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Sentinel
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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 57 No. 50
Council opts to go with an airport taxi Cameron Orr Kitimat Council decided they want an airport transportation service, and even decided how to do it, but not before an intense debate over who should really benefit from the service. Council had determined at an earlier in-camera meeting to submit Request for Proposals for a passenger transportation provider to operate from Kitimat to the Northwest Regional Airport and they received two back for a shuttle bus style program. When it came back, administration had a couple of options; either go with a shuttle bus service or subsidize individual taxi rides through a local taxi operator. Taxi rides, ultimately, won the day. Even as discussion wrapped up, however, councillor Rob Goffinet still expressed his unhappiness regarding council’s decision to not support a shuttle for the general public — he did vote in favour of the taxi proposal in the end, but rather out of defeat than actual support. “I think we had a really good chance of getting seven to 10 people onto a bus every once in awhile,” said Goffinet as debate wrapped up. “I will not vote against it but this is expensive as well. They all are.” The costs council was looking at was up to $9,000 to subsidize taxi rides up to April 15 (that is the plan which passed) or up to $18,000 to subsidize 28 total trips to the airport on a seven-passenger vehicle. There were options for 47 trips, and options for a larger, 24-passenger bus, but those more expensive options weren’t discussed by council. The debate passed back and forth, with councillors defeating a motion to move on taxi service, but then later defeating a motion to accept a bus service as well, before returning to the cab proposal. Council even entertained the idea of not even voting on the option at all, and rather tabling it to a Committee of the Whole meeting. “It’s a good idea but I think we need some more investigation,” said Phil Germuth. Most of council, however, decided they didn’t want to delay instituting any transportation plans ahead of the Christmas season and that motion was defeated. When it came to discussing what plan they wanted, Mario Feldhoff remained firmly in the camp of taxis. “I believe the taxi saver approach will offer a similar service at a more reasonable cost,” he said. Continued on page 3
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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1.34 INCLUDES TAX
Staff of SuperValu handle a huge line-up of people waiting to support the store’s produce supervisor, who was badly hurt in a Dec. 5 car accident about 20 km outside of Kitimat. The store quickly put together a barbecue fundraiser.
Samaritans come to the rescue Cameron Orr Good samaritans pulled the driver and passenger out of a flaming vehicle last week after a horrible head-on collision near Kitimat. On Dec. 5, Kitimat RCMP were called to an accident about 22 kilometres north of Kitimat on Highway 37S at around 6 p.m. A Toyota Tundra pick-up and a Mercury Cougar were involved in the incident, and witnesses say that the car burst into flames on impact, RCMP report. There were two people in the car and one in the pick-up, all residents of Kitimat. Everyone was taken to Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace, but the 24-yearold driver of the car was air lifted to Vancouver General Hospital where he has undergone surgeries to deal with severe burns. The 22-year-old passenger remained in Terrace in stable condition.
The 56-year-old driver of the Tundra was treated at hospital but released that same night, said Cst. Lesley Smith, North District Media Relations Officer. The RCMP are commending the efforts of those involved in pulling the two men to safety, and for the medical care provided on-scene by an off-duty nurse, also from Kitimat. West Pacific Region Traffic Services is currently investigating the crash, in cooperation with the Kitimat RCMP detachment. Road conditions at the time — compact snow, ice and slush — are considered factors in the incident. The highway was closed immediately after the incident for about three hours, and had opened to single-lane traffic by 8:45 p.m. Employees at Kitimat’s Super Valu grocery store were, on Friday, fundraising for the 24-year-old victim in the crash, who is an employee of the store.
As authorities have not released the name of the victim by press deadlines the Northern Sentinel will not publish the name either, but Super Valu management describes their co-worker fondly. “Everybody likes him here,” said manager Jonathan Stelmacker. “Fun, easy going guy. Always loves to laugh.” The fundraiser ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. By chance Stelmacker found himself stopped on the highway due to the crash, and saw the aftermath of the collision from his own vehicle, not knowing it was his friend and co-worker. “Once I found out about that my heart just sank,” he said, saying he saw a car fully engulfed in flames, and then saw the victim loaded into an ambulance. He and other friends are doing whatever else they can here in Kitimat, including watching over the person’s house while he’s being treated.
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