safety, Stockwell Day, has just announced a $50-million expansion of the Rigaud centre, to increase the number of recruits that can be trained.
CBC News asked Day for his reaction to the internet postings.
"The overall program of training our border officers is a very successful one," Day said.
"We have a highly credible, highly professional force of Canada Border Service agents, men and women. I meet with them on a regular occasion and get out to the borders themselves to meet with them.
"I'm very proud of what they do. There's always going to be a case where one or two or a few may be upset but when you are looking at 4,800 men and women across the country occupying those border station they are doing a great job."
Union says students not qualified
Last year, the CEUDA submitted a report to the Senate committee on national security and defence that said, "Students are not qualified to perform the duties to which they are being assigned, which compromises their own safety, that of other officers, the travelling public and Canadians at large."
The website postings Hughes found show confusion over passports.
One student asks others online, "Did anybody else panic when they saw their first Dutch or (insert weird foreign country) passport?"
Another answers, "Ha, ha. I totally freaked when I saw Österreich (Austria). It was the oldest, most sketch looking thing ever."
Turner's reaction was, "You can make up a phoney passport. If they don't know what it is and they don't know what they are looking at, then they could just let somebody in or let anybody in."
"If you were a terrorist and you wanted to get into Canada," said Hughes, "come when the students first go on the job."
Hughes said he has been sending letters of complaint to the CBSA and to Day for months. He claims most of his concerns have not been acknowledged.
"Anybody can see there is a problem," said Turner. "But nobody wants to do anything about it and that's the reason we had to come to [CBC News] and go public is because nobody else would listen."
The Canada Border Services Agency circulated an internal memorandum to employees on Aug. 24, warning about their participating in social networking websites.
"Even off-duty conduct becomes a work-related matter if it jeopardizes the agency's reputation or programs," said the memo obtained by CBC News.
"For these reasons, we would like to remind you that inappropriate behaviour by employees on such websites could result in administrative and/or disciplinary action," it said.
Podunk Below the Masthead October 2007
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.
On Wednesdays and Friday's you can access all the stories of the Daily News free on their website, on the remaining days you end up at a dead end, asking you to go purchase your paper, for (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story.
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.
On Wednesdays and Friday's you can access all the stories of the Daily News free on their website, on the remaining days you end up at a dead end, asking you to go purchase your paper, for (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story.
October 31--MORE RAW LOGS ABOUT TO LEAVE THESE SHORES UNDER NEW PLAN--The issue of raw log shipments gets front page treatment (see story here)
October 30--WAVE OF INTEREST IN PORT SET TO HIT NEW HIGH THIS WEEK--With the Fairview Container Port about to begin operation, hopes are high for the future of the region. (see story here)
October 29--GROUP SHARES ITS NIGHTMARE VISION OF NORTH COAST SPILL--The prospect of a maritime disaster off the coast of BC was featured at a Prince Rupert seminar (see story here)
October 26--CITYWEST INVITES PUBLIC TO QUIZ ITS BOARD, HEAR PLANS--After a lengthy delay, CityWest the publicly owned telecommunications company in Prince Rupert announces plans for a General Meeting in December (see story here)
October 25--PROPOSED WOMEN'S SHELTER WILL BE AS GREEN AS POSSIBLE--The Northcoast Transition Society outlines its plans for a new property development on Park Avenue (see story here)
October 24--CITY DETERMINED TO PULL PLUG ON DUMPING OF RAW SEWAGE--Despite some financial troubles, the city still has a long term plan for a comprehensive sewage disposal system for the Prince Rupert (see story here)
October 23--CN RAIL COUNTING THE DAYS TO ARRIVAL OF PORT’S FIRST SHIP--With the first container ship set to arrive on October 31st, CN is looking forward to the future. (see story here)
October 22--'WHO WILL HEAL OUR AILING HEALTH SYSTEM?' ASKS MLA--The NDP make health care a priority for fall session of legislature. (see story here)
October 19--'TELL US WHAT'S IN STORE FOR FORESTRY' MLAs DEMAND--With the Coastal forestry strike possibly on the road to resolution, opposition members call on the Government to outline its forestry plans for the province (see story here)
October 18--CRANBERRY CONNECTOR IS TO GET A $200,000 MAKE-OVER--The alternate route in and out of Terrace receives an infusion of cash for upgrades (see story here)
October 17--MP ANGRY AS TORIES THROW OUT KYOTO IN THRONE SPEECH--NDP MP Nathan Cullen provides his thoughts on the Federal Speech from the throne. (see story here)
October 16--TWINNED BRIDGE, UPGRADED GRAIN RAIL CARS BOOST --Infrastructure announcements abound across northern B. C. (see story here)
October 15--NINE NEW NAMES ADDED TO HIGHWAY OF TEARS INQUIRY--A review of last weeks information session by the RCMP and the status of the investigation to this point. (see story here)
October 12-- CAMPBELL IS FACING TOUGH CHOICE OVER MINE SAYS MP--Conflicting directions of policy leave the Premier with a tough decision to make over the fate of mining in Northern BC. (see story here)
October 11-- CITY BLAMES STAFF SHORTAGES FOR $5.1 M BUDGET OVERSIGHT--The Mayor offers his interpretation of how 5.1 million dollars were counted twice. (see story here)
October 10--SIDES HEAD BACK TO COURT IN DISPUTE OVER NISGA'A TREATY--A case originally dismissed two years ago, has been give a second life. (see story here)
October 9--HOMEBUYERS BLOW ROOF OFF PROPERTY MARKET IN NORTH-An examination of the housing statistics for the first nine months of 2007. (see story here)
October 5--SPCA's TOP VET CALLS ON CAT LOVERS TO STOP FEEDING FERALS--The continuing debate over what to do about Prince Rupert's feral cats brings in the experts to offer some suggestions. (see story here)
October 4--CRITICS CLAIM THE CITY’S DOG CONTROL BYLAW HAS NO TEETH--The rhetoric heats up as Rupertites try to get some changes made to local dog bylaws.(see story here)
October 3--MLA LAUDS PROVINCE FOR POWER PROJECT, URGES CARE--Gary Coons, the MLA for the North Coast gives his take on the power project plans for Highway 37 North. (see story here)
October 2--NEW POWER CORRIDOR SET TO FIRE UP THE NORTH, CAMPBELL--The Province announces plans to electrify the Highway 37 corridor (see story here)
October 1--FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFERING HOT-TICKET TRAINING IN-HOUSE--Recruitment begins again for the controversial auxiliary firefighter program in Prince Rupert. (see story here)Fire Department burned on past training, begins process to offer it once again
The plan to implement the auxiliary fire fighter program is apparently back on track, as the City of Prince Rupert begins to actively seek out new recruits to work for the Prince Rupert Fire Rescue Service in an auxiliary capacity.
It’s a program that has had some rough times over the last few years, as past recruits would take part in the extensive training program and then in some cases, take their new found skills off to other locations where full time opportunities presented them with the possibility of long term employment.
The city is hoping to bring the auxiliary program back up to the twelve member strength, which it first proposed back in the Victor Kumar days at city hall, which was when the project once again gained new life.
During the last municipal election campaign the plan became one of the more controversial issues at the time and to this day still seems to raise the temperature of the average Podunkian. The plan to make use of the Auxiliaries has provided no shortage of opportunities for debate, with concerns over inferior service and potential safety issues raised in the past.
The concern of course for many residents is the fact that once the recruits are trained, they would prefer to use their new skills to improve their chances of full time employment, but in a catch 22 situation there are relatively few full time opportunities available with the Prince Rupert Fire Rescue service.
Those recruits of course then seek out new possibilities taking their training with them and to a degree Prince Rupert ends up providing the basic training for other areas which are growing and in need of fire fighter personnel.
There seems little that the City can do about the migration of trained recruits in search of full time employment, as there is no current plan in place to increase the complement of the city’s fire department with full time personnel. That leaves the new recruits with little incentive to stick around in an auxiliary capacity, especially when there are jobs out there for those with proper training.
When you factor in the amount of time and money dedicated to the training of the auxiliaries, you can’t help but wonder if this is the best strategy to address the needs of the fire department.
The prospect of spending money here to provide potential staff members for fire departments elsewhere, isn’t one that seems to be providing the best result for this community. If there has been an identified need for further fire personnel locally, perhaps there should be a few full time positions created to help take off the pressure of the current staff.
If there were to be a few full time positions created, at least the potential of retaining the new recruits has a better chance of taking hold and the valuable time spent training them won’t be going to waste.
That might be something that council could address despite their well documented commitment to the program. Taking the time to find out if the current auxiliary plan as it exists today, is providing the residents of the city with the best possible return on their tax dollars.
It’s a program that has had some rough times over the last few years, as past recruits would take part in the extensive training program and then in some cases, take their new found skills off to other locations where full time opportunities presented them with the possibility of long term employment.
The city is hoping to bring the auxiliary program back up to the twelve member strength, which it first proposed back in the Victor Kumar days at city hall, which was when the project once again gained new life.
During the last municipal election campaign the plan became one of the more controversial issues at the time and to this day still seems to raise the temperature of the average Podunkian. The plan to make use of the Auxiliaries has provided no shortage of opportunities for debate, with concerns over inferior service and potential safety issues raised in the past.
The concern of course for many residents is the fact that once the recruits are trained, they would prefer to use their new skills to improve their chances of full time employment, but in a catch 22 situation there are relatively few full time opportunities available with the Prince Rupert Fire Rescue service.
Those recruits of course then seek out new possibilities taking their training with them and to a degree Prince Rupert ends up providing the basic training for other areas which are growing and in need of fire fighter personnel.
There seems little that the City can do about the migration of trained recruits in search of full time employment, as there is no current plan in place to increase the complement of the city’s fire department with full time personnel. That leaves the new recruits with little incentive to stick around in an auxiliary capacity, especially when there are jobs out there for those with proper training.
When you factor in the amount of time and money dedicated to the training of the auxiliaries, you can’t help but wonder if this is the best strategy to address the needs of the fire department.
The prospect of spending money here to provide potential staff members for fire departments elsewhere, isn’t one that seems to be providing the best result for this community. If there has been an identified need for further fire personnel locally, perhaps there should be a few full time positions created to help take off the pressure of the current staff.
If there were to be a few full time positions created, at least the potential of retaining the new recruits has a better chance of taking hold and the valuable time spent training them won’t be going to waste.
That might be something that council could address despite their well documented commitment to the program. Taking the time to find out if the current auxiliary plan as it exists today, is providing the residents of the city with the best possible return on their tax dollars.
If not, the plan should be modified to best address the requirements of the Prince Rupert Fire Department, as well as ensure that the comprehensive training that is being provided is not going to waste or to some other community's benefit.
The Daily News featured the call for recruits as its front page story in Monday’s paper.
FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFERING HOT-TICKET TRAINING IN-HOUSE
Auxiliary firefighters will get the chance to complete sought-after programs
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Monday, October 1, 2007
Pages one and three
People who are physically fit with a strong desire to serve the community are being urged to consider serving Prince Rupert as an auxiliary firefighter in the coming years.
Currently, the Prince Rupert Fire Department is looking to rebuild its Auxiliary force back to a dozen or so members, after a number of members departed to pursue full-time firefighter employment in other places, or left for personal reasons.
Fire Chief Ron Miller has had difficulty maintaining the auxiliary force, primarily because the training offered to recruits at no charge is equivalent to the training offered in fire academy programs for thousands of dollars.
Both courses allow candidates to work toward graduating with the National Fire Protection Association 1001 standard for basic firefighting training.
“Most of the people who want to be Auxiliary Firefighters are people that want to become career Firefighters somewhere down the road,” said Miller.
“They see that getting outside training is very expensive if you go to the B. C. Fire Academy, where the minimum is a 12-week program which ranges around $15,000, and, of course, you’re not getting paid while you’re doing the training.”
This makes the training offered by local departments tempting to aspiring firefighters, since they don’t have to pay for the education, they are paid for weekly training time, and recruits do not have to travel outside of their community for the training.
The downside is that instead of an intensive 12-week course, completing the basic NFP 1001 training with a local detachment can take up to two years, since participants receive only two hours of class and practical training each week.
However, gaining full-time employment with a fire department anywhere in Canada is still a very daunting task even with NFPA 1001 certification because the numbers of applicants that will respond to any opening is staggering.
“For example, if you look at Vancouver Fire, I believe their last posting was for 12 positions and they had something like 2,800 applicants,” said Miller.
“Of course, those are quickly brought down to 1,000, and that number starts going down through testing and finding out if somebody has actually got the aptitude and such.”
Miller wants to make it clear that only serious applicants should put their names forward for this round of auxiliary recruiting, and he says those who just have dreams of riding on the back of the fire truck should wait until the next city parade.
There are currently only five auxiliary members operating in Prince Rupert, and Miller would like to get that number back up to 12 as soon as possible.
“We’re really trying to build a nucleus and get something started, so these people need to be devoted to putting in the time to completing all the modules of training,” said Miller.
“We need people willing to make a commitment to us and the community, and a lot of people don’t realize the time and energy that needs to go into training before they start.”
Application forms are available at the fire hall at 200 First Ave. West. Completed forms should be accompanied by detailed resumes attention of Chief Ron Miller.
The Daily News featured the call for recruits as its front page story in Monday’s paper.
FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFERING HOT-TICKET TRAINING IN-HOUSE
Auxiliary firefighters will get the chance to complete sought-after programs
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Monday, October 1, 2007
Pages one and three
People who are physically fit with a strong desire to serve the community are being urged to consider serving Prince Rupert as an auxiliary firefighter in the coming years.
Currently, the Prince Rupert Fire Department is looking to rebuild its Auxiliary force back to a dozen or so members, after a number of members departed to pursue full-time firefighter employment in other places, or left for personal reasons.
Fire Chief Ron Miller has had difficulty maintaining the auxiliary force, primarily because the training offered to recruits at no charge is equivalent to the training offered in fire academy programs for thousands of dollars.
Both courses allow candidates to work toward graduating with the National Fire Protection Association 1001 standard for basic firefighting training.
“Most of the people who want to be Auxiliary Firefighters are people that want to become career Firefighters somewhere down the road,” said Miller.
“They see that getting outside training is very expensive if you go to the B. C. Fire Academy, where the minimum is a 12-week program which ranges around $15,000, and, of course, you’re not getting paid while you’re doing the training.”
This makes the training offered by local departments tempting to aspiring firefighters, since they don’t have to pay for the education, they are paid for weekly training time, and recruits do not have to travel outside of their community for the training.
The downside is that instead of an intensive 12-week course, completing the basic NFP 1001 training with a local detachment can take up to two years, since participants receive only two hours of class and practical training each week.
However, gaining full-time employment with a fire department anywhere in Canada is still a very daunting task even with NFPA 1001 certification because the numbers of applicants that will respond to any opening is staggering.
“For example, if you look at Vancouver Fire, I believe their last posting was for 12 positions and they had something like 2,800 applicants,” said Miller.
“Of course, those are quickly brought down to 1,000, and that number starts going down through testing and finding out if somebody has actually got the aptitude and such.”
Miller wants to make it clear that only serious applicants should put their names forward for this round of auxiliary recruiting, and he says those who just have dreams of riding on the back of the fire truck should wait until the next city parade.
There are currently only five auxiliary members operating in Prince Rupert, and Miller would like to get that number back up to 12 as soon as possible.
“We’re really trying to build a nucleus and get something started, so these people need to be devoted to putting in the time to completing all the modules of training,” said Miller.
“We need people willing to make a commitment to us and the community, and a lot of people don’t realize the time and energy that needs to go into training before they start.”
Application forms are available at the fire hall at 200 First Ave. West. Completed forms should be accompanied by detailed resumes attention of Chief Ron Miller.
Having so much fun, they want an extra year!
Of the many key developments that came out of last weeks UBCM meet and greet, one that has caught our attention was a call by municipal politicians to add a year to their elected term of office.
As it stands at the moment, in British Columbia municipal councils sit for a term of three years but with a narrow margin of victory, the recommendation has been made to extend that to a four year term.
Joe Trasolini, the mayor of Port Moody put forward the motion at last weeks convention, explaining that three years was just too short a period of time to bring forward the many things that busy municipal councillors would like to see done.
This years convention reversed the vote of last year, where the same resolution was defeated as the rural and smaller centre politicians expressed concerns about the ability to attract good candidates for office willing to tether themselves to city hall for four years.
While the resolution passed, it will still be up to the provincial government to decide whether to bring the issue to the Legislature and effect change, if B. C. decides to go ahead with the change that will leave only Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island as provinces with three year terms for municipal council.
The Vancouver Sun provided details on the potential change to elected terms as well as the approval of a resolution to increase the minimum wage in the province to ten dollars.
A little carrot for the potential voters, who perhaps will remember it come that fourth year of the term with an election on the horizon..
Municipal councils to ask for 4-year terms
Local governments want Victoria to change current 3-year terms
Fiona Anderson
Vancouver Sun
Friday, September 28, 2007
British Columbia municipalities have narrowly voted in favour of asking the province to hold municipal elections every four years instead of the current three.
A three-year term is too short to be productive, said Joe Trasolini, the mayor of Port Moody, which put forward the motion at the annual convention of the Union of B.C. Municipalities being held this week in Vancouver.
It takes the better part of one year to get a new council to jell and work as a team, Trasolini said in an interview. Then in the third year the focus is on the next election. So it's only during the second year that things can get done, he said.
"The way the system is, out of three years you get one productive year," Trasolini said.
And Trasolini said communities need the continuity that four years would provide.
Elected officials aren't bound by what the previous council has passed, so for major initiatives, that continuity is key to getting the job done, he said.
Much of the opposition voiced at the convention came from those in smaller and rural communities who worried they would have difficulty attracting people to run for council if the job required a four-year commitment. Given pay levels, most perform their elected duties on top of other full-time jobs.
At last year's UBCM convention, this group won the day as a virtually identical resolution was narrowly defeated.
It is now up to the province to decide whether the law will in fact be changed. Elsewhere in Canada, only Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward island do not have four-year terms.
"I think the province will look at the merits and will probably at least debate it," Trasolini said.
"After all, we are the ones dealing on a day-to-day basis with these issues. So it would make sense that they would listen to us."
The UBCM also voted Thursday in favour of calling on the province to raise the minimum wage to $10 after a speech by NDP leader Carole James supporting the increase.
"The premier took a $54,000 increase for himself this year," she said. "And I think it's past time that we gave B.C.'s lowest-paid workers the same consideration."
And if the minimum wage isn't increased now, when the provincial economy is booming, when will it be? James asked.
In other resolutions, the UBCM voted to:
Ask the province to require annual or twice-yearly inspections of all commercial trucks, depending on size.
Ask the province to specifically regulate the keeping and sale of exotic animals by including a list of exotic animals that are prohibited.
Ask the federal government to return to local governments one cent out of every six cents collected through the goods and services tax.
A resolution to ask the Ministry of the Environment to prohibit the use of patio heaters was defeated. More resolutions will be considered today, including whether the UBCM should ask the province to scrap its single business licence initiative and allow municipalities to remain in control of business licences within their jurisdictions.
As it stands at the moment, in British Columbia municipal councils sit for a term of three years but with a narrow margin of victory, the recommendation has been made to extend that to a four year term.
Joe Trasolini, the mayor of Port Moody put forward the motion at last weeks convention, explaining that three years was just too short a period of time to bring forward the many things that busy municipal councillors would like to see done.
This years convention reversed the vote of last year, where the same resolution was defeated as the rural and smaller centre politicians expressed concerns about the ability to attract good candidates for office willing to tether themselves to city hall for four years.
While the resolution passed, it will still be up to the provincial government to decide whether to bring the issue to the Legislature and effect change, if B. C. decides to go ahead with the change that will leave only Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island as provinces with three year terms for municipal council.
The Vancouver Sun provided details on the potential change to elected terms as well as the approval of a resolution to increase the minimum wage in the province to ten dollars.
A little carrot for the potential voters, who perhaps will remember it come that fourth year of the term with an election on the horizon..
Municipal councils to ask for 4-year terms
Local governments want Victoria to change current 3-year terms
Fiona Anderson
Vancouver Sun
Friday, September 28, 2007
British Columbia municipalities have narrowly voted in favour of asking the province to hold municipal elections every four years instead of the current three.
A three-year term is too short to be productive, said Joe Trasolini, the mayor of Port Moody, which put forward the motion at the annual convention of the Union of B.C. Municipalities being held this week in Vancouver.
It takes the better part of one year to get a new council to jell and work as a team, Trasolini said in an interview. Then in the third year the focus is on the next election. So it's only during the second year that things can get done, he said.
"The way the system is, out of three years you get one productive year," Trasolini said.
And Trasolini said communities need the continuity that four years would provide.
Elected officials aren't bound by what the previous council has passed, so for major initiatives, that continuity is key to getting the job done, he said.
Much of the opposition voiced at the convention came from those in smaller and rural communities who worried they would have difficulty attracting people to run for council if the job required a four-year commitment. Given pay levels, most perform their elected duties on top of other full-time jobs.
At last year's UBCM convention, this group won the day as a virtually identical resolution was narrowly defeated.
It is now up to the province to decide whether the law will in fact be changed. Elsewhere in Canada, only Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward island do not have four-year terms.
"I think the province will look at the merits and will probably at least debate it," Trasolini said.
"After all, we are the ones dealing on a day-to-day basis with these issues. So it would make sense that they would listen to us."
The UBCM also voted Thursday in favour of calling on the province to raise the minimum wage to $10 after a speech by NDP leader Carole James supporting the increase.
"The premier took a $54,000 increase for himself this year," she said. "And I think it's past time that we gave B.C.'s lowest-paid workers the same consideration."
And if the minimum wage isn't increased now, when the provincial economy is booming, when will it be? James asked.
In other resolutions, the UBCM voted to:
Ask the province to require annual or twice-yearly inspections of all commercial trucks, depending on size.
Ask the province to specifically regulate the keeping and sale of exotic animals by including a list of exotic animals that are prohibited.
Ask the federal government to return to local governments one cent out of every six cents collected through the goods and services tax.
A resolution to ask the Ministry of the Environment to prohibit the use of patio heaters was defeated. More resolutions will be considered today, including whether the UBCM should ask the province to scrap its single business licence initiative and allow municipalities to remain in control of business licences within their jurisdictions.
Memphis readies itself for Octobers first container ship
The first 5500 containers of consumer goods will arrive at the Fairview Container Port on October 31st, 133 hours later a good number of those containers will find a southern welcome that could change the economic dynamic in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal sent correspondent Jane Roberts to the Northwest to get a first hand look at the Pacific port that is going to have such a huge impact on the American south.
Their website features her findings about Prince Rupert, the Fairview container port and the infrastructure that CN is building in Memphis, three unique pieces of a puzzle, all set to come together at the end of this month.
Far-west Canadian harbor closes distance between Memphis, Pacific markets
By Jane Roberts (Contact)
Memphis Commercial Appeal
By Jane Roberts (Contact)
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Sunday, September 30, 2007
PRINCE RUPERT, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- On the foggy, rainy shores of this outpost in northern Canada, a statue of Charles Hays stands like a sentry over the comings and goings of what until now has been a quiet Pacific fishing and logging town.
Nearly 100 years ago, Hays, an American, was in charge of building the grand trunk rail line across northern Canada, what was to be major link in the silk trade between China and Europe.
He chose Prince Rupert because it not only had the deepest warm-water harbor of any city on the West Coast, it was also closest to China.
When the line petered out after Hays went down with the Titanic, the little town with the deepest natural harbor on the continent faded.
On Oct. 31, when the first Asian shipping vessel docks in what Canadians call The New World Port at Prince Rupert -- loaded with 5,500 containers of consumables, electronics, clothing and all manner of goods North Americans buy every day from China -- the whole economy will change.
The magnitude will ripple across the continent -- arriving in Memphis 133 hours later by train -- in an uptick at Canadian National's Intermodal Gateway Memphis terminal in Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park.
In the first year, CN expects 30 percent of the shipping containers -- or 75,000 -- will come through Memphis for storage and shipment across the region.
By the time the port's second phase is built in 2011, Prince Rupert will have capacity for 2 million containers. About 300,000 a year could be headed to Memphis, more than doubling CN's container business in Memphis.
"It's the opening of a brand-new trade route between North America and China," said John Moore, president and chief executive of the Memphis Regional Chamber. "That's very significant for us because China is Tennessee's No. 3 largest trade partner.
"As that extra capacity comes online, it allows for more expedient shipping of goods arriving from China, which is good for our distribution companies who will be managing more and more of these containers. That means more revenue, and more revenue generally means jobs."
Quite suddenly, Memphis and Tennessee will have cheaper and faster access to Asia, which experts say will do more to recruit business here than almost any combination of other factors.
Prince Rupert is nearly 58 sailing hours closer to Far East markets than Long Beach and Los Angeles, giving shippers the equivalent of an extra round-trip a year.
Transit times will be so quick, fishermen in Prince Rupert figure they will be able to ship their famous halibut fresh to the center of the United States.
"We think there will be tremendous market for beef and pork from the prairies of North America headed to Asia," said Barry Bartlett, spokesman for the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
"Really, anything going to Seattle from here would be in Memphis by the time the load gets to Seattle."
The reason is that Prince Rupert will unload directly from ship to train.
"That means there won't be any trucks going through the city," Bartlett said. "That takes a link out of the supply chain."
Without the congestion and the time it takes to get a load of seafood from Vancouver to Shanghai, Bartlett says transportation costs will go from 17 cents a pound down to 6 cents.
"We're creating opportunities in other potential markets for value-added products,'' he said.
With oil trading at $83 a barrel and competition for global markets rising, CN says Prince Rupert has been an easy sell.
"The reception has been outstanding," said Doug Hayden-Luck, head of international intermodal sales and based in Calgary. "The customers we've talked to in Asia understand totally the value proposition that the new service brings."
CN, the only railroad serving Prince Rupert, has signed contracts with COSCO, the second-largest ocean shipping company in the world, for 25 percent of capacity. Other contracts are expected within weeks after CN announced Thursday it was buying a major portion of a Chicago railroad, allowing it to shave a full day off transit time from Prince Rupert to Memphis.
"All in all, Prince Rupert is going to bring this area a tremendous amount of business," said Pete Aviotti, special assistant to Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton. "This is going to open the eyes to a lot of new industry as far as moving to Memphis because freight will be received here a lot quicker than in other parts of the country."
By 2020, the Prince Rupert Port Authority expects 44 million shipping containers will come through the West Coast ports. British Columbia's goal is to get 17 percent or 9 million. Nearly half of that will come through Prince Rupert, based on current projections.
In Memphis, there's reason to think cotton could ship more efficiently through Canada.
"We haven't done it yet, but we're studying it," said Billy Dunavant, chairman of Dunavant Enterprises. "Trimming a whole day off the transit between Chicago and Memphis is a big thing."
Since the $170 million port opened in mid-September, Bartlett's been giving port tours nearly full time to Asian journalists and businesspeople, selling them on Rupert's strategy and mind-set.
"CN has purchased 50 locomotives and 2,200 railcars dedicated only to Prince Rupert," he tells a handful of journalists from Asian shipping magazines and newspapers. "We're prepared for ships carrying 12,500 containers. They are so big they haven't even been built yet."
Maher Terminals, the company running the port, also runs the Port of New York and New Jersey, two of the biggest in the United States.
Because Prince Rupert is such an isolated part of the world, there is very little congestion both in the harbor and on the rail lines heading to interior markets, which the port authority says will trim days off the storage and wait times shippers experience coming through Long Beach and Los Angeles, the busiest port in the United States.
CN has capitalized on that by investing $30 million in the port itself and $25 million to lower bridge decks and make its tunnels higher so it can double-stack containers on its cars through to Chicago.
It has spent more than $100 million in Memphis in the last few years, calling Memphis its most important U.S. city behind Chicago for its ability to get goods to and from the populated east and midsections of the country.
"We have ample capacity in Memphis and that is the key for us," said Hayden-Luck, who said competitors in Memphis, including Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, are running out of space.
"All these guys in a sense are congested and need to build additional infrastructure to take on more business," he said. "We did that two years ago. We're ready."
-- Jane Roberts: 529-2512
Sunday, September 30, 2007
We'll be right back after this short commercial message Sept 30
The chase, is it more rewarding than the catch?
It may be light cola, but perhaps there still is a bit too much sugar here.
It may be light cola, but perhaps there still is a bit too much sugar here.
Concerns over BC Ferries safety policies and secrecy continue
The Globe and Mail ran an expansive four page piece over the weekend, exploring ongoing concerns about the safety of the two remaining vessels with single compartment hull construction.
Justine Hunter examined a number of points about the BC Ferry fleet and how they and Transport Canada are handling the issues about safety on the waters off the West coast.
Concerns continue to be raised about the state safety of both the the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack, sister ships to the ill fated Queen of the North which sank off of Gil Island last year.
An ominous report has been rediscovered from 1998 which stated: "I feel very strongly that we should not be sailing this vessel in her present state."
It reviews the concerns of the day about the stability of the vessels and seems to forecast the worst possible scenario that took place eight years later off of coastal British Columbia.
Since that time, the Globe reports that the Ferry Corporation never acted on the key recommendation of the 1998 report and how Transport Canada continues to certify the two ships in question for service, all the while as it was drafting new regulations to improve their safety. Those regulations are to take effect this week, but there is a five year grace period planned before there is a need to bring existing vessels up to standard.
Even more interesting is the the sense of secrecy that has Hunter discovered since the Ferry corporation changed from a public to a semi private operation: "Since the former Crown corporation became a quasi-private enterprise in 2003, the company will not release its regular safety audits. And while it does publicly report on major accidents, there is no public access to details of the hundreds of minor incidents that occur each year."
Hunter provides a fascinating piece, comprehensive in detail about not only the BC Ferry system but that of our neighbours on the west coast and the operators of Atlantic Canada ferry systems.
It examines every aspect of how the ferry corporation and Transport go about their business. Many of the details unearthed by the Globe will no doubt be mentioned frequently by those that continue to be concerned about the state of the Ferry fleet not only along the North coast, but in the province as a whole.
Design of two ferries under scrutiny
Ships have same structure that prompted warnings about Queen of the North years before it sank
JUSTINE HUNTER
Globe and Mail
September 29, 2007
VICTORIA -- The striking image shows the passenger ferry Queen of the North capsized, a chilling warning of the potential for a huge loss of life.
But it's not 2006; it's 1998. The "what-if" scenario was produced by marine engineering consultants who studied the stability of the ship in case of an accident. The analysis, obtained by The Globe and Mail, was delivered to the vessel's owner, B.C. Ferries, to prompt safety upgrades.
"I feel very strongly that we should not be sailing this vessel in her present state," the marine engineer who commissioned the report warned his bosses at B.C. Ferries at the time.
But the company did not follow the key recommendation and the 1998 report languished.
And Transport Canada continues to certify the ships while it drafts new regulations to improve their safety.
Now, with a final report on the Queen of the North's fatal 2006 sinking expected as early as next week, the safety of two other B.C. Ferries ships - the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack - which also have a single-compartment hull construction, is being called into question.
The Transportation Safety Board is set to deliver its findings on the Queen of the North next month, in a report that will shed light not only on the 2006 accident, but on how the ferry service that moves 22 million people every year manages risk.
The Queen of the North was vulnerable to disaster because it had an outdated hull design, according to the 1998 risk analysis by S.H.M. Marine International, a Victoria marine engineering firm.
The analysis concluded that with a brisk wind, the Queen of the North could easily capsize in an accident with a significant hull breach and just minutes or seconds would be available for emergency response.
"The existing ship, when launching lifeboats and life rafts in a 22-knot wind, possesses no or dangerously inadequate stability," the report said.
The report called for the addition of external buoyancy devices called sponsons, but they were never added.
The April, 1998, safety report, with its graphics showing disaster scenarios in vivid red, was left to collect dust in B.C. Ferries' archives. The company says it did make other structural upgrades to the ship in response to the report, but over all it maintains that its ships are safe because they meet the regulatory requirements of Transport Canada.
But regulations, modern navigational equipment and safety management failed to prevent the unthinkable in the early hours of March 22, 2006, when the Queen of the North rammed into an island and sank to the ocean floor.
While the ship did not capsize, it sank too quickly to save everyone on board. Two people are missing and presumed drowned. And the accident could have been far, far worse.
The collision occurred in calm seas, and only 101 people were on board - far from the ship's capacity of 650 - putting less strain on rescue resources.
"They were lucky," said Robert Beadell, a marine engineer who spent six years at B.C. Ferries as a safety expert. He commissioned the S.H.M. Marine report and later quit in frustration over B.C. Ferries' approach to risk management.
Mr. Beadell argues that the sinking highlights a crucial flaw in B.C. Ferries' safety regime. By relying on regulatory compliance and not exceeding federal standards, the company is taking unnecessary risks, he said, citing its decision to continue using the two vessels with single-compartment hulls despite concerns.
"The Queen of the North was vulnerable and they knew that. The Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack are also single-compartment vessels and it's strange to me the other shoe hasn't dropped yet," Mr. Beadell said in an interview.
The single-compartment hull refers to a safety standard that if one watertight compartment is flooded, a vessel should remain afloat and stable long enough to evacuate.
Ferry disasters in Europe, such as the one in which the Herald of Free Enterprise capsized near Belgium in 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew, led to new regulations restricting such vessels in European waters.
But Transport Canada, which has spent more than a decade drafting new regulations to improve the safety of one-compartment passenger ferries, continues to certify the ships in domestic waters.
"We at Transport Canada are late at putting this standard into place because of the further consultation with smaller passenger vessel operators," said Victor Santos-Pedro, director of design equipment and boating safety in the Marine Safety Directorate of Transport Canada. "We wanted to put it in place earlier."
That consultation is finished, for now, and new regulations will take effect on Oct. 1. Still, Canadian ferry operators will have up to five years to bring existing vessels up to standard.
For B.C. Ferries, it will mean the end of the line for the two remaining single-compartment vessels. Instead of installing sponsons to improve stability, B.C. Ferries will retire the Queen of Prince Rupert in 2009 and the Queen of Chilliwack in 2012.
Mike Corrigan, B.C. Ferries chief operating officer, said the sponsons haven't been added because the regulations do not yet require them.
So why are the two ships, which run on some of B.C. Ferries' most challenging routes, considered safe now but will not be good enough in 2012?
"We're replacing the systems as quickly as we possibly can; we've identified the need to replace the vessels," Mr. Corrigan said, adding: "They always were and still are in full compliance with Transport Canada safety regulations."
The Queen of the North was certified by Transport Canada but that didn't comfort Mr. Beadell, the former head of B.C. Ferries' international safety management program.
"We have spent the last three years telling the fleet that safety is our No. 1 priority, but apparently this is not always true," Mr. Beadell said in a 1998 letter to B.C. Ferries' head of corporate safety after the risk analysis was delivered. Mr. Beadell said he quit because the corporation dismissed the report's conclusions, reasoning that a collision was unlikely. He is now a marine safety consultant with Invicta Marine in Victoria.
However, the warnings about the Queen of the North did lead to some design changes on the vessel in 1999 - additional watertight doors on the vehicle deck - which likely bought enough time to get 99 of the 101 passengers and crew off the ship when it went down seven years later.
After the impact at Gil Island, the Queen of the North took 78 minutes to slip below the water in a calm sea due to "rapid progressive flooding along the entire length of the hull," according to an internal inquiry by B.C. Ferries. Subdivision doors on the main car deck - the ones that were added after Mr. Beadell's report - were closed, helping to slow the flooding and keep the ship on an even keel for most of the evacuation.
Jackie Miller, president of the Ferry and Marine Workers' Union, says her members still worry about the safety of the remaining two ferries with single-compartment hulls.
"We don't believe they should be sailing with a single-compartment hull, [but] Transport Canada has given B.C. Ferries a dispensation to continue sailing the ships," she said.
However she bristled when asked whether her members feel safe sailing on the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack today.
"That's a really obnoxious phraseology," she responded. "Do they feel there are safety issues, are they raising safety concerns? The answer is yes. Do they feel safe? Probably. Otherwise they wouldn't be sailing."
But she said things may change. The Transportation Safety Board review on the sinking may not deal with hull design, but a joint union-company safety management review is taking a broader look.
As part of that internal review, safety management consultants from Europe toured the northern routes earlier this month to look at the union's concerns, she said.
"We have some concerns and some of these things are being addressed and some issues are still outstanding, some are design flaws, some are fundamental flaws in the ongoing delivery of safety management," Ms. Miller said.
Notwithstanding the overhaul of the safety management program, B.C. Ferries maintains that its ships are safe and its safety record is excellent.
But confirming the details isn't easy. Since the former Crown corporation became a quasi-private enterprise in 2003, the company will not release its regular safety audits. And while it does publicly report on major accidents, there is no public access to details of the hundreds of minor incidents that occur each year.
The service is one of the biggest passenger ferry operators in the world, and has about 250 safety incidents a year, from collisions to cut fingers.
David Hahn, president of B.C. Ferries, noted that his company releases the results of "divisional inquiries," which are internal investigations into major accidents. There are, on average, two each year.
"It's probably the opposite of what most other organizations do; they give you the little stuff and hide the big ones," he said.
Mr. Hahn said he doesn't track how his company compares with other ferry operators on safety, but pointed to a recent safety audit by former B.C. auditor-general George Morfitt as proof that the company is doing a good job and passengers should feel safe.
B.C. Ferries commissioned Mr. Morfitt to look into safety after the Queen of the North sinking. His report last January concluded that, over all, the company is offering a safe service despite a dysfunctional relationship between the company and its workers.
Mr. Beadell said both sides will have to work together to change the currentapproach to risk management.
"If you sit back and rely on compliance as your main safety principle, you are going to have problems. It's like looking in the rear-view mirror and saying, 'I haven't hit anything,' instead of looking through the front windshield. If you do that, you are a fool."
The safety of two other ferries that have a similar, single-compartment hull construction as the Queen of the North is being called into question.
The Queen of Chilliwack
Built in Norway in 1978, it has a capacity for 700 passengers and crew, although B.C. Ferries now lists its capacity as 400 people. It operates between Port Hardy and the Bella Bella area in the summer, and the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale run in the winter.
The Queen of Prince Rupert
Built in Victoria in 1966, it has a capacity for 544 passengers and crew. It services the Port Hardy-Prince Rupert route.
FLOODING FEARS
Pages of 1998 report come to light
In April, 1998, S.H.M. Marine International Inc., an independent naval-architecture firm based in Victoria, produced a 34-page report for B.C. Ferries assessing the stability of the Queen of the North in the event the hull was damaged. The report looked at various scenarios, depending on where the hull might be damaged and how many interior compartments might be flooded, but none of the scenarios matched the extent of the damage the ship suffered when it ran into Gil Island in March, 2006.
STABILITY RANGE
In one scenario, with a single compartment flooding after damage to the forward portion of the ship, the Queen of the North was considered only "marginally deficient" in its range of stability. If two compartments flooded, however, it was considered "severely deficient." When the ship sank eight years later, witnesses reported flooding in at least three compartments.
CAR DECK FLOODING
The 1998 safety report recommended the addition of exterior buoyancy devices called sponsons. Instead, B.C. Ferries installed subdivision doors on the main car deck, which helped slow the flooding once the water reached the car deck, giving crew more time to evacuate the ship.
B.C. Ferries
System description: One of the largest ferry operators in the world, carrying almost 22 million passengers a year and 8.5 million vehicles. Its 36 vessels range in size from the Mill Bay, which can carry up to 16 vehicles, to the Spirit of British Columbia, with a 470-car capacity.
Governance: The company was a provincial Crown corporation until 2003, when it became a quasi-private company - an independent commercial organization with some public funding.
Sea conditions: The sea conditions of its 25 routes vary, with the majority running in the busy but protected waters between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The northern routes also offer challenges with some narrow passages and extreme weather conditions from the Queen Charlotte Islands to the mainland at Prince Rupert.
Safety philosophy: The company is in the midst of an overhaul of its safety management system after the 2006 sinking of the Queen of the North. The company's most recent annual report states: "At BC Ferries, we put the safety of our customers and crew first. This past year was no exception. With more than 9,700 days of safety training last year, our employees are there to prevent emergency situations before they happen and ready to respond quickly and efficiently if their skills are required."
Accident record: Seven accident-related fatalities in the past 15 years:
In 2006, the Queen of the North slammed into Gil Island at full speed and sank. Ninety-nine passengers and crew were rescued but two people are missing and presumed drowned. An internal inquiry blamed human error; a separate investigation by the Transportation Safety Board is expected in October.
In 2000, the Spirit of Vancouver Island and a small pleasure craft, the Star Ruby, collided, killing the elderly U.S. couple on board the power boat. The ferry's bridge crew spotted the fibreglass-hulled boat in a narrow channel but elected to try to overtake it.
In 1992, the Queen of New Westminster pulled away from the dock in Nanaimo while a van was still on the ramp. Three people died. An inquiry found that the ferry left prematurely from the berth because crew members were preoccupied with maintaining the schedule, and because the portable radios used by staff at the terminal had glitches.
Washington State Ferries
System Description: It runs about 500 daily sailings with 20 ports of call, and moves about 26 million passengers and 11 million vehicles a year. Its 28 vessels range from the Jumbo Mark II class that can carry 2,500 passengers and 202 vehicles, down to the Kalama, a high-speed passenger vessel that carries 250 passengers.
Governance: Washington State Ferries is part of the state's Department of Transportation, designated with the same status as an interstate highway. It is the largest ferry fleet in the United States.
Sea conditions: Its service concentrates mainly on short commuter runs in the protected waters of Puget Sound and its inland waterways, where busy marine traffic often poses the most challenging hazards.
Safety Philosophy: The ferry operator calls passenger safety its No. 1 priority, and is completing a five-year review with the U.S. Coast Guard on lifesaving practices. The ferry operator was forced to make dramatic changes after a 1998 exposé in the Seattle Times highlighted the shortage of rescue boats on the ships. Safety also means a focus on potential terrorist attacks, resulting the presence at ferry terminals of Washington State Patrol troopers and explosive-detection dogs.
Accident record: There have been no fatal accidents in recent history but the system has had some costly "hard landings," the term ferry operators use when a ferry hits a dock hard enough to do damage.
In 1999 the ferry Elwha hit the Orcas Island dock and caused $3.6-million in damage. A malfunction in its propulsion system was blamed.
In a similar incident in 1998, the propulsion controls failed on the Sealth, causing that vessel to ram into Seattle's Colman Dock, slightly injuring seven passengers and causing $2.9-million in damage.
Marine Atlantic
System description: The system offers two routes, one is a year-round service between Port aux Basques, Nfld., and North Sydney, N.S. The other is a summer service between Argentia, Nfld., and North Sydney. The fleet includes four ice-class vessels, including the Leif Ericson, the Caribou and the Joseph and Clara Smallwood. The Atlantic Freighter is a dedicated commercial freighter.
Governance: A federal Crown corporation providing a passenger and commercial marine-transportation system between the Island of Newfoundland and the province of Nova Scotia.
Sea conditions: High winds, pack ice and extreme storm surges are features in the Cabot Strait that can interrupt service.
Safety philosophy: "Safety is Marine Atlantic's number one priority," the company literature says. In 1996, Marine Atlantic announced it was the first ferry operator in North America to gain International Safety Management Code certification. It also adopted a Marine Evacuation System program after a fire aboard the Joseph and Clara Smallwood in 2003.
Accident record: No fatalities but in 2003, a fire started near a tractor-trailer truck on the lower level of the ferry Joseph and Clara Smallwood. The vessel was about eight nautical miles (15 kilometres) from its destination, Port aux Basques, when the fire broke out at about 11 p.m. The vessel was evacuated when it arrived in Port aux Basques shortly after midnight. The Transportation Safety Board found several deficiencies in Marine Altantic's response to the fire. The fire alarm was not sounded in the passenger areas, passengers were unaccounted for and they were unnecessarily "exposed to a potentially unsafe environment" when they were directed to retrieve their vehicles when the ship docked.
Alaska State Marine Highway
System description:
Its fleet of 11 ships range from the 55-metre-long Lituya, with capacity for 149 passengers, to the 124-metre-long Matanuska, with room for 499 passengers. The routes range from the Inside Passage out to the Aleutian Islands and as far south as Washington state. It transports an average 300,000 passengers and 100,000 vehicles a year.
Governance
An extension of the Alaska Department of Transportation, the ferry operator is considered part of the U.S. national highway system.
Sea conditions: The service covers a vast area of the Pacific coast but harsh weather conditions shut down some routes in winter. In all it serves 32 communities in Alaska, plus Bellingham, Wash., and Prince Rupert.
Safety Philosophy: The department's safety protocols rely on the inspection and certification provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. As well, ships sailing to Prince Rupert comply with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
Accident record: No fatalities but in 2004 the fleet's ship LeConte caused $6-million in damages when it ran aground on Cozian Reef in Peril Strait, about 48 kilometres north of Sitka. While the damage was significant - with flooding in five sections of the vessel - 86 passengers and crew were evacuated with only two minor injuries. The accident was blamed on operator error.
SOURCES: B.C. Ferries; Washington State Ferries; Marine Atlantic and Alaska State Marine Highway
Justine Hunter examined a number of points about the BC Ferry fleet and how they and Transport Canada are handling the issues about safety on the waters off the West coast.
Concerns continue to be raised about the state safety of both the the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack, sister ships to the ill fated Queen of the North which sank off of Gil Island last year.
An ominous report has been rediscovered from 1998 which stated: "I feel very strongly that we should not be sailing this vessel in her present state."
It reviews the concerns of the day about the stability of the vessels and seems to forecast the worst possible scenario that took place eight years later off of coastal British Columbia.
Since that time, the Globe reports that the Ferry Corporation never acted on the key recommendation of the 1998 report and how Transport Canada continues to certify the two ships in question for service, all the while as it was drafting new regulations to improve their safety. Those regulations are to take effect this week, but there is a five year grace period planned before there is a need to bring existing vessels up to standard.
Even more interesting is the the sense of secrecy that has Hunter discovered since the Ferry corporation changed from a public to a semi private operation: "Since the former Crown corporation became a quasi-private enterprise in 2003, the company will not release its regular safety audits. And while it does publicly report on major accidents, there is no public access to details of the hundreds of minor incidents that occur each year."
Hunter provides a fascinating piece, comprehensive in detail about not only the BC Ferry system but that of our neighbours on the west coast and the operators of Atlantic Canada ferry systems.
It examines every aspect of how the ferry corporation and Transport go about their business. Many of the details unearthed by the Globe will no doubt be mentioned frequently by those that continue to be concerned about the state of the Ferry fleet not only along the North coast, but in the province as a whole.
Design of two ferries under scrutiny
Ships have same structure that prompted warnings about Queen of the North years before it sank
JUSTINE HUNTER
Globe and Mail
September 29, 2007
VICTORIA -- The striking image shows the passenger ferry Queen of the North capsized, a chilling warning of the potential for a huge loss of life.
But it's not 2006; it's 1998. The "what-if" scenario was produced by marine engineering consultants who studied the stability of the ship in case of an accident. The analysis, obtained by The Globe and Mail, was delivered to the vessel's owner, B.C. Ferries, to prompt safety upgrades.
"I feel very strongly that we should not be sailing this vessel in her present state," the marine engineer who commissioned the report warned his bosses at B.C. Ferries at the time.
But the company did not follow the key recommendation and the 1998 report languished.
And Transport Canada continues to certify the ships while it drafts new regulations to improve their safety.
Now, with a final report on the Queen of the North's fatal 2006 sinking expected as early as next week, the safety of two other B.C. Ferries ships - the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack - which also have a single-compartment hull construction, is being called into question.
The Transportation Safety Board is set to deliver its findings on the Queen of the North next month, in a report that will shed light not only on the 2006 accident, but on how the ferry service that moves 22 million people every year manages risk.
The Queen of the North was vulnerable to disaster because it had an outdated hull design, according to the 1998 risk analysis by S.H.M. Marine International, a Victoria marine engineering firm.
The analysis concluded that with a brisk wind, the Queen of the North could easily capsize in an accident with a significant hull breach and just minutes or seconds would be available for emergency response.
"The existing ship, when launching lifeboats and life rafts in a 22-knot wind, possesses no or dangerously inadequate stability," the report said.
The report called for the addition of external buoyancy devices called sponsons, but they were never added.
The April, 1998, safety report, with its graphics showing disaster scenarios in vivid red, was left to collect dust in B.C. Ferries' archives. The company says it did make other structural upgrades to the ship in response to the report, but over all it maintains that its ships are safe because they meet the regulatory requirements of Transport Canada.
But regulations, modern navigational equipment and safety management failed to prevent the unthinkable in the early hours of March 22, 2006, when the Queen of the North rammed into an island and sank to the ocean floor.
While the ship did not capsize, it sank too quickly to save everyone on board. Two people are missing and presumed drowned. And the accident could have been far, far worse.
The collision occurred in calm seas, and only 101 people were on board - far from the ship's capacity of 650 - putting less strain on rescue resources.
"They were lucky," said Robert Beadell, a marine engineer who spent six years at B.C. Ferries as a safety expert. He commissioned the S.H.M. Marine report and later quit in frustration over B.C. Ferries' approach to risk management.
Mr. Beadell argues that the sinking highlights a crucial flaw in B.C. Ferries' safety regime. By relying on regulatory compliance and not exceeding federal standards, the company is taking unnecessary risks, he said, citing its decision to continue using the two vessels with single-compartment hulls despite concerns.
"The Queen of the North was vulnerable and they knew that. The Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack are also single-compartment vessels and it's strange to me the other shoe hasn't dropped yet," Mr. Beadell said in an interview.
The single-compartment hull refers to a safety standard that if one watertight compartment is flooded, a vessel should remain afloat and stable long enough to evacuate.
Ferry disasters in Europe, such as the one in which the Herald of Free Enterprise capsized near Belgium in 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew, led to new regulations restricting such vessels in European waters.
But Transport Canada, which has spent more than a decade drafting new regulations to improve the safety of one-compartment passenger ferries, continues to certify the ships in domestic waters.
"We at Transport Canada are late at putting this standard into place because of the further consultation with smaller passenger vessel operators," said Victor Santos-Pedro, director of design equipment and boating safety in the Marine Safety Directorate of Transport Canada. "We wanted to put it in place earlier."
That consultation is finished, for now, and new regulations will take effect on Oct. 1. Still, Canadian ferry operators will have up to five years to bring existing vessels up to standard.
For B.C. Ferries, it will mean the end of the line for the two remaining single-compartment vessels. Instead of installing sponsons to improve stability, B.C. Ferries will retire the Queen of Prince Rupert in 2009 and the Queen of Chilliwack in 2012.
Mike Corrigan, B.C. Ferries chief operating officer, said the sponsons haven't been added because the regulations do not yet require them.
So why are the two ships, which run on some of B.C. Ferries' most challenging routes, considered safe now but will not be good enough in 2012?
"We're replacing the systems as quickly as we possibly can; we've identified the need to replace the vessels," Mr. Corrigan said, adding: "They always were and still are in full compliance with Transport Canada safety regulations."
The Queen of the North was certified by Transport Canada but that didn't comfort Mr. Beadell, the former head of B.C. Ferries' international safety management program.
"We have spent the last three years telling the fleet that safety is our No. 1 priority, but apparently this is not always true," Mr. Beadell said in a 1998 letter to B.C. Ferries' head of corporate safety after the risk analysis was delivered. Mr. Beadell said he quit because the corporation dismissed the report's conclusions, reasoning that a collision was unlikely. He is now a marine safety consultant with Invicta Marine in Victoria.
However, the warnings about the Queen of the North did lead to some design changes on the vessel in 1999 - additional watertight doors on the vehicle deck - which likely bought enough time to get 99 of the 101 passengers and crew off the ship when it went down seven years later.
After the impact at Gil Island, the Queen of the North took 78 minutes to slip below the water in a calm sea due to "rapid progressive flooding along the entire length of the hull," according to an internal inquiry by B.C. Ferries. Subdivision doors on the main car deck - the ones that were added after Mr. Beadell's report - were closed, helping to slow the flooding and keep the ship on an even keel for most of the evacuation.
Jackie Miller, president of the Ferry and Marine Workers' Union, says her members still worry about the safety of the remaining two ferries with single-compartment hulls.
"We don't believe they should be sailing with a single-compartment hull, [but] Transport Canada has given B.C. Ferries a dispensation to continue sailing the ships," she said.
However she bristled when asked whether her members feel safe sailing on the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Chilliwack today.
"That's a really obnoxious phraseology," she responded. "Do they feel there are safety issues, are they raising safety concerns? The answer is yes. Do they feel safe? Probably. Otherwise they wouldn't be sailing."
But she said things may change. The Transportation Safety Board review on the sinking may not deal with hull design, but a joint union-company safety management review is taking a broader look.
As part of that internal review, safety management consultants from Europe toured the northern routes earlier this month to look at the union's concerns, she said.
"We have some concerns and some of these things are being addressed and some issues are still outstanding, some are design flaws, some are fundamental flaws in the ongoing delivery of safety management," Ms. Miller said.
Notwithstanding the overhaul of the safety management program, B.C. Ferries maintains that its ships are safe and its safety record is excellent.
But confirming the details isn't easy. Since the former Crown corporation became a quasi-private enterprise in 2003, the company will not release its regular safety audits. And while it does publicly report on major accidents, there is no public access to details of the hundreds of minor incidents that occur each year.
The service is one of the biggest passenger ferry operators in the world, and has about 250 safety incidents a year, from collisions to cut fingers.
David Hahn, president of B.C. Ferries, noted that his company releases the results of "divisional inquiries," which are internal investigations into major accidents. There are, on average, two each year.
"It's probably the opposite of what most other organizations do; they give you the little stuff and hide the big ones," he said.
Mr. Hahn said he doesn't track how his company compares with other ferry operators on safety, but pointed to a recent safety audit by former B.C. auditor-general George Morfitt as proof that the company is doing a good job and passengers should feel safe.
B.C. Ferries commissioned Mr. Morfitt to look into safety after the Queen of the North sinking. His report last January concluded that, over all, the company is offering a safe service despite a dysfunctional relationship between the company and its workers.
Mr. Beadell said both sides will have to work together to change the currentapproach to risk management.
"If you sit back and rely on compliance as your main safety principle, you are going to have problems. It's like looking in the rear-view mirror and saying, 'I haven't hit anything,' instead of looking through the front windshield. If you do that, you are a fool."
The safety of two other ferries that have a similar, single-compartment hull construction as the Queen of the North is being called into question.
The Queen of Chilliwack
Built in Norway in 1978, it has a capacity for 700 passengers and crew, although B.C. Ferries now lists its capacity as 400 people. It operates between Port Hardy and the Bella Bella area in the summer, and the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale run in the winter.
The Queen of Prince Rupert
Built in Victoria in 1966, it has a capacity for 544 passengers and crew. It services the Port Hardy-Prince Rupert route.
FLOODING FEARS
Pages of 1998 report come to light
In April, 1998, S.H.M. Marine International Inc., an independent naval-architecture firm based in Victoria, produced a 34-page report for B.C. Ferries assessing the stability of the Queen of the North in the event the hull was damaged. The report looked at various scenarios, depending on where the hull might be damaged and how many interior compartments might be flooded, but none of the scenarios matched the extent of the damage the ship suffered when it ran into Gil Island in March, 2006.
STABILITY RANGE
In one scenario, with a single compartment flooding after damage to the forward portion of the ship, the Queen of the North was considered only "marginally deficient" in its range of stability. If two compartments flooded, however, it was considered "severely deficient." When the ship sank eight years later, witnesses reported flooding in at least three compartments.
CAR DECK FLOODING
The 1998 safety report recommended the addition of exterior buoyancy devices called sponsons. Instead, B.C. Ferries installed subdivision doors on the main car deck, which helped slow the flooding once the water reached the car deck, giving crew more time to evacuate the ship.
B.C. Ferries
System description: One of the largest ferry operators in the world, carrying almost 22 million passengers a year and 8.5 million vehicles. Its 36 vessels range in size from the Mill Bay, which can carry up to 16 vehicles, to the Spirit of British Columbia, with a 470-car capacity.
Governance: The company was a provincial Crown corporation until 2003, when it became a quasi-private company - an independent commercial organization with some public funding.
Sea conditions: The sea conditions of its 25 routes vary, with the majority running in the busy but protected waters between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The northern routes also offer challenges with some narrow passages and extreme weather conditions from the Queen Charlotte Islands to the mainland at Prince Rupert.
Safety philosophy: The company is in the midst of an overhaul of its safety management system after the 2006 sinking of the Queen of the North. The company's most recent annual report states: "At BC Ferries, we put the safety of our customers and crew first. This past year was no exception. With more than 9,700 days of safety training last year, our employees are there to prevent emergency situations before they happen and ready to respond quickly and efficiently if their skills are required."
Accident record: Seven accident-related fatalities in the past 15 years:
In 2006, the Queen of the North slammed into Gil Island at full speed and sank. Ninety-nine passengers and crew were rescued but two people are missing and presumed drowned. An internal inquiry blamed human error; a separate investigation by the Transportation Safety Board is expected in October.
In 2000, the Spirit of Vancouver Island and a small pleasure craft, the Star Ruby, collided, killing the elderly U.S. couple on board the power boat. The ferry's bridge crew spotted the fibreglass-hulled boat in a narrow channel but elected to try to overtake it.
In 1992, the Queen of New Westminster pulled away from the dock in Nanaimo while a van was still on the ramp. Three people died. An inquiry found that the ferry left prematurely from the berth because crew members were preoccupied with maintaining the schedule, and because the portable radios used by staff at the terminal had glitches.
Washington State Ferries
System Description: It runs about 500 daily sailings with 20 ports of call, and moves about 26 million passengers and 11 million vehicles a year. Its 28 vessels range from the Jumbo Mark II class that can carry 2,500 passengers and 202 vehicles, down to the Kalama, a high-speed passenger vessel that carries 250 passengers.
Governance: Washington State Ferries is part of the state's Department of Transportation, designated with the same status as an interstate highway. It is the largest ferry fleet in the United States.
Sea conditions: Its service concentrates mainly on short commuter runs in the protected waters of Puget Sound and its inland waterways, where busy marine traffic often poses the most challenging hazards.
Safety Philosophy: The ferry operator calls passenger safety its No. 1 priority, and is completing a five-year review with the U.S. Coast Guard on lifesaving practices. The ferry operator was forced to make dramatic changes after a 1998 exposé in the Seattle Times highlighted the shortage of rescue boats on the ships. Safety also means a focus on potential terrorist attacks, resulting the presence at ferry terminals of Washington State Patrol troopers and explosive-detection dogs.
Accident record: There have been no fatal accidents in recent history but the system has had some costly "hard landings," the term ferry operators use when a ferry hits a dock hard enough to do damage.
In 1999 the ferry Elwha hit the Orcas Island dock and caused $3.6-million in damage. A malfunction in its propulsion system was blamed.
In a similar incident in 1998, the propulsion controls failed on the Sealth, causing that vessel to ram into Seattle's Colman Dock, slightly injuring seven passengers and causing $2.9-million in damage.
Marine Atlantic
System description: The system offers two routes, one is a year-round service between Port aux Basques, Nfld., and North Sydney, N.S. The other is a summer service between Argentia, Nfld., and North Sydney. The fleet includes four ice-class vessels, including the Leif Ericson, the Caribou and the Joseph and Clara Smallwood. The Atlantic Freighter is a dedicated commercial freighter.
Governance: A federal Crown corporation providing a passenger and commercial marine-transportation system between the Island of Newfoundland and the province of Nova Scotia.
Sea conditions: High winds, pack ice and extreme storm surges are features in the Cabot Strait that can interrupt service.
Safety philosophy: "Safety is Marine Atlantic's number one priority," the company literature says. In 1996, Marine Atlantic announced it was the first ferry operator in North America to gain International Safety Management Code certification. It also adopted a Marine Evacuation System program after a fire aboard the Joseph and Clara Smallwood in 2003.
Accident record: No fatalities but in 2003, a fire started near a tractor-trailer truck on the lower level of the ferry Joseph and Clara Smallwood. The vessel was about eight nautical miles (15 kilometres) from its destination, Port aux Basques, when the fire broke out at about 11 p.m. The vessel was evacuated when it arrived in Port aux Basques shortly after midnight. The Transportation Safety Board found several deficiencies in Marine Altantic's response to the fire. The fire alarm was not sounded in the passenger areas, passengers were unaccounted for and they were unnecessarily "exposed to a potentially unsafe environment" when they were directed to retrieve their vehicles when the ship docked.
Alaska State Marine Highway
System description:
Its fleet of 11 ships range from the 55-metre-long Lituya, with capacity for 149 passengers, to the 124-metre-long Matanuska, with room for 499 passengers. The routes range from the Inside Passage out to the Aleutian Islands and as far south as Washington state. It transports an average 300,000 passengers and 100,000 vehicles a year.
Governance
An extension of the Alaska Department of Transportation, the ferry operator is considered part of the U.S. national highway system.
Sea conditions: The service covers a vast area of the Pacific coast but harsh weather conditions shut down some routes in winter. In all it serves 32 communities in Alaska, plus Bellingham, Wash., and Prince Rupert.
Safety Philosophy: The department's safety protocols rely on the inspection and certification provided by the U.S. Coast Guard. As well, ships sailing to Prince Rupert comply with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
Accident record: No fatalities but in 2004 the fleet's ship LeConte caused $6-million in damages when it ran aground on Cozian Reef in Peril Strait, about 48 kilometres north of Sitka. While the damage was significant - with flooding in five sections of the vessel - 86 passengers and crew were evacuated with only two minor injuries. The accident was blamed on operator error.
SOURCES: B.C. Ferries; Washington State Ferries; Marine Atlantic and Alaska State Marine Highway
It’s a full staff complement at PRRH Maternity
Mothers to be can rest a little easier heading into the fall and winter moths with the knowledge that the maternity ward at the hospital is back to full strength.
Northern Health’s director of Communications Mark Karjaluoto advised that; “All of our maternity nursing lines in Prince Rupert are now filled, staff have finished their individual orientation, and two of the nurses are fairly experienced in the More OB program.”
The return of a full staffing situation at the maternity ward should help alleviate any future problems that at times resulted in Rupert mothers having to be shipped off to Terrace or other locations to have their babies due to the staffing shortage at PRRH.
With the unpredictable fall and winter weather soon to arrive that’s one less worry for a mother and father to be to have to think about as the delivery date nears.
The Daily News had full details on the announcement in Friday’s paper.
Maternity nursing crisis ends happily
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, September 28, 2007
Northern Health’s director of Communications Mark Karjaluoto advised that; “All of our maternity nursing lines in Prince Rupert are now filled, staff have finished their individual orientation, and two of the nurses are fairly experienced in the More OB program.”
The return of a full staffing situation at the maternity ward should help alleviate any future problems that at times resulted in Rupert mothers having to be shipped off to Terrace or other locations to have their babies due to the staffing shortage at PRRH.
With the unpredictable fall and winter weather soon to arrive that’s one less worry for a mother and father to be to have to think about as the delivery date nears.
The Daily News had full details on the announcement in Friday’s paper.
Maternity nursing crisis ends happily
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, September 28, 2007
Page one
All of the vacant maternity nursing positions at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital have now been filled, officials announced last week at Northern Health's board meeting in Fort St. John.
Medical staff informed the board that work will continue to keep the service fully functional by offering continuing medical education to increase the number of medical staff providing C-section services and supporting the More OB maternal care quality program.
All of the vacant maternity nursing positions at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital have now been filled, officials announced last week at Northern Health's board meeting in Fort St. John.
Medical staff informed the board that work will continue to keep the service fully functional by offering continuing medical education to increase the number of medical staff providing C-section services and supporting the More OB maternal care quality program.
"All of our maternity nursing lines in Prince Rupert are now filled, staff have finished their individual orientation, and two of the nurses are fairly experienced in the More OB program," said Mark Karjaluoto, Northern Health's director of communications.
More OB is a voluntary program designed to increase patient quality improvement for obstetrical services in the region. Developed by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, More OB aims to try to cut the risk factors that go along with labour and delivery by building relationships between different care providers, enhance communication skills, and provide staff with ongoing practice to enhance skills needed in an emergency.
Northern Health also announced at the meeting that it is operating with a small surplus through the first quarter of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, equaling $1.4 million. However, when taken into account that NH has a $558 million annual operating budget, that amount is only a small fraction of one percentage in the budget.
"Our financial staff have projected a break-even position for the current budgetary year," said Dr. Charles Jago, NH board chair. "We are expecting greater hospital activity in the winter months, along with higher energy costs which will affect our financial position."
The board received an update on the Let's Talk About Addictions and Mental Health community consultation program, which involved a number of community forums being held in municipalities and First Nations communities in the spring and early summer. The final report will be drafted and available within the next few weeks, and its recommendations will help guide improvements to NH's addictions and mental health systems.
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