Know it now
PRINCE GEORGE – The BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities is raising the profile of the north’s elusive Kermode bear by putting its image at the centre of its 2006 fundraising campaign. Artists from around the province, working with sponsoring organizations, have painted 200 fiberglass Kermode bears with a wide range of themes. These “spirit bears” will be displayed in at least 10 communities around the province, including Prince George, Kitimat, Prince Rupert and Terrace, before being auctioned off in October online and at a fundraising gala.
NORTH – Several Northern BC residents were recognized for outstanding contributions to their communities by the BC Achievement Foundation. Award recipients include Noreen Rustad, Tom & Jean Leboe and John Brink of Prince George, Edmond Wright of New Aiyansh, John Ryan of Terrace, Jim Terrion Jr. of Prince Rupert, Alvina Berggren of Fort Nelson and Marce Fofonoff of Chetwynd.
NORTH – The BC Forest Practices Board has given a nod of approval to provincial forest companies. In a report released in April, the Board concluded that the companies have achieved free-to-grow targets for 92 per cent of logged cut-blocks—an improvement over findings in 2003.
QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS – The president of the Council of the Haida Nation is registering his concerns about Enbridge Inc.’s $4-billion Gateway pipeline project. In April, Guujaaw told The Globe and Mail that each passing oil tanker (which could be as many as 156 per year) poses risks for the marine environment. “And that risk is not borne by people in Calgary, but by people on the coast,” he told the newspaper. A January poll of British Columbians by the Mustel Group also showed that three of four respondents supported a ban on oil tankers in BC’s coastal waters.
SMITHERS – A cougar orphaned as a kitten during the 2003 summer wildfires in Kelowna has found a powerful ally against a bureaucratic process that would have her put down for lack of appropriate housing: the Prince George Cougars. The wild cat, which was taken in by the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers, faces death if the shelter can’t raise, in two months, the $22,000 for a cougar-worthy enclosure needed to house her. In May, the Prince George Hockey team threw their support behind the cause, promising to raise $2,000 for her. As of early May, almost $6,000 had already been found.
PRINCE RUPERT – The Northern Development Trust will contribute $20,000 towards a $73,000 assessment aimed at maximizing opportunities for northern BC from the Prince Rupert container port. The report will be prepared by InterVista, a Vancouver consulting firm, and is expected to be complete by late summer.
BURNS LAKE – A May 6 shooting and subsequent nine-hour standoff with police in a downtown apartment building ended in the arrest of a Burns Lake teenager. Local media reported that the 24-year-old shooting victim lost part of his right foot, and knew his attacker. The incident was attended by police from Burns Lake, Smithers, Fraser Lake and the North District Emergency Response team.
NORTHWEST – First Nations from B.C.’s north can expect to see the value of their historic and contemporary art rise, according to Rick Hiebert, a former logger turned art curator at Waddington’s, a prestigious art auction house. “The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will only enhance the appreciation collectors from around the world have for this beautiful, sublime form of expression,” he said in April. “That, in turn, will further increase values.”
KITIMAT – Alcan is seriously considering expanding its Kitimat aluminum smelter to increase its annual output by up to 35 per cent, the company indicated in May. The expansion possibility is dependent upon the availability of power resources at prices economical to the corporation, and is being weighed against similar opportunities in Quebec, Cameroon, China and Iceland.
DEASE LAKE – A comprehensive agreement between NovaGold Resources Inc. and the Tahltan Band will raise the bar of similar agreements signed by the band, says the Tahltan Central Council. In early May, Council president Curtis Rattray was quoted by the Terrace Standard as saying projects would have to achieve ratification by at least 85 per cent of band members. The band has lately been split by internal conflict over the pace and nature of mineral development in its traditional territory. The NovaGold agreement, which concerns development of copper and gold deposits at Galore Creek in northwest BC, promises jobs, business opportunities and a trust fund based on royalties.
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