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Health Charter to be developed for Houston By Jackie Lieuwen Houston Today
the airport is the access point for our community. It’s critical in terms of people’s quality of life, living here, being able to get to other communities; and it’s also critical for economic development,” said Mayor Taylor Bachrach, pointing out sectors such as tourism and mineral exploration rely heavily on the airport. “Regardless of the resource development we see on the books, it’s time to make an investment in the terminal building.” Council met recently
to discuss the specifics of the work to be done. That work included finding grants to pay for a $3.5 million south trunk storm sewer project and a $1.5 million lagoon polishing at the sewage treatment plant. If the grant is approved, Smithers council must decide how to get approval from residents to borrow its project cost share. That will happen through an alternative approval process that stops the loan with a 10 per cent disapproval, or a yea or nay referendum with a majority decision.
A committee of Houston health and service providers is developing a Health & Wellness Charter for Houston. The group is the amalgamation of the HFP Worker Transition Pillar, the Community Services Pillar and the previous Health Committee. Called the Houston Health, Safety, Community Services and Education Committee, they met last Friday to discuss those topics. As part of the discussion on health, Northern Health Services Administrator Cormac Hikisch said they are nearly finished the Northern Health review of Houston’s Health Services. “It will be coming out in the next few weeks,” he said. Hikisch says Northern Health is actively recruiting for a Houston doctor, and considering recruitment for a second. The meeting last Friday was the second meeting for this health, education and social services committee, which is open to the public and meets every other month. The group agreed to adopt the funding
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The Houston Health, Safety, Community Services and Education Committee met last Friday. Leaders among the Houston service providers, the group is an amalgamation of the HFP Worker Transition Pillar, the Community Services Pillar and the previous Health Committee.
Smithers airport expansion moving forward By Chris Gareau Black Press
The Smithers Regional Airport is looking to upgrade and expand. Smithers council is applying for grants to help fund the suggested $4.5 million upgrades, which include adding 6,000 sq. ft. of space to the current 9,440 sq. ft. building. This would more than double the seating in the passenger hold room, from 54 seats to 118. Upgrades will also include new accessible
washrooms, more efficient check-in, baggage handling and security areas, and renovations to the existing structure. The number of passengers at the airport has increased from 59,143 in 2000 to 82,768 in 2014. “We’ve had an architectural study of the building [in 2013] and that study has shown us that we are at or beyond capacity right now, and we’re also trying to plan for 20 years into the future for what the community’s going to need in order for this airport to continue to serve
the community,” said airport manager Rob Blackburn. The biggest grant Smithers council is applying for is the Building Canada Fund, which would split the $4.5 million cost three ways between the federal, provincial and municipal governments. That puts Smithers’ share at $1.5 million. The town believes that a loan could be paid off using the airport infrastructure reserve funded by airport fees, which would mean no hit to the taxpayer. “More and more,
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“Northern Health is actively recruiting for a doctor for Houston.” - Cormac Hikisch
and responsibility for a $5,000 grant that the District of Houston secured from the BC Healthy Communities Society in May 2014. The grant requires the group to develop a Health & Wellness Charter for Houston. With the group in the early stages of forming, they discussed the need to develop a mission statement and clear, guiding purpose. Several members including Cormac Hikisch, Northern Health, and Ryan Coltura, Houston Leisure Services, agreed that this charter would be a means for them to do that. They are forming a smaller work group to move forward with that project and inviting interested members of the public to participate.
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