THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 2016 VOL. 73, NO. 90
SERVING FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
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DOCUMENTARY RETRACES THE FOOTSTEPS OF GUS HEDIN
LANDSLIDES WORRY LANDOWNER
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A STORIED SWEEP
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Coun. Gord Klassen pressed his fellow councillors Monday to consider ways to boost city funding to the library, which has remained flat since 2008.
Library could see funding boost in 2017 MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca
BYRON HACKETT PHOTO
Nine-year-old Addison Nolan (left), and Evan Bordeleau, 8, try their hand at sweeping during the family bonspiel as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations at the Fort St. John Curling Club on Saturday, Oct. 22. See story on B1.
Williston emissions a question mark Dam reservoirs are big emitters, according to a new study. Despite that, little is known about emissions from B.C.’s largest lake JONNY WAKEFIELD reporter@dcdn.ca
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A new study suggests dam reservoirs are far greater emitters of climate-warming gases than previously thought. But when it comes to emissions, B.C.’s largest lake is a big question mark. There are crucial gaps in greenhouse gas emissions data on Williston Reservoir, the 240-mile long lake behind the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, according to researchers on the study published this month in the journal BioScience. Using existing measurements, the researchers found hydroelectric and irrigation reservoirs add around a billion gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents to the atmosphere each year—roughly 1.3 per
MATT PREPROST PHOTO
The Williston Reservoir.
cent of global emissions. “Based on what we found‌ reservoirs that are more biologically productive, that are growing more algae and intercepting more nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are going to emit more methane,â€? said Bridget Deemer, who contributed to the study as a PhD student at Washington State University.
However, “there are a lot of reservoirs where these measurements haven’t been made,� she said. That includes Williston Lake, for which there is no known data on methane emissions—a greenhouse gas several times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2). See WILLISTON on A15
Gymnastics club nearing deal for new space BYRON HACKETT sports@ahnfsj.ca
The North Peace Gymnastics Association (NPGA) has struggled to retain membership in their current temporary location since a fire devastated their space at the recreation complex in 2015, but it now appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The group’s board of directors asked the City of Fort St. John at Monday’s council
meeting for a letter of support in their quest to received funding from the BC Rural Dividend Program. In the letter, the NPGA states that they are nearing a partnership with a “local company to renovate an existing commercial building in the heart of the city.� The funding from the grant would help kickstart the renovations needed to make the building work for the gymnastics club. The city approved the re-
quest for a letter, and if the grant is approved the gymnastic club could receive up to $500,000 in funding to upgrade the space. NPGA president Stephanie Engelmyer confirmed to the Alaska Highway News earlier this week that they are “close� to nearing a deal with a local business, but the specifics have not yet been finalized. See GYMNASTICS on A4
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Fort St. John’s public library could see its slice of city funding increase for the first time in nearly a decade in 2017. Councillors deferred a vote on budgetary grants for eight groups on Monday and sent administrators back to their calculators to find ways to raise the city’s $380,000 contribution to the library, which has remained flat since 2008. Library officials have urged for years for more funding to meet increased demands for space and services, but those calls have been rejected. Coun. Gord Klassen said more people are turning to the library in the economic downturn for its resources to help look for jobs or upgrade their skills. “Especially as we go through this time where people are perhaps without work, people are coming to the community, they are looking for a place to gather, so it is becoming a‌ community centre,â€? he said. “There are a lot of good reasons why we should continue to support the public library by increasing their budget this year.â€? The city has budgeted $527,717 in budget grants for 2017. Staff initially recommend councillors approve eight grants totalling $510,692, with grants remaining flat for the library, arts council, the women’s resource society bus pass program, the fall fair, the historical society, and the tourism board. Staff had recommended a $40,000 grant for next year’s air show, up from $20,000 in 2015, and recommended the justice society receive $17,217 next year, down from $20,451 in 2016. Klassen wants to see the library’s grant boosted to $400,000, suggesting the increase could come from cutting the city’s grant to the air show in half, allocating the remaining $17,000 in the city’s budget, or a mix of both. See LIBRARY on A7
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