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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 58 No. 10
Council goes to public on escort services The District of Kitimat is committing to providing the public more information about escort services. Councillors approved a recommendation that will see a public information meeting held on March 14, which will allow staff to explain the process and limits of administration to the community. A stack of over 30 letters against the idea of an escort service was included in councillor’s information package. A large portion of them were identically written, indicating an organized letter writing campaign. The suggested format of the eventual public meeting will be an introduction by District of Kitimat staff about the situation and how the Community Charter governs business licenses. After that members of the public will be allowed five minutes each for comments, suggestions or questions. The results of the public meeting will Community be brought to council town meeting at a later meeting and will give that feedback can be applied to an eventual residents a bylaw. chance to give community Within their report opinion on to council, staff noted escort services. that the lack of business licence regulations has not impeded the operation of escort services in communities in the past. “In operating in a covert and illegal manner, the probability of health and safety issues arising is increased, including risk to underage and vulnerable women, concern of human trafficking and links to organized crime,” the report stated. At the council meeting on February 25, deputy Chief Administrative Officer Warren Waycheshen said the intention is to have RCMP present at the meeting as well, or at least have information ready at the meeting that had been provided by the local detachment. Riverlodge has been set as the venue of the event, and will start at 7 p.m. Among the arguments against escort services made through citizens’ letters were that such businesses are “morally corrupt”, and lower community pride. Others say that councillors themselves must take a strong opposition to the proposal. Another letter stated that businesses such as escort services prey on at-risk members of the community.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
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1.34 INCLUDES TAX
Courtney Taylor of the BC Lions gives a team an advantage during a Tug-of-War match. Taylor, as well as Angus Reid and Jabar Westerman, visited Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School today promoting the Lions in the House initiative. Cameron Orr photo
Animal bylaws given teeth Cameron Orr Amendments to the Kitimat Municipal Code which will crack down harder on problem pet owners will hopefully mean progress on getting mail delivery returned to Farrow Street. As of February 25, the date of last week’s special meeting of council, mail still was not being delivered to Farrow Street, part of an ongoing issue the mail service was having with a neighbourhood dog. Service was suspended last November. A motion following the mail’s suspension called for the municipality to modify their animal control bylaws to ensure resumption of mail delivery. To that end, a proposed animal control policy was presented to councillors which increases the impoundment fees even further than currently provided. The District of Kitimat had established with the Kitimat Humane Society that any dogs impounded with multiple infractions over the past 24 months
“... Get your mail carriers to deliver the bloody mail.” would trigger the DoK to consider prosecution through the courts, which would allow them to fine up to $500. But no dogs were impounded during that time. “We have not had any issues of any dog running at all since this started, about November,” said deputy Chief Administrative Officer Warren Waycheshen. The new proposed fees for the Municipal Code will allow the District to fine pet owners higher costs, which will save the District from needing to petition a court to fine higher. The proposed policy also includes a definition of a dangerous dog. Defining a dangerous dog can allow for other controls, such as muzzling the animal
or securely confining it. It would not mean the dog could be destroyed, because that can only be decided by a provincial court. In short, the first impoundment of an animal would remain at $30, while the second would increase to $60 from $50. A third impoundment would cost $100 ($75) and a fourth is $300. Mario Feldhoff added an amendment that a fifth impoundment cost an owner $500. The fine for keeping an excessive number of animals is also proposed to rise to $100 from $50. Feldhoff reasoned that even though the District hasn’t faced any impoundments recently, these changes could potentially go towards an eventual resumption of mail. “I want to be able to go to the post office to say that we’ve changed our bylaw, that we’re enforcing our bylaw, we haven’t had a problem since November. Get your mail carriers to deliver the bloody mail,” he said. Continued on page 2
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The town that could have been ... page 10