Accommodations so bad you'd rather spend the night in jail

Your home may be your castle, but only if you get along with your room mates!

The Terrace Daily online website offers up an interesting view of just how much someone is willing to take before they look for alternate accommodations.

According to the website, a Prince Rupert resident turned himself into the local RCMP last week, rather than spend the night in his home which apparently had become home to some rats.

The resident is apparently on a curfew and with conditions to be in that residence, but given the option of sharing his accommodation with the rodents, he felt that perhaps breaching his terms was the wiser of the two options.

It would seem that the atmosphere of the city's cells is somewhat more comforting than that of the home front.

Prince Rupert well represented at Kitimat golf tournament

The travels east proved rewarding for a number of Prince Rupert residents, as local golfers found success at Kitimat's Mr. and Mrs. Golf tournament over the weekend.

Whether it was on the course or in the clubhouse in the post tournament festivities, Rupertites found that their names were called out for a number accolades and awards for their efforts.

High among the winners list were Brian and Rose Holkestad, who were the Overall low gross winners with a two day score of 154.

The Northern Sentinel provided the complete list of finishing spots and prizes awarded at the weekend tournament.

Googles of June 2010

From our Podunkian inbox to your computer screen our Googles of June 2010.

June 30-- Fisherman's Union Rep calls Coho sports fishing unfair
June 30-- Epicurean Fire Update
June 30-- C.O.P gets underway
June 29-- Getting ready for a busy July at Tourism Prince Rupert
June 29-- Telus pulling service out of Prince Rupert, CityWest says it’s prepared for customers
June 29-- RCMP seeking assistance in identifying assault suspect
June 29-- Teacher travelling across B.C.
June 29-- School is officially out in Prince Rupert 
June 29-- Ministry of Transportation adds Haida Gwaii cameras to drivebc.ca website
June 25-- Prince Rupert Teenager shaken up but not harmed
 June 24-- New Advocate for active living in Prince Rupert
 June 24-- Early morning assault in Prince Rupert 
June 24-- BC Government Promises Family Doctor for Everyone by 2015
 June 23-- Seniors housing unit work begins
June 23-- Canpotex Update 
June 23-- No new Tsawwassen route for Ferries
 June 23-- Gov. Chris Gregoire lays out export-building agenda
June 22-- Visitors from Germany come to explore Prince Rupert
June 22-- Tax gap between businesses and residents widens
June 22-- Relay for Life tops 2009 in funds raised and participation
June 22-- Moran, Hope big winners at annual Men’s Jubilee event
June 22-- More staffing changes at SD 52
June 22-- Eight assaults and impaired driving among RCMP calls for service in Prince Rupert
June 17-- CityWest celebrates 100 years
June 17-- CityWest celebrates anniversary
June 17-- Raven Totem Makes Stop in P.G.
June 16-- Prince Rupert business is thanking an anonymous sumaritan
June 16-- Local economy biggest concern of Prince Rupert businesses, according to Chamber of Commerce survey June 16-- Man charged after cocaine seizure here
June 15-- Rupert ladies take the top prizes at annual Ladies Jubilee
June 15-- Northern Savings Credit Union CEO passes away
June 15-- More recycling needed City told
June 15- Fraser Institute reports on high schools
June 15-- Making the move from a resource town to a tourist town
June 15-- Arson, drunk in public and theft among RCMP calls for service in Prince Rupert
June 14-- Credit Union CEO passes away
June 13-- NDP leader James visits the Northwest
June 12-- NDP Leader James On The Road
June 11-- Seafest Celebrations Get Underway 
June 11-- B.C. Ferries' earnings take a hit in 2009-10
June 9-- Speaker Criticizes Feds for Lack of Action on Bioenergy 
June 9-- Changes coming to Prince Rupert School District management with departure of Assistant Superintendent
June 9-- Drug use in Prince Rupert
June 9-- Charged for trafficking
June 8-- Theft remains an issue for RCMP
June 8-- Managing our damned digital assets at Tourism Prince Rupert 
June 8-- Rupert’s MacDonald sworn in as UNBC chancellor 
June 8-- Packed house for Sweet Serenade
June 8-- Mail slots and crimes of opportunity
June 7-- Prince Rupert forced to tidy up
June 7-- Recycling hours trimmed down
June 7-- Regional District down $200,000
June 7-- Prince Rupert couple wins golf tournament
June 4-- Significant occasion for the PRPA
June 4-- Transportation key to Resource success
June 3-- Community policing office open
June 3-- Kitkatla Weapon Assault
June 2-- Avanti sees cost savings in moving tailings facility
June 1-- Cancellation of medical accommodation program postponed
June 1-- Dance Academy set for year end show
June 1-- SPCA commits to two more years
June 1-- City unveils its nuisance property bylaw to mixed reaction
June 1-- Northern partnerships are one key to tourism success
June 1-- Coffee with the cows
June 1-- Seaplane safety review launched

It's the economy (Monday, June 7, 2010)

More temptation from the gardens of Apple,Oilsands production to outpace upgrading and the changing times in China could mean higher prices for the rest of the world, some of the items of interest for Monday.

Globe and Mail-- Housing market could have ‘wind knocked out of its sails’
Globe and Mail-- Apple unveils iPhone 4
Globe and Mail-- Europe is No. 1 G20 issue: Flaherty
National Post-- German watchdog blasts markets 'out for blood'
National Post-- Oil spill's economic impact will be 'substantial': Obama
National Post-- Oil sands output to overwhelm upgrading capacity
New York Times-- Hungary Tries to Assuage Investor Fears
New York Times-- Changes in China Could Raise Prices
New York Times-- Euro-Zone Finance Ministers Strike Deal to Create a Safety Net
USA Today-- Stocks close lower again as euro continues sinking
USA Today-- Financial crisis panel subpoenas Goldman Sachs for meltdown docs
Guardian UK online-- IMF: Brussels needs more power over euro nations' budgets
Guardian UK online-- Industrial firms report surge in demand
Guardian UK online-- BP's Deepwater Horizon costs hit $1.25bn
Times online UK-- Darling: Cameron is talking ‘nonsense’ on economic legacy
Times online UK-- Sterling gains on new euro fears
Telegraph UK online-- UK would have to double scale of cuts to match Canada's public sector bonfire
Telegraph UK online-- Cameron is wrong: the public finances are better than we thought
Telegraph UK online-- Euro debt worries weigh on the FTSE 100
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Employers confident as job ads rise 4 per cent in May
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Western Plains Resources signs supply agreements
Sydney Daily telegraph-- Australian share market slumps on Europe debt fears
People's Daily-- Chinese economists: EU debt crisis unlikely to cause 'double dip' recession
People's Daily-- China becomes the new Silicon Valley
China Daily-- West has designs on China's future
China Daily-- Chinese oil giant learns BP spill lesson
Times of India-- 'Go for debt plans in short-term'
Times of India-- Small is big: SMEs on overseas drive

Putting forward the Port's message in Prince George

“We are providing a service to shippers who would normally use the ports of Long Beach, Seattle and Tacoma.” -- Port of Prince Rupert President CEO Don Krusel, outlining the port's vision of the future to a symposium in Prince George last week.  


In the last year and a bit, as the Port of Prince Rupert continued to improve on its throughput numbers notice was taken south of the British Columbia / Washington border as to the progress of that port up the coast, with Port Authorities from Washington through to California now aware of the competition, the secret of Port of Prince Rupert is out and it's planned expansion plans should give those southern ports even more to discuss in the future.

Port of Prince Rupert Chair and CEO Don Krusel, outlined the future development plans for the Northwest's gateway to the world in Prince George  last week part of a number of sessions of the Resources Expo on. The port's growth agenda was among a number of transportation items were up for examination and discussion. High among them the impact that Port of Prince Rupert could have, not just in Prince Rupert but along the Highway 16 corridor to Prince George and beyond.

Opinion 250 in Prince George offered up a review of the day's debating points, among the key points in Mr. Krusel's presentation were a bit of history of the pre-container days and a bit of forward thinking of a time when if all phases planned are completed, the Port could be the third largest operation on the coast of North America.

Now that we suspect will catch the eye of the likes of Seattle, Portland, Oakland and Long Beach.

It's the economy (Weekend Edition, Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6, 2010)

Mr. Flaherty sways the crowd, BC loses jobs in May and preparing the Euro's obit, some of the economic items for the weekend.

Globe and Mail-- Canada wins key fight against bank tax
Globe and Mail-- How the gushing oil in the Gulf will ripple around the world
Globe and Mail-- BP chief executive won’t quit in face of Gulf disaster
National Post-- G20 doesn't even try to put brave face on debt mess
National Post-- Housing market in focus
National Post-- CRA and courts crack down on tax schemes
Vancouver Sun-- B.C. loses 10,000 jobs in May, bucking national trend
Vancouver Sun-- Minimal spill risk from proposed pipeline: Enbridge
New York Times-- In Gulf, It Was Unclear Who Was in Charge of Rig
New York Times-- Hungary, Despite Comparisons, Is No Greece
New York Times-- Imagining Life Without Oil, and Being Ready
USA Today-- Consumer issues still in play in financial overhaul talks
USA Today-- VW has workers get fit before hitting factory floor
Guardian UK online-- BP threatened with legal case over safety of all its oil rigs
Guardian UK online-- We spent too much in the boom. But this is no time to stop
Guardian UK online-- Why World Cup goals have a big net effect on business
Times on line UK-- Cameron: 'Years of pain ahead'
Times on line UK-- City watchdog fears euro disaster
Telegraph UK online-- Forget any would-be China crisis, its policies are too shrewd to fail
Telegraph UK online-- Euro 'will be dead in five years'
Telegraph UK online-- Studying how Brown went bad will keep Osborne on the right track
Melbourne Herald Sun-- MPs' pay to rise
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Share scoundrels David Tweed and Suzanne Forster have one last go
People's Daily-- China's economic planner rejects stagflation risk report
People's Daily-- U.S. slaps punitive tariffs on Chinese wire decking
China Daily-- Stimulus exit a long way off
China Daily-- G20 financial meeting unlikely to reach deal in bank levy
Times of India-- General Motors India sales grow 61%
Times of India-- India may see flight of capital in next six months: FICCI

Podunkian Brunch, Sunday, June 6, 2010

Like many Podunkians one of the first things to be done on a Sunday morning is to check and see if your Saturday night lottery numbers came in. So share with us if you will, this cautionary tale for those that change their mind at their favourite lottery retailer and decline the ticket offered up by the machine. Last month someone in Goulds, Newfoundland turned back a ticket dispensed when it was incorrectly tabulated to cost about seventeen dollars more than the person wished to pay. Rather than take the ticket and hand over the extra cash, the customer declined the ticket, and the store voided the ticket as per lottery regulations. On draw day, the winning numbers for the May 21st Lotto Max Jackpot rolled in and were a perfect match for the ticket not accepted. No one has been identified as the coulda, woulda, shoulda lottery winner, and if they're lucky word will travel slow back to Newfoundland on their lost winfall.

For the first time in a while now, Saturday night wasn't Hockey Night in Canada as all was strangely quiet on the hockey front, the Stanley Cup playoffs were on a night off, giving us all time to review a most interesting appearance from Gary Bettman. Last week the Commissioner appeared between periods with Ron McLean, who when not donning his Superman cape and helping to rescue drowning men hosts a little interview program on the CBC. Earlier this week, before Ron answered the 911 call, the Commissioner answered questions from McLean on the state of the league, though judging by the answers, it would appear that the Commish would rather set the agenda than take his cues from the host.


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Mr. Bettman's appearance did not go un-noticed as journalists and bloggers alike weighed in on the State of the League according to Gary. The Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and the CBC all had reports and in some cases a little helpful advice while the Orland Kurtenblog portal tried to help divine some of the inside Hockey ramblings of the Commissioner.

Of course while Canadians like to think the world revolves around hockey, a little neighbourhood tournament set to start on Friday will actually command the bulk of the world's sporting attention for the next month. South Africa plays host to the World Cup starting at the end of the week, a one month festival of international soccer that will leave many corners of the globe transfixed to their television sets eager for the latest results. In Canada, all of the action is being broadcast and webcast by the CBC, with a rather extensive schedule of events and backgrounders planned for the length of the tournament.  For those that want their information instantaneously and delivered to their mobile devices, the Score has launched a comprehensive application for their coverage of the world's most anticipated tournament.

The World Cup of course will be one of those roller coaster experiences, fans living and dying with every shot or every goal.  Providing one of the most competitive environments in sport on display for the next month. You won't however, find quite the same intensity when it comes to youth soccer in Ottawa. A new rule for the Gloucester Dragons Recreational Soccer League has a provision that if your team wins a game by more than five points you will default the game. The rule was put in place by league organizers to try and reduce runaway scores and promote sportsmanship, some critics however suggest that the only thing the rule may end up doing is to turn soccer players into non achievers who may never feel that anything is possible despite the odds. The feedback for the new rule has been rather negative thus far, though organizers suggest that the vocal minority only accounts for about 1 Per cent of all parents. Still the idea of  the nanny state in soccer gave the National Post's Kelly McParland the opportunity to wonder aloud (and on your computer) what things might look like if the rule was expanded to other facets of our lives.

Speaking of non achievers, the votes are in and when it comes to the most popular television or movie character in the last twenty years, the winner is:


In the Entertainment Weekly poll, Springfield's favourite non achieving, Duff Swilling lout, Homer beat out such luminaries as Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tony Soprano and The Joker, you can check out the full list here.

We can think of one fellow that may wish to keep his eye on the ball, for if he's not careful, we think there might be some competition in the non achievement category. When it comes to lists, President Obama is it seems falling off of a few these days. As the White House tries to find its balance on the BP oil spill disaster in the gulf, they are finding that more than a few of the more friendly of journalists and entertainers to their cause are taking their shots at the Presidency on this issue. Last week we mentioned long time Democratic handler James Carville's blistering review of the Obama team's work on the BP file.  This week it was the turn of the media to take some more of the bloom of that Presidential rose, among those that had previously been rather positive about the President but now are highlighting his troubles on the BP issue are Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, who offered up this line of reflection for the White House  "The oil won’t stop flowing, but the magic has". It was also  a week that saw Jon Stewart return to his Daily Show nightly pulpit and quickly find fault with the handling of the debacle and perhaps a wee lack of focus, providing the usual biting satire that has that ring of truth to it.

Of course the President has one ace up his sleeve when it comes to the potential fall out from the oil spill, as long as Tony Hayward is in charge of the oil company's operations there's at least one person that American's can focus their anger on. Hayward who seems a little tone deaf when it comes to handling public relations on disasters has had more than a few You Tube minutes of late, but perhaps the one that has folks in the Gulf States angry the most about is his clip discussing the impact the spill has had on his own life.
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We imagine the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and beyond probably have that same inclination, though for them the future isn't a particularly promising one. Then again perhaps neither is Tony's, if these headlines of recent days suggest: For BP, now come the lawyers, BP chief Tony Hayward sold shares weeks before oil spill, BP credit rating downgraded over oil disaster, Worsening Deepwater situation prompts speculation over BP's future, Billions more wiped from BP's value as shares plunge on oil spill failures, when a newspaper article refers to your company and the term "smell of death" in the same line, well it's probably not too much longer before you're cleaning out your corner office.

For our podcast selection of the week we return again to South Africa's World Cup hosting duties, set for opening day on Friday. The BBC offers up an interesting take on World Football and World Cup Daily,  the Globe and Mail has dispatched famed columnist Stephen Brunt to cover the event and ESPN brings the North American perspective to the events with their World Cup today podcast.

Our musical selection of the week features one of the grand dames of rock and roll (and a little disco, rap and new wave to boot), long before we were inundated with tales of Madonna, Lady Gaga and Christina Aguillera, another blonde bombshell from New York was taking the music world by storm with her fresh sound and timely arrival. Blondie, the queen of New Wave in the seventies and eighties ruled the dance clubs and topped the charts with such hits as Heart of Glass, Tide is High and Raptured to name a few. The bleached one turned sixty five recently and still it seems is rocking, recently she gave an interview to the Melbourne Herald Sun outlining the direction her music is heading today and the impact that it had in the past. Recapture one of those moments here.

Podunk Below the Masthead (Friday, June 4, 2010)

Transport Canada begins it enforcement of new regulations on the water, a big day at the Port as the largest vessel yet makes a port call and Gary Coons wants the province to bring a stop to Enbridge's Kitimat plans, some of the items of interest for Friday.

Daily News, front page, headline story
MTO TIGHTENING UP ENFORCEMENT OF NEW LICENSING REGULATIONS-- A new licensing system for the coast of British Columbia is in effect and Transport Canada is enforcing those changes which require a variety of certifications for those that work on the water.

Extra Foods closure in the Rupert Square gets a bit of attention in the Daily news, though the story carries no headline nor is it included on the papers website. The item outlines the recent closure and some of the background behind both positions. Sharp eyed readers of our blog read about the closure earlier this week with our post on the path that lead to Tuesday's final day of operations.

4,000 plants need to be planted and the Prince Rupert Garden Club is looking for a few volunteers to help get them into the Sunken Gardens, the plant a thon takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the Gardens behind the court house.

The sports section features previews of the auto clubs plans for Seafest as well as details on the Seafest 3 on 3 basketball tournament. And for good measure the Daily begins it's preview of next week's start of the World Cup.


(Daily News Archives for Friday, June 4, 2010)

MTO tightening up enforcement of new licensing regulations
Sunken Gardens needs volunteers
Flight attendants have voted to strike
Lax Kw’alaams community members upset
Ministry for the sailor-man


The Northern View
Largest ship yet calls on Prince Rupert as Fairview Terminal traffic grows
Details of the maiden voyage of the COSCO Malaysia which called on Prince Rupert for the first time on June 4th. (see article here)

CFTK TV 7 News
Significant occasion for the PRPA
CFTK also has coverage of the Cosco Malaysia's arrival in town (see article here)

CFTK TV 7 News
Coons Demands Government "Just Say No" to Enbridge 
The NDP MLA for the North Coast wants the provincial government to bring an end to the bid by Enbridge to build a pipeline and terminal in Kitimat (see article here)

CFTK TV 7 News
Salmon Study Says Diversity Key to Fishery Survival
A study, published in the journal Nature and based on the sockeye fishery at Bristol Bay, Alaska, says maintaining diverse salmon populations stabilizes the fisheries that depend on them. It's a collection of data and opinion that local advocates say could help solve the skeena fishery crisis (see article here)


CBC News Northern BC, Daybreak North 
Daybreak North is only posting selected items on their website now. 

The most recently posted items can be found on the archive page for Daybreak North click here

Daily News, front page, headline story
MTO tightening up enforcement of new licensing regulations 
By George T. Baker 
Staff Writer 
Prince Rupert Daily News
Friday, June 4, 2010

Transport Canada is enforcing the new licensing system for the B.C. Coast.

New regulations for vessels on the seas that are meant to make the ocean safer for all who rely on it for their livelihood is being questioned by some and applauded by others.

The New Contraventions Act recently passed by both the Federal and Provincial Governments means the RCMP and other Federal and Provincial Government officers will now start to board Commercial Vessels and Fishing Vessels and demand to see the certificates of the Master and crew.

This new system is thought to bring safety to the waters, but some fishermen see the new licensing system as punitive and disrespectful of the average experience of the current commercial fishing fleet.

“Given the age of most guys skippering boats today, if they haven’t learned how to run them in 30 years of experience then I don’t think a ticket is going to make a hec of a lot of difference,” said Bob Burkosky, the captain of gillnet boat BC Maid II. Burkosky was speaking of the shine of silver on most of the North Coast commercial fishing fleet, with few deckhands below the age of 40 and even fewer captains.

“Having said that, there are some good stability courses that have been developed in the last few years that are certainly worthwhile, but I don’t think guys should have to be paying out of pocket under duress to do that sort of thing,” said Burkosky.

Every Master of a commercial vessel, be it tugboat, water taxi or cargo vessel must have a master license and every crewmember a marine emergency duties certificate. Every operator of a Fishboat 13 metres or over must have a Master Certificate and by 2016, every Master of a Fishboat of any size will need to have a Master License.

Every crewmember must have a Marine Emergency Duties certificate.

Michael Calli, owner of Capp’s Marine Education, a company that specializes in training in marine navigation, said fishermen are alarmed that they have to do this.

“Some of the guys don’t have the licensing yet,” said Calli. If fishermen are caught on the water without license, boat owner/operators are subject to a $9,000 fine.

If the boat owner and operator and separate, then the fee levied is divided as $6,000 for the operator and $3,000 for the operator.

Any vessel that is not a commercial vessel – charter boats and commercial fishers – that is carrying passengers needs to have, as of November 7, 2009, a small vessel operator proficiency certificate. There must also be someone on the boat who holds the marine basic first aid certificate.

Calli thought some fishermen might risk not getting licensed, but Burkosky didn’t think that number would be huge. In his opinion, the risk for a commercial fisherman attempting to fish during a three-day opening, getting caught by an RCMP officer and pulled off the water is too expensive to take a chance on. Getting out to fishing grounds can be costly enough with crew and fuel expenses high enough that an added cost doesn’t make sense, he added.

The new requirements have driven up demand for course training.

Bob Kitching, President and Managing Associate of CE International Consultants Ltd, which teaches classes in the Prince Rupert area, said that his company has put 100-to-150 people through its programs this year. Normally, the company would train 40.

Kitching said the highest proportion of people killed each year out on the open waters is commercial fishermen. So while experience should count for something, he didn’t believe that Transport Canada had placed undue requirements on vessel operators.

“One can always make oneself unpopular with one’s clients by saying that it is probably long overdue. But I think it is a good thing. One can question if the appropriateness of the course is right, whether it should be easier or harder, those are things that one can debate from now until the cows come home,” opined Kitching.

Kitching added that the issue is the way seafaring has changed over the past two decades. Where once fishermen were intimately tied to the boat they worked from, electronics have displaced that connection, meaning the younger fishermen he’s met have not become safer on the seas.

 “Fishermen over 45 started fishing before there were electronics around and so they were bloody-good seamen. They fished from a boat that they knew how to operate from.

 “Quite honestly, the younger guys are bloody-good fishermen, but as far as they are concerned the boat is a platform from which they can catch fish and awful lot of them don’t know a heck of a lot about boats,” said Kitching.

It's the economy (Friday , June 4, 2010)

Another rattle for the economy, more tension on Canada's lumber front and a timely divestment of assets, some of the items of interest for Friday.

Globe and Mail-- U.S. joblessness, more Europe debt send tremors through recovery
Globe and Mail-- For BP, now come the lawyers
Globe and Mail-- U.S. producers slam B.C. lumber fees
National Post-- Wal-Mart moves into retail banking in Canada
National Post-- Saturday is tax freedom day
National Post-- U.S. job gloom hammers North American markets
Vancouver Sun-- Terasen proposes 11 per cent gas price cut
Vancouver Sun-- Metro Vancouver real estate edges off peak
New York Times-- Hungary Warns of Greek-Style Crisis
New York Times-- G.M.’s Gift of a Luxury Car Stuns a Few
New York Times-- Job Data Casts Pall Over Economic Recovery
USA Today-- Sotheby's plans auction of Lehman Bros. art works
USA Today-- Wal-Mart tinkers with sales plan, calls attention to price cuts
Guardian UK online-- BP hives off 'toxic' Gulf spill operation to dilute anti-British feeling in US
Guardian UK online-- Euro sinks to four-year low as Hungary fears being the next Greece
Guardian UK online--G20 delay on Basel III bank curbs
Times online UK-- Business can’t rely on oil after Deep Horizon
Times online UK-- Fragile economy must force G20 to tackle disparities
Telegraph UK online-- BP chief Tony Hayward sold shares weeks before oil spill
Telegraph UK online-- Global markets tumble on US jobs and Hungary crisis fears
Telegraph UK online-- As Europe dithers, Britain must regulate
Melbourne Herald Sun-- 'Stop the tax brawl'
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Austal wins $35m Guadeloupe ferry contract
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Kevin Rudd should delegate more, like Jesus, says Lindsay Fox
People's Daily-- Dragon can learn a few lessons from the elephant
People's Daily-- Food prices fall in late May: figures
China Daily-- Canada says time to pull back stimulus
China Daily-- African Minerals in funding talks with Chinese companies
Times of India-- ONGC, OIL can fix price of natural gas
Times of India-- ‘Banks threaten exporters with Cibil blacklist’

Some familiar projects still listed in Major Projects review

For Prince Rupert it seems that it's a case of everything old is new again, when it comes to the latest listings of the Province's Major Projects review.

A provincial government press release on Thursday trumpeted the great progress at hand in the province as we apparently move forward out of recessionary times and into a new phase of development. Though a quick perusal of the Prince Rupert section of the 132 page document would leave one wondering where the new stuff is to be found, as few it seems are shovel ready at the moment..

Of the seven projects listed in Prince Rupert/Port Edward all have been offered up before as proposals, but somehow remain on the potential list, even though there is little to no progress on many of them.

Among the proposals that still seemingly have a shelf life:

Mount McDonald Wind Project (Port Edward) first listed in 2009
North Coast Wind Project (Prince Rupert) first listed in 2008
Prince Rupert Potash Terminal Expansion (Prince Rupert) first listed in 2008
Banks Island North Wind Energy Project (Prince Rupert) first listed in 2007
Mount Hays Wind Farm (Prince Rupert) first listed in 2006
Atlin Uplands Development (Prince Rupert) first listed in 2006
Tsimshian Peninsula Project/Tuck Inlet Road (Prince Rupert) first listed in 1998

The seven are all familiar themes for the North coast, but for the most part seem no closer to completion today than when they were first offered up over the last number of years.

The most optimistic of reports from the region however seem to come out of Kitimat where the Major Project Review lists ten prospective projects to keep the aluminum city's hopes up.

Included among those potential boom times are two hydro electric projects, a break bulk port facility, five potential pipeline projects including the Northern Gateway options, An LNG Terminal and the always topical potential smelter expansion at Alcan.

The full list of all provincial projects can be found from  Ministry's website here, the Kitimat plans can be found on page 118, Prince Rupert's dream list is located on pages 119 and 120.

And while they all look pretty nice on paper, local residents would no doubt be happy if even a few of them looked good beyond the pages of a report.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Ron McLean!

Some folks it seems really do take that slogan of the City of Brotherly love to heart!

The bye day in the Stanley Cup play-offs didn't provide much in the way of down time for CBC Hockey Night in Canada host Ron McLean.

The counter foil to Don Cherry's intermission thoughts found himself part of a drama playing out on the Deleware River close to a restaurant that he and Cherry had chosen for dinner.

As they were settling in for their meal, a distraught woman ran into the restaurant to seek assistance for a man who had apparently thrown himself into the river. Like a modern day Captain Canuck, McLean was quick to the river side to lend a hand, in his case using a rope from the restaurant to help another man who had already arrived to render assistance  haul the man in.

As the story first broke across these tubes of information, the story was that McLean had jumped into the river to attempt to save the man, once all the excitement had died down he was quick to correct the official record, crediting the man who dove into the river with the recognition deserved for such a heroic act.

Still for McLean some credit no doubt is due as well, rushing out into a situation of which he knew nothing about does take a certain amount of courage and his assistance was most likely welcome in a very tense and possibly dangerous situation.

Needless to say, the fable of Ron McLean is growing across the internet, a dash of Canadianna that perhaps one day will join the ranks of Bill Barilko in a Tragically Hip ballad or maybe as a Stompin' Tom feature.

Globe and Mail-- Ron MacLean helps rescue man from river

Toronto Star-- Sportscaster Ron MacLean helps rescue man from river

CBC-- Ron MacLean springs to river rescue

From the HockeyNation blog

Glenn Beck's oops, honey get me rewrite moment?

From the whatever help it takes department, comes this hopeful sign for those that are just a little concerned over Glenn Beck's emotional histrionics of late. Many may take heart that the top boss at Fox may soon have cause for a little conversation with his loose cannon host over in the corner office soon.

Beck who has become more than a tad strange of late with his on air theatrics and such spent a good portion of Thursday's show looking at tying 9/11 in to a degree with the recent botched Israeli raids on those ships heading to Gaza.

An American blog site, Raw Story has been taking notes and found one name of interest  in the midst of his meandering path of consequence today, as Beck apparently threw out the name of Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, well not so much as his name (perhaps a wee bit hard to pronounce we imagine)  as his image with a stern wag of his finger at the visage on the screen.

As things turn out in the most delicious form of irony, the subject of Beck's finger pointing/tongue lashing is also a major investor in News Corporation, second only to King Rupert himself when it comes to writing the cheques and such. And beyond that it seems that the Prince is also rather popular with the kind of folks that might have more than a passing bit of influence with the Murdoch owned network.

Raw Story which clearly is more to the left of the media scene than Beck, must watch his program purely for these opportune moments, and creatively features the fascinating twist in Glen's life that is about unfold with a piece for their website, inculding a clip from the show which brings their thesis together.
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One imagines that over at Fox, management will just be tickled pink (well ok maybe not pink, perhaps a dark rouge) over the idea that "America's Newsroom" is by association of their own host, partially funded by what we imagine he believes is a terrorist enabler.

Sure it's ok for Glenn to rail against the President as some form of danger to America, or even drag the President's children into his strange little on air melodramas, but start knocking on the door of your own shareholders and we imagine there is a large size muzzle about to descend on the set.

Podunk Below the Masthead (Thursday, June 3, 2010)

Finishing touches on the all day kindergarten plans,  our cruise visitors don't always leave happy and the RCMP Rural squad makes a weapons related arrest in Kitkatla, some of the highlights of Thursday's news file.

Daily News, front page headline story
DISTRICT TEACHERS LEARNING THE ROPES FOR ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN-- The preparations continue within School District 52 for the introduction of all-day kindergarten to the District.

Kimberly Truong's next adventure takes her to Toronto for sessions with the Triple Threat Masters Class Series and perhaps later in the summer a month long stint performing at the PNE in Vancouver.

The Anti-HST forces in the province finds success in its bid to put the Liberal government's tax plans to either an initiative vote or referendum.

The Sports section features a look at TaeKwon do results from a Kitimat tournament as well as Archery results from last month.


(Daily News Archive stories for June 3, 2010)

Teachers learning the ropes for all day kindergarten
Local young dancer is off to the big city
Anti HST has reached its goal
Bluey Day fundraiser is back

The Northern View
First cruise reviews of 2010 less than flattering for Prince Rupert -- Some less than flattering reviews and opinions of our offerings to cruise ship visitors so far this year as the Northern View catches up with cruisecritic.com (see article here) (Our Podunkian blog is tracking these postings through the year and you can follow along here)

CFTK TV 7 News
Community policing office open -- The city's community policing office is now open for the summer, TV 7 outlines what services are available from the City Hall site (see article here)

CFTK TV 7 News
Kitkatla Weapon Assault -- The Prince Rupert Rural section was called into action in Kitkatla where they effected an arrest on a 25- year old Kitkatla woman on weapons charges (see article here)

CFTK TV 7 News
Naikun Wind President Resigns -- With two failed bids on the record for BC Hydro's clean power call, change has come to the upper offices of Naikun Wind Power (see article here)

CBC News Northern BC, Daybreak North
Daybreak North is only posting selected items on their website now.

The most recently posted items can be found on the archive page for Daybreak North click here

Daily News, front page, headline story
District teachers learning the ropes for all-day kindergarten
By George T. Baker
Staff Writer
Prince Rupert Daily News
Thursday, June 3, 2010

School District 52 has been prepping kindergarten teachers for a big change coming the school district’s way in September.

The school district, along with partners from the BC Teachers Federation and the Ministry of Education, have held two workshops so that kindergarten teachers understand how their curriculum will change when teaching four and five-year-olds for a full day, rather than the traditional half-day.

Superintendent Lynn Hauptman said the workshops had gone well and that there was another workshop that could be held later this month or early in the fall to get teachers primed for the FDK.

“We won’t be delivering a new program, but we are extending the curriculum,” explained Hauptman. “This is “the gift of time” in that we are extending the current [half-day] class curriculum to a full day for kindergarten students.”

Concerns about the requirement to enroll students in a full day of kindergarten have not completely faded away, but Hauptman said that parents would still have a choice of enrolling children into Kindergarten classes.

There will also be an opportunity for parents to converse with teachers and elementary school principals about their child’s kindergarten education. While Hauptman wasn’t ready to say that there was sure-fire flexibility in the hours a kindergarten student spends in school, she said that principals and teachers would look at it through a case-by-case basis. “It is a conversation they can have,” said Hauptman.

There have been two test-pilot courses in Prince Rupert. Teachers Mae Jong-Bowles and Bea Skog have been teaching for the past year at Conrad Elementary and Pineridge Elementary respectively.

But come this September most of the schools will offer the courses, including Ecole Westview, which will close after this upcoming year.

Prince Rupert District Teachers Union President Joanna Larson said that the PRDTU is concerned that not enough money is being invested into the FDK rollout to make it a success.

“The workshops have been good, but they are not going to help in the day-to-day teaching,” Larson added.

She also cited some classes, such as the FDK at Westview, that will feature multi-age classrooms, sometimes having Kindergarten through to Grade 2 in the same class.

 “That is going to be difficult for the teacher,” said Larson.

“The most significant difference is that Grade 1 is the year you begin to lean to read and write. Kindergarten is about play and some pre-numeric and reading education.” The school district’s administrators do not think this is as big an issue. Instead, they suggest it could be beneficial for the students to have a mixture of classes together.

 “One of the most important things is when students are confident they share what they have learned. It is always great to have students learn from older students,” said Assistant Superintendent Leah Robinson.

The play aspect is huge for Kindergarten students.

It is about becoming familiar with the educational surroundings and becoming comfortable with school.

The School District brought in 2010 Legacies representative, Pat Holden, then followed it up with a presentation by the BCTF. Two local experts on early childhood education, Skog and Susan Crowley have also been asked to speak to teachers about their experiences.

 “Based on how the brain works, we do need to allow our K-students to play,” said Robinson. “We always want our students to learn from us. But what we have found is that they learn quite well from each other.”

The perfect game that never existed!

Generally the days of holding up athletes as role models are all but over, but should one need to look for one, perhaps a gaze no further than to the Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Armando Gallaraga.

The Tigers pitcher was clearly robbed on Wednesday night, when First base umpire Jim Joyce blew the call on what would have been the final out of the game providing the pitcher with one of baseball's most elusive marks, the perfect game.  

The call at first has become perhaps one of the most viewed of sports clips in recent months as the play at first is repeated in frame by frame slow motion, much to the agony of umpire Joyce we imagine.



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After the game, the umpire admitted that he had made an error, going into the Tigers locker room to apologize to the pitcher and his team for the error on the field.

In an era where athletes throw hissy fits if the water cooler isn't at the right temperature or the Gatorade table is too far from the bench, it was refreshing to see Gallarago able to put aside the disappointment of the lost near achievement, let alone accept the umpire's apology so graciously, a lesson that perhaps some Tiger's fans could take a note from.

The two met again on Thursday afternoon where Gallarago again showed some class having brought out the line up card for the day's game he consoled the umpire in the course of their exchange.  

In the wake of the blow call, Commissioner Bud Selig ruled that he would not reverse the call, a decision that seems to have split the baseball community as to whether that was the right path to take.

It also has raised once again the need to introduce instant replay into the long time American past time, in order to make sure that such situations are adjudicated correctly. A move that will have baseball purists shaking their heads about how time should stand still for their game and how the human element of the game has always had a place in the history of the sport.

Though one suspects that Gallarago, denied of his place in that lore of the game, probably wouldn't have minded a little assist from technology on Wednesday night. Though he has received some form of reward for his even mannered demeanour, beyond the accolades from all corners he has received a fancy red Corvette to help take the sting out of his lost spot in the record books.

USA Today-- Bud Selig speaks: Commissioner won't reverse blown call, will examine more instant replay
National Post-- Father Raymond J. de Souza: In Galarraga’s case, absolution is due
New York Times-- Error After the Fact Can Do Justice to Galarraga
MSNBC-- Selig blew perfect chance to be leader for once
Washington Post-- Perfect in our book
Kansas City Star-- A person's character...
Detroit Free Press-- Baseball says it won't change disputed Galarraga call
Detroit Free Press-- Fans applaud Galarraga for being perfect gentleman
Detroit Free Press-- White House jokes about executive order for Galarraga
Detroit Free Press-- Granholm, Dingell, Stabenow applaud Galarraga's game
Detroit News-- MLB will not reverse blown call in Tigers game 
Detroit News--Tigers' Galarraga still gracious day after blown call 
Detroit News-- Selig makes a statement, but what does it mean?
SI.com-- Gammons' stands up for umps
SI.com-- Selig should review Joyce's blown call for the future, not the past 
SI.com-- For good of the game, Selig needs to reverse ump's blown call 
SI.com-- The Lesson of Jim Joyce

It's the economy (Thursday, June 3, 2010)

The gold medal in financial disasters, China's workers are seeking change and an Australian pay day brings a little more to the bank, some of the items of interest for Thursday.

Globe and Mail-- Xstrata fires shot over Australian mining tax
Globe and Mail-- Did 2004 Olympics spark Greek crisis?
Globe and Mail-- Change finally afoot for China’s workers
National Post-- BP spill could reach Atlantic Coast within weeks
National Post-- ‘V-shaped’ recovery in U.S. stalling
National Post-- Downe steers BMO from laggard to top bank
Vancouver Sun-- Major construction projects in B.C. reach $191 billion, minister says
Vancouver Sun-- Fraser Valley real estate flattens out
New York Times-- Failure Highlights Woes Facing Spanish Banking
New York Times-- Admiral Says Oil Pipe Is Cut, a Key Step in Halting Leak
New York Times-- U.S. Retailers Report Lackluster Sales Gains
USA Today-- European crisis batters euro a decade after celebrated launch
USA Today-- Mercury brand arrives at the end of the road after 72 years
Guardian UK online-- UK economic recovery to lag France and Germany, S & P forecasts
Guardian UK online-- Vince Cable admits U-turn on public spending cuts
Guardian UK online-- BP hopes rise after giant shears cut Deepwater Horizon oil pipe
Times on line UK-- Strikes are costing BA £7 million per day
Times on line UK-- BP credit rating downgraded over oil disaster
Telegraph UK online-- Britain risks default unless Government cuts public sector pensions
Telegraph UK online-- BP and Prudential: As the cream of British business turns sour, time for a change at the top
Telegraph UK online-- Bank of England: 'Inflation not the way out of debt'
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Surplus surprise for trade
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Minimum wage lifted $26 a week from July 1
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- BP boss admits 'not prepared' for Deepwater Horizon oil spill
People's Daily-- Chinese economy facing downside risk
People's Daily-- US shocker for Chinese steel gratings
China Daily-- Greenhouse gases emission cut not optimistic
China Daily-- Trade-in subsidy program extended to 2011
Times of India-- India set to defend fuel subsidy at G20 meet
Times of India-- 'Looking to buy stake in Indian telco'