Thursday, April 4, 2013
www.northislandgazette.com 5
Huddlestan remembered as advocate from page 1 of Transportation and Infrastructure Mary Polak on coastal ferry issues. “Al was a tireless advocate, and he worked right up to the last minute,” said Greg Fletcher, RDMW administrator. “He basically went right to the hospital from that meeting.” Huddlestan’s passing leaves a void on both RDMW board of directors and on Port Hardy Council, from which he served as regional district representative and chair since his election in 2008. Port Hardy Mayor Bev Parnham said Huddlestan’s replacement to the RDMW
board would likely be appointed during council’s next meeting on April 9. At that time, she said, Port Hardy would likely establish a date for a by-election to fill his spot for the remaining 18 months of a three-year term. “We’re really going to miss him,” said Parnham. “He was a very good friend for over 30 years, and always gave a lot to the North Island over the number of years he served as either mayor or councillor and on the RD.” Dave Rushton, Area D director and vicechair of the RDMW board, will serve as chair until Port Hardy appoints Huddlestan’s
replacement, said Fletcher. The board will then vote to select a chair and vice-chair, perhaps as soon as its next regular meeting April 16. Huddlestan, born in Victoria in 1950, moved to Port Hardy in 1978 and remained, splitting his time between public service and private enterprise. He first served as Port Hardy Councillor for one term in the mid-1980s, then served two terms as mayor from 1986-1993. After returning to council in 2008, he was appointed again the RDMW board and held the office of chair until his passing. He was diagnosed
with cancer in late 2011 and began undergoing treatment down-Island, while continuing to attend council and RD board meetings when he was back home. “I was amazed at his ability to fight through this whole thing and carry on at the level he did,” said Rushton. “He really amazed me; it’s a testament to his tenacity. And he’ll be missed; there’s no doubt about it.” Huddlestan served during some trying times on the North Island, including as Port Hardy mayor at the time the Utah copper mine began phasing out its operations. “Al did a lot of good negotiating with the
Cause unknown in blaze from page 1 investigate the origin of the fire, which started in a building with no electrical power or other obvious causes for ignition. “The investigation is ongoing,” Port McNeill RCMP sergeant Craig Blanchard said Tuesday. “We have nothing to go on so far, no cause of origin or suspects. “We have security at the scene and we have an investigator coming to look at it later this week.” The fire was called in at 3:40 a.m. Saturday, and trucks from Port Hardy Fire Rescue and from Hyde Creek Fire Department arrived to assist through a mutual aid agreement between the departments. “We had great cooperation between all three departments,” said Walker. “It was all very professional. I would work with either department again.” Walker toured the site Monday along with an insurance adjustor, and a security guard watched the premises around the clock. The main dining area of the Sportsman’s, a single-storey addition on the waterfront side of the main building, was untouched by the flames. But it was inundated by water, and atop the original,
two-storey building blackened sections of trusses, some draped with melted shingles, pointed toward the sky.
The RCMP asks anyone who might have seen unusual activity in the area late Friday or early Saturday, or who has any informa-
tion, to contact the Port McNeill detachment at 250-956-4441 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Claire Trevena, MLA (North Island) Room 7 Robert Scott School PO Box 2479 Port Hardy Phone 250-949-9473 or 866-387-5100 Fax: 250-949-9403 claire.trevena.mla@leg.bc.ca Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 11 am to 3 pm
Eagle View School Grade 7
Camp Homewood Fundraiser
GARBAGE DAY CLEAN UP April 20 - 10am-4pm
The grade 7 students of Eagle View will be cleaning up our community in conjunction with Earth Day and to raise funds for their trip to Camp Homewood. The students will be canvassing the neighbourhood starting the first week of April seeking pledged donations. We will also be hosting a hotdog sale just in front of Overwaitea. With the blessing of the Thunderbird Mall Administration and donation of garbage bins from Fox`s Disposal, we will also be setting up a scrap metal bin in the mall parking lot. Come on out and support our students.
SCRAP METAL DROP OFF HOT DOG SALE
mine to make sure the town would be OK in the transition,” said Parnham. “He was incredibly diplomatic. He could look at things from different perspectives, and always had a way of getting things to happen.” In recent years, Huddlestan was instru-
mental as board chair in overseeing establishment of a regional heritage bylaw and securing steam locomotive 113, and the Hornsby steam crawler tractor from a private collector who had taken it from Vancouver Island in 2005. Huddlestan also
served as president of the North Island Trail Association when it completed the North Coast Trail in 2008. “Al was a guy who was absolutely full of life,” said Parnham. “He cared about his community, about Port Hardy and about the North Island.”