THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 2016 VOL. 73, NO. 89
SERVING FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
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PRRD passes on role with Site C rec fund JONNY WAKEFIELD reporter@dcdn.ca
The Peace River Regional District won’t play a role in administering a fund to make up for recreation areas lost to the Site C dam, saying $200,000 isn’t enough to make up for what will disappear beneath the reservoir. BC Hydro was required to create a plan to mitigate Site C’s impacts on Peace River recreation as a condition of the project’s environmental approval. PRRD directors heard more about the dam’s Outdoor Recreation Mitigation Plan from BC Hydro officials at a board meeting Oct. 13. A $200,000 Community Recreation Site Fund is one part of the mitigation plan, which also includes a public viewpoint over the dam site near Fort St. John, money to replace parkland lost in Hud-
Electoral Area E Director Dan Rose
son’s Hope, and funding for three new boat launches and picnic areas along the 83-kilometre reservoir. The plan would also see the creation of
a Site C Reservoir Navigation and Recreation Opportunities Plan once the reservoir is filled in the 2020s. BC Hydro had asked the regional district if it would like a role in distributing the $200,000 fund to local community and recreation groups. Some directors worried the regional district could be saddled with operating and maintaining the facilities after they’re built. “How many years of picking up garbage would that be?� Area B Director Karen Goodings asked. Dan Rose, Electoral Area E director, suggested sending a letter saying “$200,000 isn’t nearly enough and as such we can’t really be bothered with it,� he said. “It’s not enough to do anything.� See REC on A7
Snow-slicked roads prompt RCMP reminder
SLIDING IT HOME
10 crashes keep police busy MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca
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BYRON HACKETT PHOTO
Fort St. John Huskies forward Geoff Dick slips a backhand past County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings goalie Liam Murphy in the second period of a 5-3 win Friday night at North Peace Arena. The Huskies will hit the road Friday to take on the Fairview Flyers before welcoming the Sexsmith Vipers to town on Saturday, Oct. 22. Story on B2.
Encana to spend up to $300M to grow Montney production MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca
Encana plans to spend between $200 to $300 million in 2017 as it ramps up production of its liquids-rich holdings in the Montney. The company laid out its plans for the basin in a presentation in New York on Oct. 5, telling investors liquids production in the Montney is estimated to grow four to five times, while gas production doubles over the next five years. According to the present-
Five year plan laid out to investors as it looks to quintuple liquids ation, liquids production is slated to grow to 50,000 barrels per day by the end of 2018, and growing to 70,000 barrels in 2019. Gas production, meanwhile, will grow to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day by 2019. Much of the production will be focused in the Tower, Dawson South, and Pipestone areas. The company, meanwhile, is currently building its South
Central Liquids Hub south of Dawson Creek. Overall, Encana plans to spend between $1.4 to $1.8 billion in 2017 in its Permian, Montney, Eagle Ford, and Duvernay plans. The lion’s share, up to $1 billion, will be directed to the Permian in the U.S., with spending in Duvernay and Eagle Ford projected to be between $300 to $450 million combined.
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Mounties were kept busy last week after another shot of snowy weather slicked city streets and the Alaska Highway. Fort St. John and surrounding areas saw 24 centimetres of fresh snow between Oct. 13 and 16, with local officers responding to 10 collisions, according to Environment Canada and RCMP numbers. Eight of the collisions involved property damage over $1,000, while there were another two accidents that caused injuries. There were no fatalities. “From a police standpoint, one vehicle collision over $1000 (and with injuries) is one too many,� Sgt. Dave Tyreman said. It’s prompted another reminder from police to drivers to shift their gears into common sense as winter sets in. While Tyreman couldn’t speak to the exact causes of the 10 collisions, he stressed the importance of installing winter tires, leaving early when travelling on the roads, and driving to conditions. “In today’s society, we’re all in such a hurry to go somewhere, let’s slow down, leave five extra minutes early,� he said. “It seems like today’s society is rush rush rush. Sometimes that extra five minutes will help you avoid a speeding ticket or sliding through a stop sign. See SLICK onA3
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