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Sentinel
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Northern
Years est. 1954
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 60 No. 52
Park residents pitch plan
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
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1.30 INCLUDES TAX
Owners seek protections from forced evictions Cameron Orr Delegates from the Jed Stumps Manufactured Homeowners Association and the Vista Village Homeowners Association, with the support of the Kitimat Housing Resource Project, are pressing council to adopt new, stringent bylaws to protect the owners of mobile homes. The representatives, Ray Hepting, the chair of the Jed Stumps association, and a long-term resident of Vista Village speaking as proxy for Chair Mike Anthony, have been growing more concerned in recent months with rumours of potential redevelopment of the trailer parks. Such a change, said Hepting, would drastically alter their quality of life, given the affordable living they enjoy now. If they had to relocate in today’s market in Kitimat, it would simply cause trouble. Mike Anthony through his proxy also alluded to the troubles with evictions from landlords, saying the feeling at the trailer park is stressful and residents need more protections. Housing Resource Worker Paul Lagace presented a nine-pronged list of possible regulations which would protect the manufactured home owners. Among the recommendations is an extensive resident consultation process for pad renters prior to and during any rezoning application for the land. Also, Lagace proposes that any mobile home park owner must submit a “detailed Tenant Financial Assistance and Relocation Plan,” for all residents, and which addresses individual tenant needs. Such a plan could include payments for relocating trailers to another park, and paying for the expenses of such a move. Hepting points out that at the moment the only requirements from a park owner is to pay 12 months of pad rental to the resident. For people paying $300 a month, $3,600 doesn’t go very far in dealing with the fallout of being displaced. Councillors added the submission to their December 15 agenda and moved for the recommendations be forwarded to the District of Kitimat planning department for review. The planning department at the same meeting had compiled a Housing Action Work plan which set an outline of tasks for the planning department to work on and later present to council, to address housing needs in Kitimat. More on that plan on page 3
Naturally, Elsa and Olaf were on stage with the Mount Elizabeth Middle School Band during a musical production inspired by the Disney film Frozen. This particular photo was taken during a Tuesday rehearsal, while the main show went live Thursday night.
Apache finds buyer for Kitimat LNG stake Cameron Orr The Apache Corporation, which had been seeking an exit from Kitimat LNG as well as Wheatstone LNG in Australia, is getting their wish with a confirmed deal between them and Woodside Petroleum. Woodside has agreed to buy the projects for $2.75 billion. Woodside will also pick up the tab for spending on the projects between June 30, 2014 and the closing date, which was not specified. Apache does say it is expected in the first quarter of 2015, and is subject to government and regulatory approvals. The estimate for those costs is $1 billion. Apache’s share of the Kitimat LNG
project is 50 per cent. “Today’s announcement marks the successful completion of one of our primary strategic goals of exiting the Wheatstone and Kitimat LNG projects,” said Apache Chairman and CEO G. Steven Farris in a news release. “I am proud of Apache’s legacy in advancing the Wheatstone and Kitimat LNG projects, and I am confident that Woodside’s participation will have a positive impact in seeing these world-class LNG facilities through to first production.” The sale of the stake in the Kitimat LNG project, the company adds, is subject to “certain operator consents.” Apache indicated back in July they wanted to secure an exit from their stake
in the companies. Kitimat LNG has all of its required permits and licences but has been undergoing a lengthy front-end engineering and design study which would finalize a price tag and move the company towards making a final investment decision. Media reports over the summer indicated Apache was under pressure by investors to leave Kitimat LNG. Financial reports for the company in July showed Apache had spent $339 million on Kitimat LNG so far in the year, $183 million in the first quarter and $155 million in the second. Between Kitimat LNG and Wheatstone the company has spent $894 million up to that point in the year.
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A reflection of 30 years in Kitimat politics ... page 9