The findings won’t come as a real surprise to anybody that has stuck around Prince Rupert for the last five years, Prince Rupert’s Quality of Life study unearthed a factor in our recent de-population that probably wasn’t too hard to force out of people.
Surveying the intentions of 475 people over their plans for the next few years, 84% of the respondents said they believed they were here for more than the next few years, 8% were destined to move on in the next two years while another 8% just aren’t sure what their plans are yet.
Of those destined to leave 39% were leaving to seek out a better job, 11 per cent to get education or training, 13 per cent were set to retire elsewhere, 12 per cent wanted a better quality of life and 12% wanted a better climate.
Considering the unseasonably large dump of snow on Wednesday and its effects on our roads today, we’re thinking that many of those that left must have been snow plow drivers and that the 12% that chose climate may find a few more converts to their gripes by tomorrow morning…
Full details on the depopulation question were found in Tuesday Daily News.
‘WORK’ WAS A BIG REASON FOR EXODUS FROM RUPERT
“Retirement’ and ‘climate’ other big factors says pollster
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, March 27, 2006
Page three
Prince Rupert’s Quality of Life community survey took an in-depth look at a long-standing problem – depopulation – and identified reasons why people leave the community.
According to consultant Jennifer Wilson, of the 475 people surveyed between November and February, 84 per cent believed they were in town for more than the next two years, while eight percent said they planned to leave and eight per cent said they were not sure.
“It’s really important to be grounded in this information so you know why people chose to stay or choose to leave,” she said at a council meeting last week.
Of those leaving, 39 per cent said they were leaving to find a better job, while 13 per cent said they were leaving to retire. Twelve per cent said it was to find a better climate, another 12 percent said it was for a better quality of life and access to medical services and 11 per cent said it was to get education and training.
Wilson went on to explain that as part of the Quality of Life Plan, the city should look at ways to improve in these areas in order to retain more people.
Prince Rupert lost more than 10 per cent of its population between the 2001 and 2006 census counts.
Statistics Canada released the population counts for communities across Canada earlier this month and Prince Rupert’s population, a number than had been the subject of much speculation, dropped from 14,463 in 2001 to 12,815.
The 12.5 per cent drop in population was in part due to the closure of the Watson Island Pulp mill in 2002, as well as a downturn in fishing and forestry.
Overall, the Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District – which includes the North Coast and Queen Charlotte Islands – dropped by 9.4 per cent, from 21,693 to 19,664.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Spring, huh?
We did enter the spring season last week right? Just wondering!
Environment Canada's Official Weather Warnings
Warnings
North Coast - coastal sections
1:23 PM PDT Wednesday 28 March 2007
Snowfall warning forNorth Coast - coastal sections issued
Snowfall amounts of 15 to 25 cm through Thursday morning for North Coast - inland sections. Snowfall amounts of 10 to 15 cm for North Coast - coastal sections.
A frontal system is giving strong southeast winds to the coastal sections of the central coast. The strong winds will persist over the central coast as the front stalls over the region. Winds will ease Thursday afternoon as the front moves southward and weaken.
The stalled front will also bring heavy rain to the central coast through Thursday with total rainfall amounts of 110 to 140 mm by Thursday evening.Meanwhile snow associated with the frontal system over the north coast will continue.
Additional snowfall amount of 10 cm is expected for today and another 10 to 15 cm can be expected for tonight.
Environment Canada's Official Weather Warnings
Warnings
North Coast - coastal sections
1:23 PM PDT Wednesday 28 March 2007
Snowfall warning forNorth Coast - coastal sections issued
Snowfall amounts of 15 to 25 cm through Thursday morning for North Coast - inland sections. Snowfall amounts of 10 to 15 cm for North Coast - coastal sections.
A frontal system is giving strong southeast winds to the coastal sections of the central coast. The strong winds will persist over the central coast as the front stalls over the region. Winds will ease Thursday afternoon as the front moves southward and weaken.
The stalled front will also bring heavy rain to the central coast through Thursday with total rainfall amounts of 110 to 140 mm by Thursday evening.Meanwhile snow associated with the frontal system over the north coast will continue.
Additional snowfall amount of 10 cm is expected for today and another 10 to 15 cm can be expected for tonight.
Transcripts relay details of the last moments of the Queen of the North
Part of the documentation over the last few days into the sinking of the Queen of the North has been the release of the transcripts of radio transmissions between the stricken ferry and the Coast Guard radio centre in Prince Rupert.
The Globe and Mail’s Mark Hume presented them in his story for yesterday’s Globe, presenting a sense of the horror of the moment and the steps that went into place to send assistance as soon as possible.
It provides the reader with a minute by minute account of the tragedy, the confusion of the moment and the eventual rescue effort that was launched off of Gil Island.
Transcript documents Mayday moment
MARK HUME
GLOBE AND MAIL
MARCH 27, 2007
VANCOUVER -- At 23 minutes and 40 seconds after midnight, from high on British Columbia's rugged central coast where deep fjords cut hazardous shipping lanes through the mountains, a radio message came crackling in from the darkness.
"Traffic, this is Queen of the North, Queen of the North, Queen of the North," came an unidentified voice from the bridge of a B.C. ferry that was in transit from Prince Rupert to the north end of Vancouver Island, with 101 people aboard, March 22, 2006.
"Traffic. Traffic. We have run aground south of Sainty Point, several miles south of Sainty Point. Standby for position," said the crew member, in a frantic call to Vessel Traffic Services, the marine communications centre run by the Canadian Coast Guard in Prince Rupert. Over the next few minutes, a flurry of exchanges, released yesterday in a transcript, tracked the drama of the final moments of the flagship of the BC Ferries fleet.
VTS: "Queen of the North. Prince Rupert Traffic. What is your position? Over."
Queen: "Our position is. This is the Queen of the North. 29 19 north, 131. What's the second part of that? 13 West."
VTS: "Queen of the North, Prince Rupert Traffic. Roger. And do you require assistance?"
Queen: "Roger, we require assistance."
VTS: "Roger. And confirm you are not taking on water? Over."
Queen: "We are taking on water."
VTS: "Roger. Stand by. . . . Say again your position. This position you gave me is not correct, it places you in Hecate Strait. What is your position? Latitude? Longitude?"
Queen: "South of Sainty Point. Stand by for Lat/Long. And we are aground, our list is increasing, we need assistance immediately. . . . We're aground near Juan Point, Juan Point. Over. . . . We have 101 persons onboard the ship."
VTS: "Roger. Are you at Muster Stations?"
Queen: "Say again?"
VTS: "Are they proceeding to life rafts? Over."
Queen, at 28:26: "Yes, Traffic, we are proceeding to lifeboats and life rafts."
At 31:02 after breaking away to talk to possible rescue vessels, VTS asks for an update.
Queen: "Traffic, we've developed a slight starboard list here, I'd say about 12 degrees from my indication. Boats are getting readied. That's all I know right now. I believe they're setting pumps in the engine room."
In several quick exchanges, VTS confirms the correct location of the sinking ferry. Then, at 34:45, VTS broadcasts this chilling message over the marine channel: "Mayday, relay. Mayday, relay. Mayday, relay. All stations, all stations. This is Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio, Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio. Channel one-one. The ferry Queen of the North is reported running around just south of Sainty Point. Bearing one-zero-one degrees from Port Cummings. Requesting immediate assistance, taking on water, 101 persons onboard. Any vessels in the area able to respond contact Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio channel one-six or Prince Rupert Traffic, channel one-one. Over."
In Hartley Bay, fishermen launch several small boats, arriving just in time to take aboard survivors found drifting in life rafts. Then, the Queen of the North tips up and sinks beneath the waves.
Investigation into tragedy
British Columbia Ferry Service Inc. describes this sequence of events that led to the sinking of the Queen of the North. The report lacks key details because two crew members have refused to testify.
1. Departure: The Queen of the North leaves Prince Rupert at 8 p.m. on March 21, 2006, headed for Port Hardy. There are 101 passengers and crew members on board.
2. The voyage south: The report states that music was clearly audible during routine radio telephone conversations between the ferry and Prince Rupert traffic services.
"To this point, the voyage had been uneventful and routine."
3. Confusion in the wheelhouse: After passing Sainty Point, the report states, the Quarter Master of the ship remembers making "one or possibly two small course alterations," as directed by the fourth officer. The Quarter Master is then ordered to switch the autopilot off, but the Quarter Master "stated not knowing where the switch was located."
4. Grounding off Gil Island: The Queen of the North strikes rocks off Gil Island at a speed of about 17.5 knots. The ferry is about one nautical mile (or 1.85 kilometres) off course. The ship's master is awoken and all watertight doors are ordered closed. The general alarm is sounded in both crew and passenger areas, and PA announcements are made instructing everyone to get onto the outer decks. Crew search all cabins and public spaces to account for all passengers. With lifejackets on, passengers and crew abandon ship.
5. Queen goes down: The ferry sinks, stern first. "As the ship sank, trapped air caused numerous windows on the passenger deck to explode outward, and a cloud of dust was formed at the scene."
SOURCE: TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, B.C. FERRIES
The Globe and Mail’s Mark Hume presented them in his story for yesterday’s Globe, presenting a sense of the horror of the moment and the steps that went into place to send assistance as soon as possible.
It provides the reader with a minute by minute account of the tragedy, the confusion of the moment and the eventual rescue effort that was launched off of Gil Island.
Transcript documents Mayday moment
MARK HUME
GLOBE AND MAIL
MARCH 27, 2007
VANCOUVER -- At 23 minutes and 40 seconds after midnight, from high on British Columbia's rugged central coast where deep fjords cut hazardous shipping lanes through the mountains, a radio message came crackling in from the darkness.
"Traffic, this is Queen of the North, Queen of the North, Queen of the North," came an unidentified voice from the bridge of a B.C. ferry that was in transit from Prince Rupert to the north end of Vancouver Island, with 101 people aboard, March 22, 2006.
"Traffic. Traffic. We have run aground south of Sainty Point, several miles south of Sainty Point. Standby for position," said the crew member, in a frantic call to Vessel Traffic Services, the marine communications centre run by the Canadian Coast Guard in Prince Rupert. Over the next few minutes, a flurry of exchanges, released yesterday in a transcript, tracked the drama of the final moments of the flagship of the BC Ferries fleet.
VTS: "Queen of the North. Prince Rupert Traffic. What is your position? Over."
Queen: "Our position is. This is the Queen of the North. 29 19 north, 131. What's the second part of that? 13 West."
VTS: "Queen of the North, Prince Rupert Traffic. Roger. And do you require assistance?"
Queen: "Roger, we require assistance."
VTS: "Roger. And confirm you are not taking on water? Over."
Queen: "We are taking on water."
VTS: "Roger. Stand by. . . . Say again your position. This position you gave me is not correct, it places you in Hecate Strait. What is your position? Latitude? Longitude?"
Queen: "South of Sainty Point. Stand by for Lat/Long. And we are aground, our list is increasing, we need assistance immediately. . . . We're aground near Juan Point, Juan Point. Over. . . . We have 101 persons onboard the ship."
VTS: "Roger. Are you at Muster Stations?"
Queen: "Say again?"
VTS: "Are they proceeding to life rafts? Over."
Queen, at 28:26: "Yes, Traffic, we are proceeding to lifeboats and life rafts."
At 31:02 after breaking away to talk to possible rescue vessels, VTS asks for an update.
Queen: "Traffic, we've developed a slight starboard list here, I'd say about 12 degrees from my indication. Boats are getting readied. That's all I know right now. I believe they're setting pumps in the engine room."
In several quick exchanges, VTS confirms the correct location of the sinking ferry. Then, at 34:45, VTS broadcasts this chilling message over the marine channel: "Mayday, relay. Mayday, relay. Mayday, relay. All stations, all stations. This is Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio, Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio. Channel one-one. The ferry Queen of the North is reported running around just south of Sainty Point. Bearing one-zero-one degrees from Port Cummings. Requesting immediate assistance, taking on water, 101 persons onboard. Any vessels in the area able to respond contact Prince Rupert Coast Guard Radio channel one-six or Prince Rupert Traffic, channel one-one. Over."
In Hartley Bay, fishermen launch several small boats, arriving just in time to take aboard survivors found drifting in life rafts. Then, the Queen of the North tips up and sinks beneath the waves.
Investigation into tragedy
British Columbia Ferry Service Inc. describes this sequence of events that led to the sinking of the Queen of the North. The report lacks key details because two crew members have refused to testify.
1. Departure: The Queen of the North leaves Prince Rupert at 8 p.m. on March 21, 2006, headed for Port Hardy. There are 101 passengers and crew members on board.
2. The voyage south: The report states that music was clearly audible during routine radio telephone conversations between the ferry and Prince Rupert traffic services.
"To this point, the voyage had been uneventful and routine."
3. Confusion in the wheelhouse: After passing Sainty Point, the report states, the Quarter Master of the ship remembers making "one or possibly two small course alterations," as directed by the fourth officer. The Quarter Master is then ordered to switch the autopilot off, but the Quarter Master "stated not knowing where the switch was located."
4. Grounding off Gil Island: The Queen of the North strikes rocks off Gil Island at a speed of about 17.5 knots. The ferry is about one nautical mile (or 1.85 kilometres) off course. The ship's master is awoken and all watertight doors are ordered closed. The general alarm is sounded in both crew and passenger areas, and PA announcements are made instructing everyone to get onto the outer decks. Crew search all cabins and public spaces to account for all passengers. With lifejackets on, passengers and crew abandon ship.
5. Queen goes down: The ferry sinks, stern first. "As the ship sank, trapped air caused numerous windows on the passenger deck to explode outward, and a cloud of dust was formed at the scene."
SOURCE: TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, B.C. FERRIES
They’re pretty high on hopes for Rupert in Memphis
Prince Rupert, yes your ears are burning, they’re talking about you down south. Discussing, the progress of your gateway to the world and how they can use you to their advantage to make lots and lots of money.
Prince Rupert is the hot topic at the Memphis Multi Modal Conference, as a number of guest speakers explain how the Port of Prince Rupert is going to make their lives a lot more easier and perhaps a lot more profitable.
The Memphis Commercial appeal featured the conference on its website today.
Memphis ready to put Prince Rupert to work
New harbor in Canada will have large, immediate trade impact here
By Jane Roberts
Prince Rupert is the hot topic at the Memphis Multi Modal Conference, as a number of guest speakers explain how the Port of Prince Rupert is going to make their lives a lot more easier and perhaps a lot more profitable.
The Memphis Commercial appeal featured the conference on its website today.
Memphis ready to put Prince Rupert to work
New harbor in Canada will have large, immediate trade impact here
By Jane Roberts
Memphis Commercial Appeal
March 28, 2007
Dozens of importers and exporters are at The Peabody today, learning how to benefit from a new Canadian harbor that will shave days off trans-Pacific sail times and bring a windfall of trade to Memphis.
"It's a brand-new avenue of commerce, a brand-new option for moving containers as opposed to the traditional West Coast ports. It opens a world of possibility," said Carey Treadwell, president of the Memphis World Trade Club and organizer of the first Memphis Multi Modal Conference.
The conference, which opens at 8 a.m., focuses on ways for local businesses to increase the efficiency of their international operations through Prince Rupert, the new harbor opening in British Columbia this fall, and other efficiencies.
It includes a keynote address from Richard Newcomb, former director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department and current member of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz's international practice in Washington.
Panel discussions will focus on cargo security, ways to minimalize supply chain risk and the impact Prince Rupert will have on Canadian National and its operations here.
Canadian National railway has invested $140 million in port facilities in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, promising customers a shorter Pacific crossing and less congestion getting their goods to market in North America.
Its facility will open in October. Within six months, Canadian National expects it will be transferring 500,000 containers from ships docking in the warm-water port.
The uptick in Memphis will be nearly immediate. About a third of the containers will come directly to CN-CSX's intermodal yard at Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park in Southwest Memphis, providing business for air freight carriers, barge lines and trucking companies.
But it also will provide options for Memphis exporters and importers, Treadwell said, who suddenly will have access to Asia through the less-congested Canadian port.
"It will offer more choices to us. What's good for commerce, ultimately, is good for jobs," he said.
Prince Rupert is one of several transportation advantages smiling on Memphis. Another is the aerotropolis, the brainchild of John Kasarda, director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina, who says that the international trade centers of the future will be cities with tremendous access to air cargo and air transportation.
He cites Memphis as the best example in the United States.
"We had the secretary of Transportation here in November for the field hearings. We're not just letting that be the end of it," said Dexter Muller, senior vice president for community development at the Memphis Regional Chamber.
"We're following up on that, keeping the logistics agenda front and center."
Canadian National says Memphis is its most important U.S. city outside Chicago and is investing aggressively here, building a $35 million intermodal yard at Pidgeon Park and spending $100 million to enlarge its operation at nearby Johnston Yard.
Globalization is the driving force. Today, big-box retailers want to have enough inventory to stock several regional warehouses from a central logistics park, saving them time and money.
Mike Bruns, president of Comtrak Logistics here, moderates the opening panel discussion this morning on the impact Prince Rupert will have on Memphis.
"It is a wonderful alternative to the congestion and labor issues we have in the West Coast ports. "It will help Memphis carriers grow the import side of our business."
--Jane Roberts: 529-2512
Copyright 2007, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.
We'll be right back after this short commercial message, March 27
And they say that there's nothing good on television anymore!
What we have here is a failure to communicate.
What we have here is a failure to communicate.
Land for phase two on the port agenda
With the ever increasing interest in the potential for container facilities in Prince Rupert, the Port Authority is quickly getting on with the task of securing land and crossing all the regulatory and consultative bridges needed to get phase two of the Fairview Container project to the starting gate.
The Daily news features a front page story in Tuesday’s paper outlining the Port Authorities plans to have the province transfer thirty two hectares in order to begin the process of development of phase two.
Mindful of controversies that sprung up around the development of phase one, the Port is also beginning consultations with First Nations and commencing with the environmental review process.
The development of phase two is seen as a key in turning the port into a major shipping destination as it will increase the throughput of containers to markets across North America and to the Asian Pacific nations.
PORT EYEING LAND, ‘EAGER TO GET ON WITH PAHSE TWO’
Thirty two hectares owned by province could be transferred to the port’s hands
The Daily News
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Pages one and three
The Prince Rupert Port Authority has applied to acquire it will need to develop the second phase of the Fairview Container Terminal.
Earlier this month, the port announced it was making an application to the Integrated land Management Bureau to have the land transferred from the province to the port authority.
“It will give us the platform to complete “Phase 2,” said Shaun Stevenson, vice president, marketing and business development.
The port is seeking to change ownership for 32 hectares located south of the existing terminal.
Stevenson said the port has just about completed the engineering for Phase two of the development and has commenced the environmental review process as well as the First Nations consultation.
“Based on the feedback we have been getting, we are eager to get on with Phase 2,” he said.
The vision for the future is the expansion of the terminal to nearly triple the size of the facility to accommodate an annual capacity of two million containers in order to meet the demands of continued growth in Asia Pacific traffic trade.
The project would feature an extension of the wharf to 800 metres, maintaining a 17 metre minimum water depth, increasing the dock area to 165 acres, and doubling the number of super post-panamax cranes.
The expanded facility would have an on-site storage capacity of 25,000 TEU’s and accommodate the continued growth in regional export traffic anticipated to develop during the next decade.
In the meantime, the port is also working on the environmental assessment process for the new container examination facility on Ridley Island. The facility, which needs to be in place for Phase 1, will be operated by Quickload Terminals.
Last November, the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia awarded Quickload Terminals the contract to develop and operate a state-of-the-art container examination facility to serve the new container terminal. The fully secure facility will include 30,000 square feet of warehouse to examine Canadian Border Services Agency-targeted containers suspected of carrying contraband or other illegal materials.
The facility will be operated by up to 25 Quickload staff and 20 CBSA officers.
The Container Examination Facility (CEF) will be a pre-engineered steel warehouse and administrative building, and will be located on Ridley Island on federal lands under the jurisdictional authority of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. (PRPA)
The CEF facility may be expanded as container throughput increases within the Port of Prince Rupert.
The Daily news features a front page story in Tuesday’s paper outlining the Port Authorities plans to have the province transfer thirty two hectares in order to begin the process of development of phase two.
Mindful of controversies that sprung up around the development of phase one, the Port is also beginning consultations with First Nations and commencing with the environmental review process.
The development of phase two is seen as a key in turning the port into a major shipping destination as it will increase the throughput of containers to markets across North America and to the Asian Pacific nations.
PORT EYEING LAND, ‘EAGER TO GET ON WITH PAHSE TWO’
Thirty two hectares owned by province could be transferred to the port’s hands
The Daily News
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Pages one and three
The Prince Rupert Port Authority has applied to acquire it will need to develop the second phase of the Fairview Container Terminal.
Earlier this month, the port announced it was making an application to the Integrated land Management Bureau to have the land transferred from the province to the port authority.
“It will give us the platform to complete “Phase 2,” said Shaun Stevenson, vice president, marketing and business development.
The port is seeking to change ownership for 32 hectares located south of the existing terminal.
Stevenson said the port has just about completed the engineering for Phase two of the development and has commenced the environmental review process as well as the First Nations consultation.
“Based on the feedback we have been getting, we are eager to get on with Phase 2,” he said.
The vision for the future is the expansion of the terminal to nearly triple the size of the facility to accommodate an annual capacity of two million containers in order to meet the demands of continued growth in Asia Pacific traffic trade.
The project would feature an extension of the wharf to 800 metres, maintaining a 17 metre minimum water depth, increasing the dock area to 165 acres, and doubling the number of super post-panamax cranes.
The expanded facility would have an on-site storage capacity of 25,000 TEU’s and accommodate the continued growth in regional export traffic anticipated to develop during the next decade.
In the meantime, the port is also working on the environmental assessment process for the new container examination facility on Ridley Island. The facility, which needs to be in place for Phase 1, will be operated by Quickload Terminals.
Last November, the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia awarded Quickload Terminals the contract to develop and operate a state-of-the-art container examination facility to serve the new container terminal. The fully secure facility will include 30,000 square feet of warehouse to examine Canadian Border Services Agency-targeted containers suspected of carrying contraband or other illegal materials.
The facility will be operated by up to 25 Quickload staff and 20 CBSA officers.
The Container Examination Facility (CEF) will be a pre-engineered steel warehouse and administrative building, and will be located on Ridley Island on federal lands under the jurisdictional authority of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. (PRPA)
The CEF facility may be expanded as container throughput increases within the Port of Prince Rupert.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Onion goes to video, we may never read again!
It's one of the most popular websites on the Internet these days, its satirical look at life in the West a must watch for those that are getting rather afraid of reality.
Like the Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Saturday Night Live, the news as always is best delivered with a good measure of humour, lest we all just give up on life.
And now like all those giants of the video generation, The Onion has gone to video.
Appearing on its website are segments and clips from ONN, the Onion News Network.
Where journalism fails us, the comics shall step in to fill the void!
School district looks at social equity spending reductions next year
Some of the social equity programs that take place under the auspices of School District 52 may be cut next year as the School District tries to get control over the spending that goes with those programs.
Valuable programs such as a hot lunch initiative, after school activities and Study centres were created as funding from various government sources allowed, though inflation has eaten away at many of those plans. The other problem is that while the school population is shrinking as people move out of the region, a good portion of those that remain in town are still considered at risk, though the funding levels don’t reflect that status.
The Daily news provided an interesting look at these projects, the impact that they have on the community and the hard decisions that the School District will have to make.
It would be nice to see the provincial and federal governments take a more active interest in these kinds of initiatives, things that our MP’s and MLA’s should keep high on the priority list.
The schools are the logical place for these types of pro-active projects, which surely only help to make a difference in the young lives that they serve. It’s disheartening that the School District is facing this problem, perhaps with a bit of publicity and an equal amount of interest by the public, funding arrangements can be made to make sure that no cuts are deemed necessary.
Some uses for our tax dollars seem more sensible than others; this one surely falls into the category that goes “makes sense”.
CUPBOARD MAY BE TOO BARE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Pages one and three
After three years of careful spending to keep them alive, the school district may no longer be able to support some of the social equity initiatives it has paid for in the past.
The programs – under the banner of CommunityLINK (Learning Includes Nutrition and Knowledge) – will likely face some reduction for the next school year.
“To be able to provide the same level of service next year would be difficulty for us,” said Brian Kangas, superintendent of schools. “The surplus has been used up.”
The district has received $452,000 to help vulnerable children for a number of years through after-school nutritional and other support programs. However, it has been spending significantly more in the last few years to keep all the initiatives on the go and may have finally hit a brick wall.
“We have taken surpluses from prior years to keep the program running as it is,” said Trustee Brian Johnson. “We may be taking from Peter to pay Paul in order to allow the program to go on further in the future.”
The likely cuts have been several years in the making. In 2004, the grants were transferred from the Ministry of Children and Families to the Ministry of Education and it was announced that CommunityLINK funds would be shared equally among all districts., dropping the total disbursement to the school district to $325,000. When the possibility of food programs being eliminated surfaced, an outcry from school boards and the public led to not only the funding levels being maintained but increased and the same sized grant simply doesn’t cut it.
“We now provide meals, lunch and breakfasts in some places, to over 600 students and that’s basically in all our schools,” said Kangas. “We’ve been receiving $452,000 for a number of years, and of course that doesn’t buy the same support as it used to when we first received that money.
In, 1992 two schools, Conrad and Roosevelt park, were successful in obtaining funding that supported school lunch programs. Port Edward and Seal Cove elementary schools were approved the following year. Lunches were prepared through a local restaurant and delivered to the three Prince Rupert schools, while Port Edward lunches were prepared on site. Now, all lunches are prepared on site to conserve funds.
In 1994, Seal Cove and Roosevelt Park applied for “Inner City School” status and received funds to establish in-school support programs for vulnerable students.
At Roosevelt the “Opportunities Program” was created and at Seal Cove a “Study Centre” and ”After School Activities” program were initiated. These schools received the funding after demonstrating high levels of student vulnerability through the number of students in families living on social assistance and/or the number of children in care.
The programs have since been brought to other schools.
In 19995, Roosevelt also took part in the “Kids at Risk” pilot project to develop community school programs. In 1996, the school became a community school.
The total amount of funding from all these programs was $452,000 and that number hasn’t changed for a decade. Meanwhile, the district actually spent $593,485 on CommunityLINK programs. The extra funds have come from school district surpluses and parent and community group donations to the lunch programs. The extra cost comes from inflation as well as a district commitment to feed all hungry students at all schools rather than just the schools that were originally funded for the program. Local schools also hired two youth support workers and agreed to partially fund a First Nations Family resource Worker at each of the high schools. Because the surplus is gone, the CommunityLINK committee has recommended that they no longer fund the First Nations Resource Worker but continue to provide the extensive feeding and other programs.
Valuable programs such as a hot lunch initiative, after school activities and Study centres were created as funding from various government sources allowed, though inflation has eaten away at many of those plans. The other problem is that while the school population is shrinking as people move out of the region, a good portion of those that remain in town are still considered at risk, though the funding levels don’t reflect that status.
The Daily news provided an interesting look at these projects, the impact that they have on the community and the hard decisions that the School District will have to make.
It would be nice to see the provincial and federal governments take a more active interest in these kinds of initiatives, things that our MP’s and MLA’s should keep high on the priority list.
The schools are the logical place for these types of pro-active projects, which surely only help to make a difference in the young lives that they serve. It’s disheartening that the School District is facing this problem, perhaps with a bit of publicity and an equal amount of interest by the public, funding arrangements can be made to make sure that no cuts are deemed necessary.
Some uses for our tax dollars seem more sensible than others; this one surely falls into the category that goes “makes sense”.
CUPBOARD MAY BE TOO BARE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS
By James Vassallo
The Daily News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Pages one and three
After three years of careful spending to keep them alive, the school district may no longer be able to support some of the social equity initiatives it has paid for in the past.
The programs – under the banner of CommunityLINK (Learning Includes Nutrition and Knowledge) – will likely face some reduction for the next school year.
“To be able to provide the same level of service next year would be difficulty for us,” said Brian Kangas, superintendent of schools. “The surplus has been used up.”
The district has received $452,000 to help vulnerable children for a number of years through after-school nutritional and other support programs. However, it has been spending significantly more in the last few years to keep all the initiatives on the go and may have finally hit a brick wall.
“We have taken surpluses from prior years to keep the program running as it is,” said Trustee Brian Johnson. “We may be taking from Peter to pay Paul in order to allow the program to go on further in the future.”
The likely cuts have been several years in the making. In 2004, the grants were transferred from the Ministry of Children and Families to the Ministry of Education and it was announced that CommunityLINK funds would be shared equally among all districts., dropping the total disbursement to the school district to $325,000. When the possibility of food programs being eliminated surfaced, an outcry from school boards and the public led to not only the funding levels being maintained but increased and the same sized grant simply doesn’t cut it.
“We now provide meals, lunch and breakfasts in some places, to over 600 students and that’s basically in all our schools,” said Kangas. “We’ve been receiving $452,000 for a number of years, and of course that doesn’t buy the same support as it used to when we first received that money.
In, 1992 two schools, Conrad and Roosevelt park, were successful in obtaining funding that supported school lunch programs. Port Edward and Seal Cove elementary schools were approved the following year. Lunches were prepared through a local restaurant and delivered to the three Prince Rupert schools, while Port Edward lunches were prepared on site. Now, all lunches are prepared on site to conserve funds.
In 1994, Seal Cove and Roosevelt Park applied for “Inner City School” status and received funds to establish in-school support programs for vulnerable students.
At Roosevelt the “Opportunities Program” was created and at Seal Cove a “Study Centre” and ”After School Activities” program were initiated. These schools received the funding after demonstrating high levels of student vulnerability through the number of students in families living on social assistance and/or the number of children in care.
The programs have since been brought to other schools.
In 19995, Roosevelt also took part in the “Kids at Risk” pilot project to develop community school programs. In 1996, the school became a community school.
The total amount of funding from all these programs was $452,000 and that number hasn’t changed for a decade. Meanwhile, the district actually spent $593,485 on CommunityLINK programs. The extra funds have come from school district surpluses and parent and community group donations to the lunch programs. The extra cost comes from inflation as well as a district commitment to feed all hungry students at all schools rather than just the schools that were originally funded for the program. Local schools also hired two youth support workers and agreed to partially fund a First Nations Family resource Worker at each of the high schools. Because the surplus is gone, the CommunityLINK committee has recommended that they no longer fund the First Nations Resource Worker but continue to provide the extensive feeding and other programs.
Not everyone should give of their time to public service!
Peyton Manning was on Saturday Night Live this past weekend (March 24), in one of the funnier episodes in a long time for the NBC comedy show.
Here he's seen in a parody of all those public service PSA's that NFL icons (and other sports stars) make, this one,is a bit twisted but mocks Manning's image as the good guy of pro football.
It's a pretty good effort and shows that Manning doesn't take himself as seriously as some folks might think.
One thing to remember is, that no children were injured in the making of this skit...
Readin', Writin' and Rupertification in Prince George
Just back from the job fair circuit in Prince George, the Prince Rupert and Port Edward Economic Development Corporation is expecting good things to come as word spreads about the container port development on the North Coast.
The Daily News had details of the two days of Rupert indoctrination provided for the thirsty students of CNC and UNBC.
PG STUDENTS ARE STUDYING RUPERT
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Page one
Interest in Prince Rupert is high among post secondary students in Prince George.
That was the message received by Christopher Colussi, project manager at Prince Rupert and Port Edward Economic Development Corporation (PREDC) who attended job fairs held at the College of New Caldeonia and the University of Northern British Columbia on March 12 and 13.
“Our booth generated a lot of interest by students and faculty looking for employment opportunities and information on the community,” said Colussi.
“I met with many students who have studied the container port development in their classrooms and are aware of the opportunities that are coming. These students expressed interest in moving to Prince Rupert for employment because they are excited at what the future holds for both our city and the region.”
PREDC collected resumes from students and have placed them into a database at the Economic Development office. This database is available to local employers who are looking for potential employees.
Prince Rupert faces heavy competition for skilled and professional workers.
A report that outlines just how many workers Prince Rupert will need based on direct assessments of existing projects will be presented by Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest this Thursday at a Rotary Lunch meeting.
The Pacific Northwest Gateway Skills Initiative Inventory of Workforce Skills shows that not only does the North Coast labour have enough people to fill the jobs expected in the next several years, but that those in the labour force lack the skills necessary to fill all t hose positions.
Colussi noted it’s important to attend job fairs to try and attract students into the area, raise interest and gain exposure.
“The community must continue to be visible and raise awareness because opportunity is everywhere across Western Canada,” he said. “We’re receiving positive responses from graduating students because they have been exposed in the classroom to the opportunities in Prince Rupert and we must continue to present these opportunities every change we get.”
Also in Prince George, PREDC hosted a Rupert Night, where students from Prince Rupert were invited for an evening of bowling.
“Our main target is attracting our students back to the community when they complete their schooling,” said Colussi. “This is an event that allows us to communicate the happenings and opportunities going on in Prince Rupert in a fun and informal manner.”
To view the resume database or for further information contact Colussi at 627-5138.
For more information on the Pacific Northwest Gateway Skills Initiative Inventory of Workforce Skills, contact Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest.
The Daily News had details of the two days of Rupert indoctrination provided for the thirsty students of CNC and UNBC.
PG STUDENTS ARE STUDYING RUPERT
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Page one
Interest in Prince Rupert is high among post secondary students in Prince George.
That was the message received by Christopher Colussi, project manager at Prince Rupert and Port Edward Economic Development Corporation (PREDC) who attended job fairs held at the College of New Caldeonia and the University of Northern British Columbia on March 12 and 13.
“Our booth generated a lot of interest by students and faculty looking for employment opportunities and information on the community,” said Colussi.
“I met with many students who have studied the container port development in their classrooms and are aware of the opportunities that are coming. These students expressed interest in moving to Prince Rupert for employment because they are excited at what the future holds for both our city and the region.”
PREDC collected resumes from students and have placed them into a database at the Economic Development office. This database is available to local employers who are looking for potential employees.
Prince Rupert faces heavy competition for skilled and professional workers.
A report that outlines just how many workers Prince Rupert will need based on direct assessments of existing projects will be presented by Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest this Thursday at a Rotary Lunch meeting.
The Pacific Northwest Gateway Skills Initiative Inventory of Workforce Skills shows that not only does the North Coast labour have enough people to fill the jobs expected in the next several years, but that those in the labour force lack the skills necessary to fill all t hose positions.
Colussi noted it’s important to attend job fairs to try and attract students into the area, raise interest and gain exposure.
“The community must continue to be visible and raise awareness because opportunity is everywhere across Western Canada,” he said. “We’re receiving positive responses from graduating students because they have been exposed in the classroom to the opportunities in Prince Rupert and we must continue to present these opportunities every change we get.”
Also in Prince George, PREDC hosted a Rupert Night, where students from Prince Rupert were invited for an evening of bowling.
“Our main target is attracting our students back to the community when they complete their schooling,” said Colussi. “This is an event that allows us to communicate the happenings and opportunities going on in Prince Rupert in a fun and informal manner.”
To view the resume database or for further information contact Colussi at 627-5138.
For more information on the Pacific Northwest Gateway Skills Initiative Inventory of Workforce Skills, contact Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest.
We'll be right back after this short commercial message, March 26
With the nation's lottery ticket sellers now under a more watchful eye, we wonder if "Mark" will be quite as quick to repeat his name so many times to the would be lotto winner...
Nobody wins if you don't buy a ticket
Nobody wins if you don't buy a ticket
Tales of the dangerous world of the Waterfront!
The first container hasn’t even arrived at Fairview and already they’re talking crime and security
A Senate Committee into the state of Canada’s ports is calling for a more proactive approach to security on the waterfronts of the nations cities. The Senate security and Defence Committee found some critical flaws in the nation’s port safety and security measures.
The Senators pointed to problems with organized crime on the waterfront and the potential for terrorists to take advantage of soft spots in the nation’s security net.
The Daily News featured the Senator’s concerns as their front page story in Monday’s paper.
DO NOT ALLOW PORTS TO BE THE NEXT 9/11, SAY SENATORS
Committee urges better security at nation’s container handling facilities
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Pages one and three
A Senate committee says Canada’s ports need tougher screening for containers moving through the country in order to prevent terrorists from using them as a way to get weapons into the country.
On Thursday, the Senate security and defence committee criticized the government for failing to address holes in the port safety net and the failure to scrutinize the four million containers that arrive annually by sea, almost one-third of them en route to the United States.
“Crime has always been connected to the waterfront in most countries – to the point that so long as all parties are making good money at our ports, crime is all too often shrugged off as the cost of doing business,” said the committee.
“It is no secret Canada’s ports are riddled with organized crime and nobody seems to be doing much about it. The problem with widespread criminality, of course, is that it requires holes in the security system to be successful. And any holes that a criminal can take advantage of, a terrorist can take advantage of.
The committee outlines in the report how advances are being made in some foreign ports in developing comprehensive systems for scanning containers.
Hutchison Port Holdings, the world’s largest handler of containers has a new system in Hong Kong that is 99 per cent secure. The company has developed system that scans containers moving onto ships at a rate of 16 kilometres an hour. And this scanning adds only one per cent to shipping costs/
Yet Canada’s system is “hit or miss” they said.
They note the Canadian Border Services Agency has just 15 Vehicle and Cargo Inspection Systems (VACIS) to deal with 4.1 million containers entering the country each year.
The machines use non-invasion imaging technology- using gamma rays – to look inside containers.
“The committee has learned that even the United States cannot VACIS 100 per cent of incoming cargo, even though the average American border port has three times the number of staff that a Canadian one does.”
In addition, the committee learned that on any given ship there can be up to a half-dozen undeclared containers or ghost cans, no one knows where they came from or what is inside and half the time they are not empty.
It is the committee’s belief that would be terrorist often succeed through the use of the element of surprise, as they did on Sept. 11, 2001. That means alternatives will be sought to wreaking havoc in the air,” they said.
“Shipping containers offer an obvious alternative to bringing terror to the North America target.
Yet no comprehensive system has as of yet have been proposed for Canada.
“It should be.”
A Senate Committee into the state of Canada’s ports is calling for a more proactive approach to security on the waterfronts of the nations cities. The Senate security and Defence Committee found some critical flaws in the nation’s port safety and security measures.
The Senators pointed to problems with organized crime on the waterfront and the potential for terrorists to take advantage of soft spots in the nation’s security net.
The Daily News featured the Senator’s concerns as their front page story in Monday’s paper.
DO NOT ALLOW PORTS TO BE THE NEXT 9/11, SAY SENATORS
Committee urges better security at nation’s container handling facilities
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Pages one and three
A Senate committee says Canada’s ports need tougher screening for containers moving through the country in order to prevent terrorists from using them as a way to get weapons into the country.
On Thursday, the Senate security and defence committee criticized the government for failing to address holes in the port safety net and the failure to scrutinize the four million containers that arrive annually by sea, almost one-third of them en route to the United States.
“Crime has always been connected to the waterfront in most countries – to the point that so long as all parties are making good money at our ports, crime is all too often shrugged off as the cost of doing business,” said the committee.
“It is no secret Canada’s ports are riddled with organized crime and nobody seems to be doing much about it. The problem with widespread criminality, of course, is that it requires holes in the security system to be successful. And any holes that a criminal can take advantage of, a terrorist can take advantage of.
The committee outlines in the report how advances are being made in some foreign ports in developing comprehensive systems for scanning containers.
Hutchison Port Holdings, the world’s largest handler of containers has a new system in Hong Kong that is 99 per cent secure. The company has developed system that scans containers moving onto ships at a rate of 16 kilometres an hour. And this scanning adds only one per cent to shipping costs/
Yet Canada’s system is “hit or miss” they said.
They note the Canadian Border Services Agency has just 15 Vehicle and Cargo Inspection Systems (VACIS) to deal with 4.1 million containers entering the country each year.
The machines use non-invasion imaging technology- using gamma rays – to look inside containers.
“The committee has learned that even the United States cannot VACIS 100 per cent of incoming cargo, even though the average American border port has three times the number of staff that a Canadian one does.”
In addition, the committee learned that on any given ship there can be up to a half-dozen undeclared containers or ghost cans, no one knows where they came from or what is inside and half the time they are not empty.
It is the committee’s belief that would be terrorist often succeed through the use of the element of surprise, as they did on Sept. 11, 2001. That means alternatives will be sought to wreaking havoc in the air,” they said.
“Shipping containers offer an obvious alternative to bringing terror to the North America target.
Yet no comprehensive system has as of yet have been proposed for Canada.
“It should be.”
Human Error
"The ship never altered course at all. It never changed its speed; it just ran ahead into Gil Island."
“There’s nothing to indicate they ever tried anything. It’s just human error."
“There’s nothing to indicate they ever tried anything. It’s just human error."
Those two quotes from BC Ferries CEO David Hahn, sums up the basic finding of the review, the ship just kept plowing through the waters of coastal BC, on its way to tragedy.
The review is not a full examination of events, with information on the fourteen minutes prior to the crash into Gil Island left unknown, as those officers involved on watch that night refused to provide any information to the reviews author. A key piece of the puzzle that needs to be known, but so far has not been provided in public testimony or explanation.
The internal review was conducted by BC Ferries shortly after the ill fated vessel sank to the bottom off the Island, the report was released on Monday, a twenty eight page document that outlines as best the Ferry Corporation could, the events that led to the sinking of the Queen of the North on March 22, 2006.
The internal review was conducted by BC Ferries shortly after the ill fated vessel sank to the bottom off the Island, the report was released on Monday, a twenty eight page document that outlines as best the Ferry Corporation could, the events that led to the sinking of the Queen of the North on March 22, 2006.
The Victoria Times-Colonist examined the report and found that there were many questions left unanswered about that night in the waters off of Gil Island
What does come across in the BC Ferries review is a complete lack of awareness of the ships position as it sailed to its destiny, or the danger it was sailing into until it was far too late to change course.
The report is but one piece of a long process, with the next much anticipated document to come being the Transportation Safety Board report which is still being compiled by the federal government department.
It’s not known if the watch officers have co-operated with that board of inquiry or not, but one thing seems certain, there will be no sense of closure to this tragic event, until those on watch that night explain fully what happened and how a normally routine course of affairs turned so horribly wrong.
Not far in the back of any passengers mind will be a sense of confidence in the Ferries that sail the coastal waters, a pact that will always be suspect until the truth comes out and British Columbians have the full story on those events that led to tragedy in the early morning hours off of Gil Island.
Ferry report puts blame on crew for sinking
But company's report leaves key question unanswered: Why?
Times Colonist
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The fourth officer on the bridge of the Queen of the North failed to alter course, and the quartermaster at the helm couldn’t find the switch to turn off autopilot before the ferry crashed and sank, a B.C. Ferries’ investigation has found.
What does come across in the BC Ferries review is a complete lack of awareness of the ships position as it sailed to its destiny, or the danger it was sailing into until it was far too late to change course.
The report is but one piece of a long process, with the next much anticipated document to come being the Transportation Safety Board report which is still being compiled by the federal government department.
It’s not known if the watch officers have co-operated with that board of inquiry or not, but one thing seems certain, there will be no sense of closure to this tragic event, until those on watch that night explain fully what happened and how a normally routine course of affairs turned so horribly wrong.
Not far in the back of any passengers mind will be a sense of confidence in the Ferries that sail the coastal waters, a pact that will always be suspect until the truth comes out and British Columbians have the full story on those events that led to tragedy in the early morning hours off of Gil Island.
Ferry report puts blame on crew for sinking
But company's report leaves key question unanswered: Why?
Times Colonist
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The fourth officer on the bridge of the Queen of the North failed to alter course, and the quartermaster at the helm couldn’t find the switch to turn off autopilot before the ferry crashed and sank, a B.C. Ferries’ investigation has found.
But the long-awaited probe that promised blunt answers doesn’t answer the most critical question of all. Why?
“Human factors were the primary cause of the sinking of the Queen of the North,” according to the report, which was released on Monday.
“The ship never altered course at all. It never changed its speed, it just ran ahead into Gil Island,” B.C. Ferries’ president David Hahn said Monday. “There’s nothing to indicate they ever tried anything. It’s just human error.”
The Queen of the North sank after it collided with Gil Island on March 22, 2006, during its route from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. Ninety-nine passengers and crew were rescued; two passengers have never been found.
The report sheds some light on what happened on the bridge of the ferry that night, blaming three crew members - the second officer, the fourth officer and the quartermaster - for the vessel going off course, but if offers no explanation as to why the mistake occurred. It does, however, discard the idea that confusion over how to use new bridge equipment installed just a month prior to the crash had anything to do with the cause.
And, in an interview, Hahn poured cold water over the idea that the fourth officer and the quartermaster were distracted because they were engaged in sexual activities on the bridge. The two had a previous romantic relationship.
“Anything is possible but I don’t believe it,” Hahn said. “There were too many senior people from management aboard the vessel that could show up at any time. I’ve never felt that was an issue.
“But why they weren’t paying attention, I don’t know,” Hahn said.
The B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union would not comment on the report, instead waiting for the release of the Transportation Safety Board’s report, which isn’t due for several months.
The fourth officer, second officer, and the quartermaster aren’t identified in B.C. Ferries’ report, but are named in court documents filed by passengers suing B.C. Ferries.
The fourth officer, second officer, and the quartermaster aren’t identified in B.C. Ferries’ report, but are named in court documents filed by passengers suing B.C. Ferries.
Fourth officer Karl Lilgert and quartermaster Karen Bricker were on the bridge when the ferry crashed. Second officer Keven Hilton left for a meal break prior to the ferry exiting Grenville Channel at Sainty Point.
The report says the officers refused to provide information about what transpired during a crucial 14 minutes prior to the vessel’s crash into Gil Island at 12:22 a.m. Up until 12:08 a.m., the voyage was routine.
The report concludes the doomed ferry went down shortly after midnight partly because Lilgert, who had control of the ship from Sainty Point, “failed to make a necessary course alteration or verify such alteration was made.”
The report also concludes the navigational watch failed to maintain a “proper lookout.” Those who were on lookout maintained a “casual watch-standing behaviour,” investigators determined, partly because music could be heard playing on the bridge during radio calls.
Just before the crash, Lilgert screamed at Bricker, who was at the helm, to make a bold course correction - a 109-degree turn - and to switch off the autopilot. But she “stated not knowing where the switch was located.”
B.C. Ferries’ report questions the validity of this evidence “as the autopilot disengages simply with a single switch and would have been operated numerous times by the [helmswoman].”
However, the report states the master did find it necessary to post a note for navigational crew on how to operate the autopilot.
Evidence was given that Bricker didn’t know the location of the ship when she took over as lookout - or that the ferry was about to crash until she saw trees.
She said she was asked to make only one, maybe two small course changes as directed by Lilgert after she started her shift.
Creating even more questions, after the crash the helmswoman left the bridge to call for help and reported hearing Lilgert tell Hilton: “I’m so sorry, I was trying to go around a fishing boat.”
An earlier safety board advisory said bridge crew were confused about how to use a new steering mode selector switch — that amongst other things controls whether the ship is on autopilot or manual steering — installed in a retrofit in February 2006.
But B.C. Ferries’ report concludes bridge crew working the night of the disaster “chose” to use the newly installed steering controls in a way “different” than instructed. “This choice does not appear to have been causative of the grounding,” it concludes.
With files from CanWest News Service and The Canadian Press
© Times Colonist
Monday, March 26, 2007
Mario Dumont: Flash in the pan or Political fixture?
Autonomy, it is the favourite word in the lexicon of Mario Dumont, an eight letter word that in Quebec, apparently means one thing to one person and something rather different to another.
Not as garish as the words Independentiste or Sovereigntist, which were the words of choice for the Parti Quebecois, but rather a kinder, gentler word that won’t scare the nice folks west of the Ottawa River and due south and east of the New Brunswick border.
Mario Dumont, is the flavour of politics in Quebec today, his Action Democratique Party came up the middle as they say, to slice a fair amount of support from the more hard line platform of the Parti Quebecois and totally decimate a fair swath of Liberal support in all but the safest of Liberal ridings.
Dumont’s star began to rise in the last Quebec election, his rather young movement gaining but five seats, but thrusting him into the spotlight in the province offering up a more palatable platform to the middle class and young Quebec voters, turned off by the ancient rites and arguments of the established Liberals and PQ.
Monday night five, became 41 (at last count) a rather remarkable surge of support and effectively changing the landscape and dynamic of Quebec politics for the short term, leaving Jean Charest clinging to power in a minority government situation with little territory in which to mine for further support.
Dumont’s ADQ found success in almost all corners of the province, they took seats in the urban ridings in Quebec City and Montreal, as well as in both suburban and rural areas, as the normally polarized voting patterns of PQ and Liberals broke down, sending voters to choose the third option, one which perhaps they knew very little about, but one that provided that always desired opportunity to send a message.
The Premier, Jean Charest barely claimed his own seat in Sherbrooke, having fought a nerve wracking battle all night with his PQ competitor, who briefly believed that he had slayed a dragon, only to see Charest rebound enough to reclaim his own seat, but just barely.
His political near death experience (and many say he's now a dead man walking), is indicative of the trouble his party had across the province with only the relatively federalist ridings in West Montreal and the Outaouais (Western Quebec) giving him any sense of security. Everywhere else, it was a Wild West shoot out between three sides, with the ADQ normally finishing atop the pile in most cases.
While the Liberals featured the most prevalent of the long faces on Monday, some of that stage was put aside for members of the Parti Quebecois, led by Andre Boisclair. His party could not capitalize on a struggling and unpopular government’s misery, as past sins of the PQ, tied to a rather stubborn determination to once again subject Quebec to a sovereignty referendum seemed to put his party out to pasture for this election. Relegated to a close but third status in the electoral tallies with five less seats than the ADQ's 41, the PQ was faced with its lowest popular vote in almost forty years at 28%, while the ADQ attracted 31 % with the Liberal's clinging to 33% of the love.
Not as garish as the words Independentiste or Sovereigntist, which were the words of choice for the Parti Quebecois, but rather a kinder, gentler word that won’t scare the nice folks west of the Ottawa River and due south and east of the New Brunswick border.
Mario Dumont, is the flavour of politics in Quebec today, his Action Democratique Party came up the middle as they say, to slice a fair amount of support from the more hard line platform of the Parti Quebecois and totally decimate a fair swath of Liberal support in all but the safest of Liberal ridings.
Dumont’s star began to rise in the last Quebec election, his rather young movement gaining but five seats, but thrusting him into the spotlight in the province offering up a more palatable platform to the middle class and young Quebec voters, turned off by the ancient rites and arguments of the established Liberals and PQ.
Monday night five, became 41 (at last count) a rather remarkable surge of support and effectively changing the landscape and dynamic of Quebec politics for the short term, leaving Jean Charest clinging to power in a minority government situation with little territory in which to mine for further support.
Dumont’s ADQ found success in almost all corners of the province, they took seats in the urban ridings in Quebec City and Montreal, as well as in both suburban and rural areas, as the normally polarized voting patterns of PQ and Liberals broke down, sending voters to choose the third option, one which perhaps they knew very little about, but one that provided that always desired opportunity to send a message.
The Premier, Jean Charest barely claimed his own seat in Sherbrooke, having fought a nerve wracking battle all night with his PQ competitor, who briefly believed that he had slayed a dragon, only to see Charest rebound enough to reclaim his own seat, but just barely.
His political near death experience (and many say he's now a dead man walking), is indicative of the trouble his party had across the province with only the relatively federalist ridings in West Montreal and the Outaouais (Western Quebec) giving him any sense of security. Everywhere else, it was a Wild West shoot out between three sides, with the ADQ normally finishing atop the pile in most cases.
While the Liberals featured the most prevalent of the long faces on Monday, some of that stage was put aside for members of the Parti Quebecois, led by Andre Boisclair. His party could not capitalize on a struggling and unpopular government’s misery, as past sins of the PQ, tied to a rather stubborn determination to once again subject Quebec to a sovereignty referendum seemed to put his party out to pasture for this election. Relegated to a close but third status in the electoral tallies with five less seats than the ADQ's 41, the PQ was faced with its lowest popular vote in almost forty years at 28%, while the ADQ attracted 31 % with the Liberal's clinging to 33% of the love.
The talking heads on the night were proclaiming that the results Monday would give the province a break from any talk of referendums for the time being, perhaps what the Quebec voter really wanted after all.
Yet with Dumont, no one really is sure where the path will lead. He talks frequently of autonomy, suggests that he is in step with the current thoughts of the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but how far that autonomy goes never really gets fleshed out.
With opposition status, Dumont’s image will rise and with more attention to his policies and political direction. How he handles his new found power and prestige and how fast he can bring along a rather large group of relative newcomers to politics will tell us all what he’s all about.
So far he’s been rather a closed book, we get snippets and teases of where he has come from and where he may wish to go, but all of it was tempered with the realization that a party with no more than five members of the legislature, wasn’t going to have much of an effect at the end of the day.
Now, with over 40 members and status as the official opposition his message will get a much more serious hearing. Subject to the always investigative Quebec press, which shows no mercy and suffers neither fools nor political mis-steps.
Perhaps now we can learn more about what it is that Dumont and ADQ believe in, where they envisage the province (and by design that country it currently rests in Canada) goes under their direction and perhaps even just what that word autonomy really means and how far it really goes.
How he works his new found fame will go a long way in telling us if Quebec has indeed had a major shift in the way politics works in the province.
A good number of Quebec voters have parked their loyalties and hopes with the young ADQ leader; how he tackles his upcoming challenges will surely tell us if he’s going to be a long term possibility or like past ghosts of their day, just a comet in the Quebec political skies destined to burn bright for a short period of time before going dark.
Six More Years!
That familiar theme will continue to play over the airwaves of Canada's National Network.
The Globe and Mail is reporting today, that the CBC and the NHL have agreed to a new contract which will see the most popular show the CBC has remain on the air for six more years.
For Hockey fans all is right in the Great White North for a little bit longer!
Now if we could just convince the CBC that there are other teams playing on Saturday nights, besides those constantly on display teams from Toronto and Calgary!
CBC to keep 'Hockey Night in Canada'
WILLIAM HOUSTON
Globe and Mail Update
The CBC and National Hockey League will announce a new television agreement today that will keep Hockey Night In Canada on the air well past the 2007-08 season.
The Globe and Mail has learned that the new rights is worth about $100-million a year, an increase from the $65-million that the CBC is now paying the NHL.
The rights deal is believed to be six years in length. It will begin when the current agreement expires after the 2007-08 season.
The CBC will continue to air the regular season Saturday night games and most of the playoff series involving Canadian teams.
Although the league's national cable agreement with TSN has yet to be announced, sources say the sports channel will increase its content and will also receive a share of the playoff coverage involving Canadian teams.
Later this week, the league is expected to announce a two-year rights extension with NBC, starting next season. In that deal, the NBC will be given a flexible schedule similar to the network's National Football League schedule. The "flex schedule" allows a network, two weeks in advance, to choose among several games for a particular time slot.
***The above post first appeared in my HockeyNation blog, for more items about hockey check it out!***
What do you do when you catch a thief? In Ontario, you apparently give them more money!
The sudden and apparently forced resignation of Duncan Brown, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Lottery Commission has sounded alarm bells in the province, louder than any casino winning jackpot ever could.
Brown’s resignation was announced on Sunday, in part to try and get a handle on the boiling pot of controversy that is surrounding that province’s lottery commission.
The resignation Sunday was followed on Monday by a scathing report by the province’s ombudsman, Andre Marin, who has been studying the province’s lottery system ever since the CBC's Fifth Estate exposed corruption at the retailer level.
Marin discovered in his report, a form of the old don’t ask, don’t tell theory of government involvement at the Commission, when he discovered that millions of dollars have been paid out to dishonest retailers and that OLG did little to crack down on the problem.
Brown’s resignation was announced on Sunday, in part to try and get a handle on the boiling pot of controversy that is surrounding that province’s lottery commission.
The resignation Sunday was followed on Monday by a scathing report by the province’s ombudsman, Andre Marin, who has been studying the province’s lottery system ever since the CBC's Fifth Estate exposed corruption at the retailer level.
Marin discovered in his report, a form of the old don’t ask, don’t tell theory of government involvement at the Commission, when he discovered that millions of dollars have been paid out to dishonest retailers and that OLG did little to crack down on the problem.
Instead of suspending the retailers or pursuing criminal charges, the Commission instead retreated to the back room in order to count the take and skim for their needs.
It’s an issue that is threatening to undermine the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty, hence the quick dismissal of the Commissioner and vows to make sure all is on the up and up in the legalized gaming industry.
Perhaps some can remember the days of organized crime running the numbers games, at least then the rules were pretty clear, you won or you lost and you always paid up.
Of course we’ll never know if the house then paid out, since there was no one to watch over the interests of the gambler, but then again it apparently isn’t much different today in Ontario now is it?
There are reports that tens of millions of dollars have been paid out in suspicious circumstances by the Lottery commission, monies provided to the same retailer network, which investigators suspect of deceiving customers and cashing in their “losing” tickets.
One commission employee, who found some discrepancies in the retailer network and their sudden streak of good fortune was told by senior officials that: “sometimes you hold your nose.”
A quote that somehow we suspect will come back into play during the next Ontario election.
Most Canadians are used to the house winning, it’s a nature of the pursuit, but when the folks that work around the house are the ones picking up the riches and not the folks spending the dollars, then suddenly the lambs get a little tired of getting fleeced.
History is written by those with the best animators!
While wandering along the video portals of the You Tube universe over the weekend, I stumbled across this interpretation of one of the great battles of Saladin.
It’s the product of a Malaysian animation studio and no doubt number one for viewing in Tehran and most environs Middle East.
With all the various You Tube presentations that end up getting banned in a number of countries, somehow we suspect that this one makes it by the Internet police of the Revolutionary Guard.
We'll be right back after this short commercial message, March 25
On a quiet Sunday drive in the German countryside, suddenly....
Everybody needs a little pick me up once and a while!
Everybody needs a little pick me up once and a while!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Northern Health Waits for release of Cancer clinic report.
Northern health is patiently waiting for a report to be publicly released, outlining the future for Cancer care in the north. Plans which it is hoped will ultimately provide for a cancer clinic to be constructed in Prince George.
The Opinion 250 website has a story on the issue with a discussion with the head of Northern health Jeff Burghardt, who along with Dr. Charles Jago, co-authored the report delivered to the Premier last July.
It's a bit puzzling as to why it would take so long from the time a report is handed in for consideration, to when it is released to the public. Delays such as this, seem to be part of the problem with health care in British Columbia.
A delay of almost a year between a report and any indication of action, is too much and only goes to reaffirm the stereotype of a bloated bureaucracy that can't seem to move to action with any sense of urgency.
In the opinion 250 piece, Burghardt expresses a wish for the reports release soon and an opportunity to move the goal of cancer care in the north further along. Northern residents can only share in his wishes and perhaps a hope that somebody reads his report soon and lets us all know what the official verdict will be.
Head of Northern Health Wants to Know About PG Cancer Clinic Too
By 250 News
Sunday, March 25, 2007 03:53 AM
The head of the Northern Health Authority says he is hoping the report on a Cancer Clinic in Prince George is released soon.
In the meantime, Jeff Burghardt says Northern Health would like to see 8 or 9 locations where the doctors would see the cancer patients and then have them come to Prince George where perhaps as many as 5 or 6 oncologists would be available for the patient to see and receive radiation therapy or surgery.
In that way he said "As you build a confidence with the patient, they would want to be referred to a cancer clinic in this city. Rather than traveling to places such as Vancouver or Edmonton. When you build up a relationship with the doctor and the patient that will go a long way to where the treatment will be sought."
Burghardt knows it won't happen overnight "I don’t expect we will have a cancer clinic tomorrow, we have to get the people and the services needed for such a facility in place first."
Burghardt says there is work being done " We are moving towards having more oncologists here in this city in the immediate future, and that along with nurses trained in the field will make the construction of a clinic much easier."
Burghardt and Dr. Charles Jago co-authored the report which was delivered to the Premier last July.
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2007 03:53 AM in News by 250 News
The Opinion 250 website has a story on the issue with a discussion with the head of Northern health Jeff Burghardt, who along with Dr. Charles Jago, co-authored the report delivered to the Premier last July.
It's a bit puzzling as to why it would take so long from the time a report is handed in for consideration, to when it is released to the public. Delays such as this, seem to be part of the problem with health care in British Columbia.
A delay of almost a year between a report and any indication of action, is too much and only goes to reaffirm the stereotype of a bloated bureaucracy that can't seem to move to action with any sense of urgency.
In the opinion 250 piece, Burghardt expresses a wish for the reports release soon and an opportunity to move the goal of cancer care in the north further along. Northern residents can only share in his wishes and perhaps a hope that somebody reads his report soon and lets us all know what the official verdict will be.
Head of Northern Health Wants to Know About PG Cancer Clinic Too
By 250 News
Sunday, March 25, 2007 03:53 AM
The head of the Northern Health Authority says he is hoping the report on a Cancer Clinic in Prince George is released soon.
In the meantime, Jeff Burghardt says Northern Health would like to see 8 or 9 locations where the doctors would see the cancer patients and then have them come to Prince George where perhaps as many as 5 or 6 oncologists would be available for the patient to see and receive radiation therapy or surgery.
In that way he said "As you build a confidence with the patient, they would want to be referred to a cancer clinic in this city. Rather than traveling to places such as Vancouver or Edmonton. When you build up a relationship with the doctor and the patient that will go a long way to where the treatment will be sought."
Burghardt knows it won't happen overnight "I don’t expect we will have a cancer clinic tomorrow, we have to get the people and the services needed for such a facility in place first."
Burghardt says there is work being done " We are moving towards having more oncologists here in this city in the immediate future, and that along with nurses trained in the field will make the construction of a clinic much easier."
Burghardt and Dr. Charles Jago co-authored the report which was delivered to the Premier last July.
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2007 03:53 AM in News by 250 News
Missing passengers remembered at Gil Island
Relatives and friends gathered Saturday, on the isolated island that claimed the Queen of the North one year ago, as a memorial service was conducted to remember Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette.
The Canadian Press provided coverage of the ceremony, seen here from the CTV website.
Memorial held for B.C. ferry's missing passengers
Updated Sat. Mar. 24 2007 11:49 PM ET
Canadian Press
The Canadian Press provided coverage of the ceremony, seen here from the CTV website.
Memorial held for B.C. ferry's missing passengers
Updated Sat. Mar. 24 2007 11:49 PM ET
Canadian Press
HARTLEY BAY, B.C. -- A year after the sinking of B.C.'s Queen of the North ferry, about 100 people gathered Saturday for a memorial ceremony to remember two missing passengers.
Relatives and friends of Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette went by boat to where the vessel went down about 100 kilometres south of Prince Rupert, B.C.
The couple, from Prince George, B.C., were recalled in an afternoon ceremony that took place in the nearby Gitga'at First Nation village of Hartley Bay, whose residents sped to the rescue on March 22, 2006.
Ninety-nine passengers and crew were plucked from lifeboats and rafts that night, with Foisy and Rosette the only two never found.
Those attending the ceremony Saturday were picked up by two small chartered ferries in Prince Rupert and taken to the memorial site - a stretch of rocky shore on Gil Island where the ferry first hit.
Marven Robinson of the Gitga'at First Nation trailed along the vessels in a small fishing boat, with the intention of taking the passengers to the island where two iron crosses have been erected.
In the end, the waters were too choppy to take the risk.
"The waves were just too much," Robinson said in an interview.
"There might be another time. We left the invite that they can return to the village. . .when the weather is not so unpredictable."
Robinson said two younger men, who he believed were immediate family of the victims, managed to get off the ferry to lay a wreath around each cross.
He said prayers were read from the boat and many people were crying when they reached the site.
"I think this will add closure to the whole accident," he said. "But it's still not final. It would have been really nice to get those two people back. That would have finally added closure."
Once on shore, the visitors were welcomed into the village's community centre and given a special dinner and a performance by traditional dancers.
Mona Danes, who helped organize the welcoming ceremony and the meal, said she hugged every visitor who came through the doors.
"We'll always have a bond, knowing that their families are out here in our area," she said. "As they were leaving and I was hugging everyone, one of Gerald Foisy's brothers said he was glad they had a home here in Hartley Bay."
An internal probe of the sinking is expected to be released early next week.
B.C. Ferries president David Hahn said the report will examine the facts involved in the disaster without categorically establishing what happened.
A battery of investigations is trying to discover why the ship, which travelled B.C. North Coast's Inside Passage since 1980, missed a routine course change exiting Grenville Channel.
Rosette and Foisy are likely entombed on the Queen but the couple remain officially listed as missing until the RCMP finish their investigation.
In November, Rosette's sons filed a petition in B.C.'s Supreme Court asking the RCMP to give them their notes on the search for the couples' bodies.
In order to collect benefits, the family is required to present a death certificate to officially declare Rosette deceased.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
