PRINCE RUPERT VOL. 8 NO. 29
Business Manson’s closing after six decades Page A7
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
FREE
Cause of storage fire a mystery
PAINTING THE TOWN
Lengthy investigation comes up inconclusive BY SHAUN THOMAS PRINCE RUPERT / The Northern View
“There are some pieces missing that we may never find.”
Sports Among the best in B.C. Page A9
Martina Perry / The Northern View
Artist Jeff King highlights the mountain tops on the McBride Street mural. For more on the mural, see Page B2.
Community A look at health in 1945 Page A13
Haida Gwaii Massett’s class of 2013 Page B1
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620 7th Ave East 100 X 100 Lot $305,000
The Prince Rupert Fire Department has concluded its investigation into the June 5 fire that destroyed North Coast Pacific Mini Storage, but what exactly caused the blaze remains unknown. “The fire originated in the breaker panel, but what tripped it or why it failed in unclear ... there are some pieces missing that we may never find,” said fire chief Dave MacKenzie, noting crews were still out this weekend digging through the debris. - Dave MacKenzie “We are 100 per cent sure it was not suspicious ... the propane, the boats, the cars, that wasn’t part of it. It was a contributing factor to the fire burning faster and hotter, but it wasn’t the cause of the fire.” Although the exact cause of the blaze is undetermined, Mackenzie said the fire department, insurance agent and the Office of the Fire Commissioner are satisfied it was an electrical fire and have called off any further investigation into the matter. The blaze completely destroyed the mini-storage warehouse and its contents.
Skeena sockeye fishery unlikely to open Forecast return well below needed numbers BY SHAUN THOMAS PRINCE RUPERT / The Northern View
Commercial fishermen on the North Coast were dealt another blow this week with word that the 2013 Skeena River sockeye season is anything but a certainty. “Right now all indications are there is unlikely to be a commercial fishery this year ... our preliminary forecast is the return is between 600,000 and 800,000 and we do not open the commercial fishery until there are at least 1,050,000 sockeye, so our thought is that there will not be a commercial fishery this year,” said Mel Kotyk, North Coast area director with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who noted the situation could change.
“All indications are there is unlikely to be a commercial fishery this year.” - Mel Kotyk “We monitor the returns on a daily basis, and if that number does bump up, the fishery would open ... it will probably be another week or two until the majority of the fish return.” If the return was strong enough, the Skeena River sockeye fishery would open on July 12. Although that deadline may not be met, Joy
Thorkelson of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union said there is still an opportunity fishermen can benefit from the run. “Hope is not lost. It is not too late for the Skeena ... last year the fish arrived 10 days early. If the sockeye were 10 days late this year we could still have a good fishery,” she said. “The DFO predicted it would be a bad year and, unfortunately, that seems to be accurate.” Returns on the Nass River, meanwhile, are more than double the expected return. However, the fishery will be closing for two weeks on July 12 to allow a weak stock to pass through the system. “The hope was that the Nass would close on July 12 and the Skeena would open on July 12 ... but my guess is the Skeena won’t open on July 12,” said Thorkelson.
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