Issuu

SEPTEMBER 2012

Face to face with the dragon B10

Big North FREE PRESS

Report eyes marginal timber DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com

If no steps are taken to mitigate the effects of the mountain pine beetle infestation, the equivalent of eight of approximately 24 mills in the affected areas may be forced to close within the next 20 years. The special committee on timber supply, chaired by MLA John Rustad, was formed late in May to design recommendations to temper the damage being done in affected forests, and shared the 22 measures it feels need to be taken August 15. During a press conference later the same day, Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson said the ministry will be working very quickly to outline a number of steps and create an action plan to put the recommendations in motion. He expects there will be a timeline charting the steps to be taken moving forward within the next week. “We’ll have a action plan in response to all the recommendations by September,” Thomson said. The recommendations include maximizing the value of marginal economic stands, creating an inventory of B.C. forests, and looking at the feasibility of rebuilding the sawmill in Burns Lake following the explosion of the mill, the town’s main employer and source of revenue, earlier in the year. Rustad said that though the future of the Burns Lake mill was not directly within the committee’s mandate, there was some expectation for them to look at the issue. “We tried to come up with solutions we thought were reasonable,” he said. Without removing existing timber rights, Rustad said there are one million cubic metres of pine in the Lakes area to support Burns Lake. The Lakes District is the area most affected by the mountain pine beetle infestation. Following it is Quesnel then Prince George. A reduction in the allowable annual cut in Prince George won’t happen

Bill PHILLIPS/ Fre e Pre s s

Special Committee on Timber Supply committee chair John Rustad releases the committee’s report in Prince George August 15. as quickly as in the other areas, Rustad said, meaning it should be of benefit for Sinclar to re-open Lakeland Mills, though there will be other factors the company will likely need to take into consideration. “There will be challenging decisions for industry in the future,” Rustad said. Rustad added the committee was aware that industry was nervous of any dramatic shifts springing from the recommendations within the report.

Thus far the mountain pine beetle has killed 53 per cent of the pine trees in the affected area. If left unchecked it could destroy 57 to 70 per cent leading to a reduction of 10 million cubic metres in the annual cut. However, with hopes of utilizing marginal forest areas combined with innovations within the forest industry and a look at some of the infected forests while touring the various areas during the consultation process, Rustad remains opti-

mistic. He said he was happily surprised to note the amount of green, about 25 per cent, left in forests in the Quesnel area. “It’s encouraging to see how much green is left in those mountain pine beetle infested areas,” he said. He added though there will be changes within the forest industry, he believes it will remain a staple to B.C.’s economy. “I am optimistic about the future of the forest industry,” Rustad said.

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B IG N OR TH F REE P RESS ~ S EPTEMBER 2012

BIG NORTH 3

Oil refinery plan for Kitimat BILL PHILLIPS editor@pgfreepress.com

It’s a game-changer for tth the he waay w debate on the Northern Gateway Pipeline. aacck Newspaper owner David Black liio on is proposing to build a $13-billion oil refinery in Kitimat. ffeerBlack said, at a press confertiin ng ence last month, he is submitting een nt an environmental assessment cca ale application to build a world scale mat oil refinery on behalf of Kitimat need n Clean Ltd., a company owned by Black. “I will self-describe myself aass a ndbusinessman, a father and grandn,, a father, a British Columbian, ttaalsailor and quiet environmentalaacck ist, and a believer in putting back aacck for the next generation,” Black said. he Black said he will put up tth the nttal n money for the environmental tth he assessment. Funding for the proposed refinery has yet to b bee deen nt secured, however, he is confident ow o wit can be raised. It hinges, howne. e. ever, on the fate of the pipeline. “If the pipeline doesn’t go ahead, there’ll be no refinery,” he said. The hope is to take all the

crud cr ude de oi il th tthat hat tthe he N Nor orth or th ther her e n Ga G ate tecrude oil Northern Gatewaay yp pipe pi peli pe line nee ccan caan se ssen end d. way pipeline send. “It removes the chance of a spill of heavy crude oil (from a tanker),” Black said, adding that refined oil, such as diesel, floats

and ev evap apor ap orat or ates at es m inimiizi in inim izing ing th thee and evaporates minimizing dama da mage age ge iin n case case o spil illl. damage off a sp spill. The project, should it go ahead, would create 6,000 construction jobs for five years and 3,000 permanent full time jobs at the refin-

er ery y. ery. Blac Bl ack k sa said id Bri B riti tish t sh s Col C Co olumu Black British Columbia needs jobs, now and in the future. “I think it’s the right thing to do for the province,” he said. “I

tthink hin it’s nation-building.” B l Black is joined in the venture b yG by Glenn McGinnis, a consulting eengineer ngi with a MSc in chemical eengineering en ngi and 40 years experieence nce in the oil refining business. K Kit itim m Clean Ltd. proposes to Kitimat b uild on 3,000 hectares 25 km build n ort of Kitimat – Crown land north zzoned one for industrial use. The p rop proposal, so far, has the support o h community of Kitimat. off tthe ““This T is very great day in our h isto history, the council and mayor ssupport upp projects that add value to o to our natural resources,” said K itim m Kitimat Mayor Joanne Monaaghan. gha “This project will change tthe th he face of the northwest foreever.” ver H o However, Art Sterritt of C oas Coastal First Nations, is conccerned ern about the Kitimat airsshed hed with new liquid natural gas p lan and possibly a refinery. plants ““The T impact on the air qualiity it y will w have the same result as ccrude,” ru d Sterritt said. T h refinery is expected to The pro pr p od od produce 240,000 barrels per day of diesel, 100,000 barrels per day of gasoline and 50,000 barrels per day of kerosene or aviation fuel.

Mixed reaction to refinery plan DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com

A proposal to construct a $13-billion dollar refinery in Kitimat by media mogul David Black as an end point for Enbridge pipeline bitumen has met with mixed reactions from local leaders. MLA Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, says he sees the potential of such a project, though a lot needs to happen before such a proposal becomes a reality. “I think it’s a very interesting proposal. Of course it will have to go through an environmental review, and we have to make sure corporate investors are on board,” he said. He added he expects the addition of a refinery, should the project take hold, will change the conversation around the pipeline. “It changes the dialogue of the conversation around the Northern Gateway Pipeline, especially when you get an individual such as David Black, who comes with real credibility, and who’s engaging in this project. I look forward to following it along and seeing where it goes.” Bell said he knew Black was considering the project. “Mr. Black has e-mailed myself and Minister (Rich) Coleman over the last bit of time,” he said. “We knew he was thinking about this and thought it a was an approach to take in terms of adding value to the bitumen as well as mitigating some of the environmental risks in terms of transporting heavy oil on the ocean.” Bell added it’s a bit to early in the game to speculate on what having a refinery in Kitimat will mean to northern B.C. “There’s a lot of work to be done. I think we’re jumping a bit ahead. Mr. Black, however, suggested there may be upward of 3,000 jobs created,” Bell said. “The notion of increasing capacity of refined product in B.C I think should be attractive to the consumer as well. Refining your own oil then selling it back as oil and

diesel to the consumer is likely going to create a more competitive environment for automotive fuel.” Bell added he’s disappointed by the NDP’s reaction to the announcement. “There’s a whole bunch of real interesting things that come with this,” he said. “It’s disappointing to me the NDP opposed it without knowing anything about it. I think that is worrisome. My interest and approach is ‘tell me more.’ I’m interested in knowing more about this and what it can do for us. I think their approach shows a real lack of respect for environmental process and a lack of understanding of what needs to be done to drive the economy. If they were to form government and just say no to every major proposal that comes forward there will not be a lot of jobs in B.C. Instead there will be a high rate of unemployment.” The proposal brought forward by David Black is certainly ambitious, but it is unclear whether he will be able to commandeer the supply of oil from Enbridge and the foreign partners involved in the Northern Gateway Project,” said NDP energy critic John Horgan in a press release. “It remains to be seen whether it’s a pipe-dream or if it is a credible plan with realistic price tags and capacity.” Horgan said if it ever manages to get off the ground, it would still have to follow a rigorous environmental process and full consultation with First Nations. New Democrat MLA for Skeena Robin Austin said seeing as there is no change to the level of risk with the pipeline, then the pipeline

should still not move forward. “There is nothing wrong with the principle of trying to add value or economic benefit to the project, but the potential for disaster with the pipeline is unchanged,” said Austin. “Northern communities know the risks are too great, and that’s why they oppose the project.” Terry Teegee, Carrier Sekani tribal council chief said the addition of a refinery is immaterial to him. The pipeline, he added, will still be crossing First Nations land. The risks, he said, are just too high. “They have that recent ad of 99.99 per

cent of safety success rate,” Teegee said. “We got a guarantee of 100 per cent. Don’t build the thing, and we’d like to see Christy Clark say the same thing. Don’t build the thing.” Paul Stanley with Enbridge said building or not building a refinery really has no affect on building the pipeline. “What we’ve been saying is that it’s not something that would impact the Northern Gateway project,” Stanley said. “If Mr. Black is successful he’ll still need a pipeline to move crude oil from Alberta to Kitimat. It’s an interesting idea but it really has no impact on the project.”

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6 BIG NORTH

B IG N OR TH F REE P RESS ~ S EPTEMBER 2012

■ POLITICS

Shepard seeks to unite the right BILL PHILLIPS editor@pgfreepress.com

Hot on the heels of four high-profile Liberal MLAs announcing they are not seeking re-election, former Canfor and Finning CEO Jim Shepard started a province-wide tour yesterday extolling the virtues of Premier Christy Clark. “If the media could see what I see (with Clark) day-to-day, they’d sing (her) praises to the heavens,” Shepard said during a media scrum in Prince George. Shepard, who served for one year in the premier’s office as a policy advisory to Clark, is fronting a group called Concerned Citizens for B.C. Its goal is to unite the right wing in the province in order to ensure the NDP don’t form government next May. Shepard spent the day in Prince George yesterday meeting with business and community groups, drumming up support and money. “There’s no question that the right-wing coalition has been injured by the start-up of the provincial Conservatives,” he said. “Political history in British Columbia you either have a socialist party like the CCF or the NDP in power or you have a right-wing party like the Socreds or the Liberals. It’s either one or the other.” Bill PHILLIPS/ Fre e Pre s s A split on the right, as with the emergence of the Former Canfor and Finning CEO Jim Shepard speaks to reporters in Prince George Thursday. provincial Conservatives, often leads to an NDP government. “Adrian Dix is very, very quiet,” he said. “He’s him? Just like we’ve been doing with Christy Clark Shepard says his group is spreading the message to like the new kid on the block, he’s as pure as the for the past 17 months.” right-wing voters who might want to vote Conservative driven snow. His plan is to tip-toe into the premier ’s In addition to Finance Minister Kevin Falcon’s “making sure that they understand that it’s absolutely office.” announcement on August 28 that he will not be seekvital that the right-wing coalition stays together to keep a The Concerned Citizens of British Columbia are ing re-election, George Abbott, MLA for Shuswap free-enterprise way of life here in British Columbia.” going to force him to stand up to the same scrutiny and Minister of Education; Mary McNeil, MLA for The group will launch an advertising campaign that the premier undergoes when they are in office. Vancouver-False Creek and Minister of Children comparing the track record of the past 10 years of the “When the election comes, it’s going to be ‘what and Family Development; and Chilliwack MLA and Liberal government with the 10 years of NDP govern- premier do you want?,” he said. “Adrian Dix? Let’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier John Les ment in the 1990s. They will also be focusing their have a good look at him. Let’s look at his record. What announced August 29 that they would not be seeking attention on NDP leader Adrian Dix. do you like about him? What do you not like about re-election.

X CROSSWORD

PUZZLE NO. 592

ACROSS 1. Ravine 6. Swedish coin 9. Muscle 13. Overseas 15. Winner, for short 17. Take on 18. Announcement 19. Urge 20. Radius’s companion 21. Steel strengthening-rod 23. Trucker 25. Kismet 28. Nip’s partner 30. Drowned valley 31. A Zimbalist 33. Raised platform 35. “Taxi ____” 40. Greek letter 41. Black cuckoo

43. “The ____ of the Roses” 45. Cordwood measure 46. Appendage 47. Vendor 50. Stuff 51. Regional dialect 53. Touch ground 55. Belgium waterway 57. Plummet 59. Shapely curve 62. Eagle’s home 64. Siesta 65. Command for Mr. Ed 66. Hive dweller 67. Ambush 69. Boo Boo’s pal 71. Hindu’s destiny 73. Steal from 75. Bargain-hunt 77. Tack

78. Flatfish 83. Scallion 85. Sugar cube 86. Mild oaths 88. Bring about 92. Venerable 93. Lawful 94. Locust tree 95. Bingo’s kin 96. Convert into leather 97. Make different

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Soda container Cable channel Matisse’s forte Evening party Medieval club Electrical unit Spellbound Muslim ruler

9. Hence 10. Dagger handle 11. Coastal flier 12. Have on, as clothing 14. Money owed 15. Around 16. Tartan 22. Tryout 24. “Eyes of Laura ____” 25. Spanakopita ingredient 26. Off yonder 27. Nonsense 29. Bird or fruit 32. Store 34. Waldorf, e.g. 36. Poison-ivy result 37. Spinal bone 38. Important period 39. Stipe’s group 42. Colorful sign 44. Faith 48. Analyze 49. Split apart 52. Seedcase 54. Nerd 55. Swerve 56. Baltic or Bering 58. Heroic poetry 60. Eighteen-wheeler 61. Embossed emblem 63. Garner 68. Alpine singing 70. Phantom 72. Toughen 74. Sire 76. Type type 78. Hostile reaction 79. Racing sled 80. Foretelling sign 81. Coiffure 82. Indian melody 84. Humpback’s kin 87. Loud clamor 89. Shtick 90. Lace 91. Face flanker

Perks for clerks under fire BY TOM FLETCHER

James. Horgan said the succession took place without consulting the official opposition, and was VICTORIA – NDP MLAs used the first public “orchestrated” by MacMinn to include the conmeeting of the legislative management commit- sulting arrangement that extended his salary tee to call for former clerk of the house George and benefits for two years. He said committee MacMinn to be removed from his $240,000-a- members don’t know what MacMinn is supposed to do as a consultant, but public accounts year consulting job. NDP house leader John Horgan called for the show he was paid $250,000 plus $22,000 in travel second year of MacMinn’s consulting contract to expenses last year. B.C. Liberal members of the committee agreed be terminated, and asked if taxpayers are paying him for his car, club memberships or pension in Tuesday to review MacMinn’s position, once a report is prepared on his duties. James warned addition to extending his salary. MacMinn stepped down last year after 54 that the two-year term is legally binding, and years as a legislative clerk, the longest term if it was terminated it could increase the cost to in Commonwealth history. He served as chief taxpayers. The B.C. Liberal majority voted to approve clerk from 1993 until last year, when he agreed to make way for his long-time assistant Craig the appointment of James and the consulting role for MacMinn last year, with NDP MLAs opposed. PUZZLE NO. 361 Historically a secretive group overseeing HOW TO PLAY: the $70 million legislature budget, the Fill in the grid so that Legislative Assembly every row, every column Management Comand every 3 x 3 box mittee was pushed into the open by a contains the numbers 1 critical report issued through 9 only once. in July by Auditor Each 3 x 3 box is General John Doyle. outlined with a darker The audit found that MLA credit card line. You already have a bills are being paid few numbers to get you without receipts, and started. the legislative assemRemember: you must bly hasn’t produced financial statements not repeat the numbers despite a 2007 recom1 through 9 in the mendation from the same line, column or 3 Answers can be found in the classifieds. previous auditor genx 3 box. eral. Black Press

B IG N OR TH F REE P RESS ~ S EPTEMBER 2012

BIG NORTH 7

Studio 2880 creates space for new artists TERESA MALLAM arts@pgfreepress.com

Te re s a M A LLA M / Fre e Pre s s

Wendy Young, Prince George Community Arts Council executive director, shows off a copper and bronze necklace by Cindi Framst now on display at Studio 2880. Framst used a copper clay technique, one of the popular new mediums in jewellery and art.

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Approximately 4,000 seniors 55 and over from across B.C. participated in the Seniors Games held last week in Burnaby. Local event coordinator Dick Voneugen said he was very pleased with the number of participants at the 25th anniversary event and of their outstanding Teresa MA LLA M/Free Press performance. Archers Ted Stern, left, Flo Stern and Keith Paterson won med“I think we did very well. I haven’t had a als in archery competitions at last week’s B.C. Seniors Games in chance to go through Burnaby. Two hundred seniors from North Central Zone 9 took part all the statistics yet in 17 of 27 events. because I just returned medals. We did really well. That goes to show you from [Burnaby] but from everything I’ve heard, what you can do when you commit to getting a our Zone was well represented.” new sport going.” He was particularly impressed, he said, with North Central Zone 9 entered seniors in 17 of one team. 27 events; many of them came home with med“This year we entered a badminton team which als. was organized by Patty Wadson. She managed to The weather also deserves a medal. round up a few people and they were able to get “The weather was fine for all the events,” said together and practice. Voneugen. “It rained a little one day but it was “On her team was Louella Long. I found out quickly over. The venues were great, volunteers about her from her daughter who told me her wonderful and the opening and closing ceremomom was a former Olympian who had jumped nies were good. It was a very well-done 25th hurdles in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki and had anniversary of this event for Burnaby.” retired to McBride. Voneugen already has his thinking cap back on “That’s our Zone. So I phoned her right away for next year’s event. and asked if she wanted to get involved in the “I hope we can add yet another event. It only Seniors Games. She told me her knees didn’t takes one senior to get the ball rolling.” allow her to participate in track and field anymore (It doesn’t have to be a ball – it can be a pick– but that she could do something.” leball, bowling ball, badminton raquet or curling That something turned out to be badminton. stone!) “We had five people in badminton this year – For more information and results on the game including Long – and they came away with nine visit www.2012bcseniorsgames.org.

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UPLAND

make beautiful art.” Studio 2880 is operated by the PG and District Arts Council and is located at the Studio Arts complex, 2880 15th Ave. The Artisan Gift Shoppe dis-

TAMARACK

Artists are always keen to try new materials and new techniques. It’s part of the creative process. Wendy Young, an artist who has discovered her own love of working in glass in recent years, sees losts of new ideas among artisans displaying their handcrafted items at Studio 2880. New artists are always emerging from the community, making her life as executive director of Prince George and District Community Arts Council both challenging and exciting. Artisan Cindi Framst uses copper clay, platinum and bronze in making unique jewellery. “She is one of our new artisans with us,” said Young. “Cindi’s working in a new technique and a material that is quite a new medium for making jewellery and “wearable” art. “Artists work with it like clay. It can be shaped and modelled. You can roll it out like dough, making it as thick or thin as you like. It’s easy to work with, you just fire it in a kiln or with a torch.” During the firing process, the (non-toxic) binding materials vaporize, she said. “People who make jewellery really like it because they can make earrings or bracelets or anything else you can make with metals. It’s a lot of fun to work with. “You can even fire glass or stones into it. There is a small shrinkage factor to consider but it the metals

Cory Watts

1655A 15th Ave. Prince George • Phone orders welcome www.strideandglide.ca • 1-866-612-4754 • 250-612-4754

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