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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 58 No. 04
Escort service proposal brings up questions Cameron Orr There’s no escort service in Kitimat just yet and council has directed staff to bring forward further information on how such applications were handled in other communities. Council heard the report from deputy treasurer Lyle McNish, who looked into the Regional Municipality of the Northern Rockies’ [RMNR] handling of a similar situation. The District of Kitimat has received a letter from a prospective business owner which sets out the entrepreneur’s intent to seek a business licence for an escort service. The only change since the letter was received and administration compiled their report is that the applicant is now likely to establish a call centre office out of town, in Prince George. That still leaves questions as to how to include provisions for escort services in the town’s Municipal Code. So far there are no direct references to such businesses however as administration has learned there is not much legal recourse to prohibit such businesses, as Canada’s Supreme Court has upheld the legality of escort services. The town can’t deny a business licence unreasonably, and because the business would be legal in the eyes of Canada’s laws, to deny such applications would be deemed unreasonable. “We don’t have any apparent reasonable reason to refuse such an application,” explained McNish. It was suggested to councillors in the staff’s report that they include a number of restrictions including hours of operations (such as only between 5 p.m. and 4 a.m.) as well as requiring a process for recording the employees and clients of the business. The proposed definition of an escort service, as defined in other municipalities, is a “service business or agency run by a licensee that charges or receives a fee for providing an escort for social occasions...” In their further research, councillors will look over the legal opinion received by the RMNR. That opinion and a summary of is available on the RMNR website. In that legal opinion it sets out much of what McNish explained, and it also notes that a bylaw cannot infringe on criminal law. So a bylaw cannot make illegal what is not illegal under Canada’s Criminal Code. “Local governments cannot ban escort services and/or adult oriented businesses from their communities on primarily morality grounds,” the legal opinion summary states. Continued on page 2
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
1.34 INCLUDES TAX
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Mike Wall defends the Smithers Steelheads net against the Ice Demons on January 13 in Kitimat. Read more about how the Demons played that weekend on page 12. Cameron Orr
Lodge concept pitched to town The company PTI Group held a public information session at the Rod and Gun Club for a work lodge proposal. The word “lodge” is key for the company which specializes in accommodating industrial workforces for special projects. PTI Group CEO Ron Green pointed out that the company does not call their locations “camps”. Sean Crockett, vice president of business development, explained to a near full house that they will eventually seek zoning for a 2,100 room lodge. Each standard room is approximately 130 sq.ft. and includes a private bathroom. They plan to locate east of Kitimat General Hospital, and Crockett said it would be a five minute walk to the downtown core. The company would, he said, work with local contractors to construct
projects as their lodge would require acthe lodge. Crockett also said that their lodge cess to services such as water and sewer proposal would “buffer” the demand for which would need to be developed. While the project is of course not perhousing over a long period of time. By manent — Crockett did not that he means they would whose workforce their handle the spike of construcProposal could say accommodations would tion workers who would be adding to a demand on the see 2,100 room house — CEO Ron Green housing stock available in lodge built for did say they are discussing legacy projects for Kitimat Kitimat. workforce. once their project is over. The company also has Answering a question priority to develop their lofrom the audience, Green cation with a line of sight to said that they do have an eye on possibly the Douglas Channel. Crockett said it is important for the developing senior housing in the future. That came after a question on whethcompany to work with the District of Kitimat so that their project aligns with the er local seniors could buy in to having town’s infrastructure and Official Com- their own rooms at the lodge, which are designed to be accessible for people of munity Plan. That being the case he said that their all mobility abilities, and contains a food location close to other developments — court. (They cannot.) The lodge itself, said Crockett, would they’d be near the Strawberry Meadows area — could potentially accelerate those employ over 200 people.
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Council looks at taxi accessibility ... page 6