Inside
u Taba wins award P. 6 u Renowned author P. 7
u Community action grant P. 3 u WW II vet returns to Takla P. 12
Publications Mail Contract #: 40007759
WEDNESDAY, November 14, 2012
NEWS BRIEFS
ER room update
PHONE: 996-8482 www.caledoniacourier.com
VOL. 35 NO. 37 $1.34 inc. GST
Ripples of the Past
The Stuart Lake Hospital Emergency Room will be open for most of November. The emergency will only be closed on Nov. 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 30. For more information or further updates, go to: www.northernhealth.ca To determine whether or not your condition requires emergency care, go to: www.HealthLinkBC.ca
Local young crime prevention heroes honoured Grade 6 and 7 students from Sowchea Elementary School in Fort St. James are being honoured with a Ministry of Justice Community Safety and Crime Prevention Award in the Children or Youth Leadership category. These awards recognize groups and citizens who stand up to crime in their communities to improve safety for all British Columbians. After the tragic death of Nolan Alexis on November 4, 2011 in Fort St. James as a result of a motor vehicle accident, grade 6 and 7 students at Sowchea Elementary School organized the “Be Seen Be Safe” project to distribute reflective bracelets to every child in Fort St. James, and in the Nak’azdli, Tl’azten, and Yekoochee First Nations.
Some of the key people who helped in the collaborative creation of the Ripples of the Past interpretive walk in Fort St. James. Elizabeth Gibbs of Egg Plant Studios graphic design, Laura Chernowski from the Fort St. James Chamber of Commerce, Bev Playfair for the District of Fort St. James, and Kevin Gedling from the Fort St. James National Historic Site. Missing are Bob Grill and Keith Playfair. The walk tours visitors through the community, hitting some historical highlights. The walk won a Gold award from Interpretation Canada. Bob Campbell Photo
Local intervenor questions lead to pipeline changes Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Extensive questioning by local intervenor Kelly Izzard led to a new map and changes to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. It was Izzard’s original questioning of Northern Gateway engineers which resulted in the creation of a new map showing the potential for a full-bore rupture of the pipeline at the pumping station to reach Stuart Lake, (published in the Caledonia Courier on Oct. 10). In the original project application, a map showing a hypothetical full bore rupture of the pipeline near the pumping station stopped before it showed where Pitka Creek reached Stuart Lake. The Fort St. James Sustainability Group then asked about the map as part of the Northern Gateway Project Joint Review Panel process currently underway which the pipeline must undergo to obtain federal approval. In their response to the information request, Enbridge said the spill would not reach Stuart Lake. “Based on the Northern Gateway’s spill modelling of a full-bore rupture release from the oil pipeline … a worst case scenario spill into Pitka Creek would not extend into Stuart Lake,” was stated in the written re-
sponse given to the group’s information request. Izzard then followed up on the map, questioning Enbridge representatives at a public meeting the company held in 2011, and again followed up with them early this year. The questioning of the first application map resulted in the second map, which showed the potential for a full-bore rupture of the pipeline to indeed reach Stuart Lake via Pitka Creek. The fact the original map did not even show Stuart Lake does not sit well with Izzard, and he is frustrated he had to raise the issue before the company came out with a more accurate depiction of a spill into Pitka Creek. “They didn’t look beyond the neat line of the one to 25,000 scale map,” said Izzard. “It’s a long, convoluted story, but it speaks to transparency and understanding local people’s concerns.” There’s no new information here except that they’re showing what, for whatever reason, they chose not to show.” On Oct. 29, Kandace Kerr of the Fort St. James Sustainability Group in the Prince George hearings for the Joint Review Panel asked Northern Gateway why there have not been any changes to Enbridge’s spill response outlined in the application and if more work was being done to modify spill response, given
a spill could reach Stuart Lake according to this new map. Northern Gateway Engineer Ray Doering’s response was contradictory to what the information request had stated previously. “Ms. Kerr, I think you said initially we indicated a spill would not enter Stuart Lake, that’s not the case. We provided a set of maps in a response to a request for additional information from the Joint Review Panel (JRP) at a particular scale of map and so it’s provided a certain coverage. It didn’t indicate at all that there would not be a spill into the Stuart Lake. The map extent didn’t go that far and that was based on the parameters established by the question initially introduced by the JRP itself,” said Doering during the hearings. Doering did, however, give Izzard credit for the information and questions he and others were bringing forward to the pipeline proponents and the changes which have since been implemented. “Really this is another example of our ongoing engagement … we’re very interested in hearing from communities and -- and what their concerns are … I’d say as a result of discussions - specifically with you Mr. Izzard and with others along the route -that’s really helped us get to where we are now,” said Doering. Continued (with map) on Page 7