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PHONE: 996-8482 www.caledoniacourier.com
WEDNESDAY, June 13, 2012
NEWS BRIEFS Cullen hosts Town Hall Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen will be hosting another telephone town hall June 12, after this paper arrives in the mail. He will be joined on the town hall by Deputy Leader and Environment Critic Megan Leslie. “Our first call in March 2011 was very popular,” said Cullen. “We were joined by 8,100 constituents and took questions on everything from health care to the economy.” Cullen invited the Opposition’s environment critic to guest on the town hall because of widespread interest in the riding around harsh cuts to environmental protection announced in the Conservatives’ omnibus budget bill. They will take as many questions as the one-hour event, set to start at 7 p.m. Pacific, will allow. Last year, 21 of the 251 questions posed were answered live on line, were followed up on within a few weeks. There is no charge to join the town hall. All listed residential telephone numbers in the northwest will be dialed between 7-7:30 p.m. on June 12.
◆ All in a flap P. 3 ◆ Tl’azt’en signs MOU P. 6
◆ GUF rebuild P. 2 ◆ Tache to New York P. 12
VOL. 35 NO. 15 $1.34 inc. GST
North Road is holding Fort back Transportation Committee argues Fort is missing out on economic benefits thanks to North Road conditions Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier A meeting to discuss concerns about the North Road revealed the lack of funds for the highway may be limiting growth in Fort St. James. Twenty-five people gathered in the District of Fort St. James on a sunny Saturday to voice their concerns and while safety is still a concern for those living or working on the road, economic impacts were at the forefront, both now and in the future. While the connector road to Mackenzie is still open to full weight capacity, the North Road is not, and conditions on the road are considered some of the worst residents on Puntzi Road have seen in over twenty years. Mount Milligan Mine is contributing to keeping the connector road to Mackenzie open and passable during breakup, according to Scott Morrison, transportation committee representative for the mine. The North Road, however, is a highway, not a forestry road, and therefore it is managed, maintained and funded by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Attendees at the meeting were very direct in putting their concerns forward, and Councillor Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad speaks to the area Transportation Committee and concerned citiJoan Burdeniuk opened the meeting with a strong zens about the condition of the North Road. Ruth Lloyd Photo statement for the community. the substructure … there’s mud showing through grades would be able to be done this year, as the “We just have some significant concerns that the in all areas … for a Class B highway that is com- ministry is still doing “catch-up” after money set condition of the North Road is very much nega- pletely unacceptable.” aside for improvements to problem areas last year tively impacting the community of Fort St. James’ He suggested with the years of resource extrac- was used up due to the severe damage the road susability to be economically viable within this area,” tion which has taken place on the road over the de- tained. said Burdeniuk. “We want this addressed -it’s not cades of its use, there should have been more than “I don’t think there’s anything we can do to get acceptable, it’s not okay.” enough money to maintain the road properly. additional capital,” he said. “I would like to give a Mount Milligan opening up their Environmen“We’re not getting money back and as a result different answer, but I also want to be realistic.” tal Assessment Certificate in order to change their we’re losing an opportunity in our community in He did, however, give the community advice on load out facility to Mackenzies influenced by their the way of the load out (ore shipping facility for the how to help make a case for funding the improveinability to haul on the North Road at 100 per cent mine),” he said. ments, even if they would not happen this year. year-round, according to Burdeniuk. Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad agreed lost He advised the committee members to try and “I know we just get it done, it’s just our nature. economic opportunity for the community due to the put forward a case giving a sense of the economic we don’t complain a lot, we don’t whine a lot we road would be a problem for him. impact the poor road conditions is having or will never have,” said Burdeniuk. But she made it clear “That’s unacceptable in my mind,” he said. “Es- have on the community and to summarize some of the community was no longer going to sit back and pecially considering the 10.3 (million dollars) that the safety concerns with numbers of accidents or stay quiet about this problem any longer. was spent on a connector road to another commu- incidents. Mayor Rob MacDougall recalled the support the nity … but clearly there needs to be some investRustad also clarified what has been done on the community gave when he was mayor previously for ment on our side too.” road recently and said this spring the Ministry of the construction of the connector, which cost $10.3 Creative solutions were discussed, such as the Transportation and Infrastructure is doing testing million, but there were also discussions at the same possibility of turning the North Road into a forest on the road to put together a plan to strengthen it. time that some upgrades would be looked at on the service road as well, instead of a highway, but then “I want to straighten the record out … there has Fort St. James side to improve the road as Mount there were concerns this may negatively impact been more than $3 million spent in the last number Milligan was developed. residents who live along the road. of years on strengthening that road over and above “Today, nothing has been done,” said MacDouRustad was not optimistic any significant up- maintenance,” he said. gall. “There’s been absolutely nothing done with
Treeplanters plant a seed Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Treeplanters working for Artisan Reforestation gave over $3,400 to the Fort St. James Community Foundation this year. Peter Horak, owner of Artisan, spoke to his planters about the cause and what the foundation is trying to do, to establish a trust fund for the community where the interest helps to fund local projects and causes. Then the crew of planters jumped on board, agreeing to plant for a day and
donate the proceeds to the Fort St. James Community Foundation. “I thought it was a pretty good showing,” said Joyce Helweg of the Community Foundation. She was impressed the planters, who spend only a few weeks in the community each year believed in the foundation enough to do a day’s work for them. The funds will be matched by the District of Fort St. James, and then those funds will again be matched by the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT).