business fights back over recycling
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Friday, March 14, 2014
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VOL. 100 NO. 56
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Alleged kidnapper in RCMP custody A 31-year-old Prince George male remains in custody following a targeted violent incident in Quesnel last week. The investigation began March 8 after Quesnel RCMP received a report that an adult female had been forced into a vehicle, taken against her will and threatened with a gun before she was released. Investigation has determined that this was a targeted incident linked to illegal drug activity. Shortly before 10 p.m., March 8, RCMP in Prince George arrested 31-year-old, Aaron Reuel Evans in connection with this crime. Evans is currently facing charges which include: • Forcible confine-
Sneak peek Donovan Ogilvie peeks from his cardboard creation during Carson’s Cardboard Challenge. For more photos see PAGE A3. Autumn MacDonald photo
ment; • Use of firearm while committing an offence; • Uttering threats; and • Failing to comply with a recognizance. Investigation into this matter is ongoing. Additional charges are anticipated. Anyone with any information regarding this crime call the Quesnel RCMP GIS/ Drug Section at 250992-9211 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477. With Crimestoppers you do not have to provide your name and you do not have to testify in court. Crimestoppers pays up to $2,000 in cash rewards for information leading to an arrest and charge.
Cariboo Mining Association lobbying government Rethink new fee structure or miners will take drastic action AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter He says if the new fees go through, “75 per cent won’t stand for it” choosing to take their mining investment elsewhere, or to “go rogue.” President of the Cariboo Mining Association Richard Wittner said with the release of the Mines Permit Free Discussions Paper and the potential for increased fees the association is taking action.
“We have until March 31 to reply and provide our feedback,” he said, adding legislation has already been tabled. Outlined in the discussion paper, released by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, are fees for an application of work notice. Any testing done up to one hectare would cost $2,000, for any activity more than one hectare up to three hectares has a price tag of $4,000 and any operation more than
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three hectares is $6,000. These fees could run up to $300,000 for large scale major mines. “This means if you want to dig test holes it will now cost $2,000 more just to make an application,” Wittner said, adding that in 2012 government doubled the cost of staking a claim, while doubling the amount of assessment work to obtain a claim. “We’re being taxed to death.” Wittner pointed out the
majority of mining operations in the Cariboo are primarily “mom and pop shops, operating with two or three employees. “In 2012 we conducted an economic study on small operations spending here in the Cariboo,” Wittner said. “The study had only 49 respondents out of as many as 400 active small operations in the Cariboo. $13,149,279.00 was spent locally by these 49 operations.”
Now, Wittner said, they’re seeing “a lot” of these miners moving to the Yukon and Alberta, “mine-friendly locations.” A global mining survey for 2012/2013 by the Fraser Institute ranked B.C. at 31 out of 96 jurisdictions for being top ranking jurisdictions. In fact, it was the first time since the Institute’s 2006/2007 survey that a Canadian jurisdiction did not rank first in their survey.
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“There’s so much talk about diversifying, yet they continue to put up roadblocks,” Wittner said. “If these fees go through we’ll see two things: miners going rogue and not applying for permits, obviously we don’t want that. And the rest of them pulling up their stakes and heading elsewhere.” To add your concerns or input to the Association’s plea to government, email: Cariboo cariboominingassociation@hotmail.com.
Deb Quick, Travel Consultant 250-992-5169 in Quesnel
Deb Quick offers all travel services as a Flight Centre Travel Agency. www.AskDeb.ca
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