Regional briefs Air quality On November 13 Kitimat was given an air quality advisory due to a high level of particulates in the air. Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions were cautioned to postpone strenuous exercise until the advisory was lifted. The advisory was expected to last several days. Staying indoors and in air conditioned spaces helps to reduce fine particulate exposure. Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, and lung or heart disease. Connected with the advisory, a three day open burning ban was also put in place.
Conservatives
A Vanderhoof school teacher wants to be the Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament for Skeena – Bulkley Valley. Gerald Caron has announced his candidacy for his party’s nomination leading to the federal election next October. Caron had been a candidate for the Conservative nomination for the Cariboo-Prince George riding but changed his mind several days ago. “A major consideration in this decision is his strong connections with the riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley, having worked in Fort St. James, and in Burns Lake, for School District 91,” a release sent out yesterday indicates. Caron said his candidacy was accepted following a presentation made to the annual general meeting earlier this month of the Conservative riding association for the Skeena – Bulkley Valley riding. The riding stretches from Haida Gwaii to the east but does not include Vanderhoof but does include Fort St. James.
Northern Sentinel, Wednesday, November 19, 2014 3
Radley Park erosion being monitored Cameron Orr Recent weeks of intense rain in Kitimat meant the riverbank along Radley Park continued to get hammered, but the District of Kitimat still believes the overall trend of the river is away from the camp. That means that while some land was washed away in recent high waters, there’s not a great concern there will be any more campsites lost, said the Director of Leisure Services. “In the last four weeks or a little longer we’ve had significant rain falls,” said Director of Leisure Services Martin Gould. “There was a period of time where the water raised significantly at Radley Park. We did lose a section of the riverbank to the river. To be perfectly honest it wasn’t all that unexpected that that small section may disappear.” Staff have since looked at the riverbank and are still convinced the river for the most part has straightened out and will be going in a direction along the riverbank rather than cutting in.” The island directly in front of Radley Park is also growing, he said, leading him to feel the river is, generally, directing more to the other side of the river, which is good for the District’s water in-takes, he said. As for the studies the town has commissioned for the river, Gould says their conclusions are ultimately “no guarantees. The river can make up its own mind and change direction any time it wanted.” If the Kitimat River had a sustained high water lasting months, which Gould said could happen, the town may stand to lose a lot more of the park. “It’s very hard to determine where the river is going to go at this point in time. Their [engineers] opinion and ours is the river is straightening out in front of Radley Park.” Gould said the recent loss of land did not result in any loss of campsites.
Holder to retire Cameron Orr Enbridge’s lead executive for the Northern Gateway Pipelines proposal will retire at the turn of the new year. Enbridge announced Janet Holder’s retirement last week, saying it will take place December 31, 2014. Holder is the executive vice president for Wester Access, a title she has held since 2011. “Over the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to every region of the province. It’s been an extremely rewarding experience, but I have decided now is a good time to take a step back and focus on my
A recent photo from the river bank at Radley Park. Land was washed away in recent high waters but efforts to protect the shore may be complicated. Could Radley Park be protected? Yes, but it’s a very complicated process. Gould reminded council of studies done approximately eight years ago when land first started disappearing in to the river and a plan was optioned to put up rip rap — basically stone reinforcement on the river bank — but the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in consultation with the Haisla determined that would not work, because downstream changes to the river from the rip rap could make the District of Kitimat liable. “If that course of the river affects something down stream...they’re going to point right back to us and say you [the District] are responsible.” The town could also dig a trench and install rip rap as a protection in case the river erodes far enough back to reach it, but it also could make them liable once the river changes due to that reinforcement. Mario Feldhoff suggested that Kitimat’s new council could look back at the engineering reports for Radley Park and see how the river has since changed and possibly revisit the idea of installing protective measures to guard against further loss of park land.
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