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Sentinel
Northern
Years est. 1954
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 60 No. 49
7-day shelter opens in Kitimat Cameron Orr Following from last winter’s extreme weather shelter, the Mountainview Alliance Church is hosting a seven-day a week overnight homeless shelter. The shelter is being operated by the Kitimat Child Development Centre, with support from the Kitimat Housing Resource Project, and is comanaged by Birgit Manninen and Michelle Martins. The shelter only opened for the first “There’s so night on November 17 and the managers, many dynamics along with their curto this that at rent crop of volunteers, any point you were busy to make sure everything was set be- don’t know how fore the likely peak many you’re season begins when the weather will really take going to have.” a turn with cold and snow. Unlike last year, this shelter will operate regardless of whether extreme weather has been declared. “There’s no stipulation what the weather is, we’re just open,” said Manninen. She said that they do hope that they can eventually secure space at the Kitimat First Baptist Church, only to provide a more central location for potential users. Since opening on the 17th, she said they hadn’t had any users yet, but it will be a wait-andsee approach to how well used it is ultimately. “There’s so many dynamics to this that at any point you don’t know how many you’re going to have,” she said. “It will be at the end that we’ll know.” She said people who need shelter may have found some but it’s very possible people may feel “closed in” after awhile, or the people they’re staying with could get evicted themselves, which rapidly changes a person’s situation. Martins says anybody can be admitted, the rules though are to be sober and drug free, and vital statistics are taken as well to ensure the person doesn’t need medical treatment. The shelter opens at 8 p.m. and closes at 8 a.m. daily. “It is more so directed to men because there are no supports for men in the community,” added Martins. “For women and children we’re going to try to get them in to the transition house first.” The managers are still seeking more volunteers to add to the dozen or so they have on their roster. People can call the CDC at 250-632-3144 for information about the shelter.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
$
“Don’t I know you from the naughty list?” Paula Keech shared this photo from the November 22 Light Up Kitimat Festival at Mountainview Square. The festive event was visited by Santa Claus himself who mingled with the children, and shared a look or two with some.
Haisla LNG plans may bump into Northern Gateway’s Cameron Orr A Haisla-owned LNG proposal called Cedar LNG (Sentinel, Sept. 10, 2014) has eyes to land which had been dog-eared for the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines project. Cedar LNG would call for six jetties for LNG export for floating production facilities along the west side of the Douglas Channel. One such location puts the Haisla proposal within the proposed footprint of Northern Gateway’s marine terminal. Haisla Chief Councillor Ellis Ross knows that their plans will impact the Gateway proposal. “It’s not land sharing,” he said, adding, “We’re still going ahead on the judicial review on the NEB’s recommendation... We’re still going through with the court case on Canada’s decision to approve Enbridge so that, without a doubt, will have to keep going.” The land they have plans for have been in the Haisla’s eye for a long time. “The land in question...long before anybody came to town,
was always part of the Haisla’s treaty land offer,” said Ross. He said if a treaty ever came close to a reality the Haisla wanted to be assured that land was included. “Even before anybody came along, including Enbridge, the Haisla knew they wanted that land back,” he said. “We haven’t given up our rights and title on any of our territory.” Enbridge spokesperson Ivan Giesbrecht said that their proposed site is “part of the project as approved by the federal government,” and is held in a “Map Reserve” established in the B.C. Land Act in 2006. “In 2012 Northern Gateway worked with [B.C.] to reduce the site from approximately 467 hectares to approximately 390 hectares to provide additional room for proposed adjacent LNG sites,” he added. He also said that Northern Gateway “has always been supportive of LNG projects on the west coast,” and that the company would be “happy to have conversations with Chief Ellis Ross regarding Haisla-supported LNG projects in relation to our marine terminal.”
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Tracking the boomtown cycles ... page 3