See inside for our Back to School insert, and page 23 for our new Safety Tip feature CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
Publications Mail Agreement No. 391275
47th Year No. 34 THURS., AUGUST 23, 2012
GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND
EDITORIAL Page 6
LETTERS Page 7
www.northislandgazette.com NORTH ISLAND LIFE Page 12-13
SPORTS Page 15
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Report may aid transit J.R. Rardon Gazette editor The Regional District of Mount Waddington hopes to avoid a looming spike in the cost of its transit system in the wake of last week’s release of the BC Transit Independent Review’s final report. The report, released by Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom, outlined 18 recommendations following consultation with BC Transit and local governments across the province. One of the presentations to the review panel came from Greg Fletcher, RDMW administrator, and Mary Mavis of North Island Community Services, which manages the Mount Waddington Transit System that serves riders in Port Hardy, Port McNeill and several surrounding communities.
An uplifting OrcaFest Six days after Willie Mitchell’s visit, Port McNeill’s cups continued to runneth over Saturday as the models from the Victor’s Secret Fashion Show man the Bras for a Cause float during Saturday’s OrcaFest Parade. See more on pages A O’Toole 12-13 and online at www.northislandgazette.com.
See page 2 ‘Black seeks backing’
Black proposes refinery in Kitimat By Tom Fletcher Black Press VANCOUVER – A proposed $13 billion oil refinery in Kitimat would create more jobs in B.C., but does little to ease the concerns of a Sointula charter boat skipper who testified this month before Enbridge Joint Pipeline Review Panel in Port Hardy. Victoria businessman David Black, chairman
and owner of Black Press, announced Friday he wants to build the oil refinery at Kitimat. Black told a news conference in Vancouver he is submitting an environmental assessment application to build a “world scale” oil refinery on behalf of Kitimat Clean Ltd., a company owned by Black. The application to the B.C. Environmental Assessment
Office is expected this fall. The proposed refinery would be big enough to process all the diluted bitumen carried by Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. “I totally understand the economic benefits of building a refinery on the West Coast,” said Jim MacDougall of Sointula, who voiced his objections to the pipeline in his testi-
mony to the Joint Review Panel. “But at what cost are they doing that? It’s a slippery slope.” MacDougall wonders how the proposed refinery will be powered, and what kind of environmental damage that will create. He is also concerned that once a pipeline is built to the coast it would open the door to tankers carrying raw bitumen in addition to
the refined products. Black, however, said the proposed refinery would be big enough to process all the diluted bitumen carried by the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. Black said he has had extensive discussions with Enbridge and other players in the Canadian oil industry, but none has so far offered to back the project. Black said he will use his
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See page 3 ‘Black seeks backing’
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