Coastal Gas Stories
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
Proudly serving Houston and District - Home of Canada’s Largest Fly Rod
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NO. 16 $1.30 Inc. GST
Residential taxes up 2.7% By Jackie Lieuwen Houston Today
PIPELINE Around
Jackie Lieuwen/Houston Today
Coastal GasLink pipeline had an Open House in Houston last week Monday, attended by over 25 Houston residents. This proposed pipeline would carry natural gas 670 kilometres from Dawson Creek to near Kitimat, and would run 23 kilometres south of Houston. Construction and clearing is expected to start August 2016, after TransCanada makes a final investment decision.
The District of Houston is raising taxes 20 percent on heavy industry (Canfor) to help meet infrastructure needs. Houston mayor and council set property tax rates at a finance meeting last Tuesday, April 14. Different tax rates are set for the seven different classes, including residential, heavy industry, light industry, business, recreation or nonprofit, utilities and farms. Property taxes in all classes are going up as the District of Houston restructures after the closure of Houston Forest Products (HFP), which cost the District $480,000 in property taxes. In 2015, residential taxes will go up 2.7 percent, which is $27 for the average $140,000 home, said
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“For heavy industry, which is essentially Canfor, taxes will go up 20 percent.”
Houston Director of Finance William Wallace. Taxes on all other sectors except for heavy industry will average a three percent increase. For heavy industry, which is essentially Canfor, property tax rates will go up 20 percent in 2015. Wallace says this tax rate includes the three percent increase applied to every class plus a new annual amount of $264,000. See TAXES on Page 3
Pipeline work camp proposed near Buck Creek Falls By Jackie Lieuwen Houston Today
The proposed Coastal GasLink pipeline work camp near Buck Falls may peak at 1,000 people. The camp was discussed in detail at the Coastal GasLink Open House in Houston last Monday,
April 13. Coastal GasLink is a natural gas pipeline proposed by TransCanada to run from Dawson Creek to Kitimat. The final investment decision and subsequent forest clearing and construction is expected in 2016.
Greg Cano, Coastal GasLink Project Director, says they do not know exactly when the decision will be made, but they will be ready to start construction by August 2016. Starting this spring, Coastal GasLink plans to have workers in this area doing engineering
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and environmental field studies, Cano said. Work camp locations will be finalized early 2016 and the earliest camps will be built is late 2016, he said. The pipeline runs 23 kilometres south of Houston and includes a proposed work camp
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southwest of Buck Falls. Cano says they may have two work camps in that area, but most likely one, which will operate for two to three years. The size of the camp will peak at 1,000 people, but average between 300 and 500 people, he
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said. Traffic will use the Morice River Road, and will be told not to use Buck Flats Road, he said. To avoid having “300 pickups driving back and forth to Houston,” Cano says they will look at having buses to bring people into town.
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He says the camp will have a controlled alcohol policy. “Having a dry camp in an area where alcohol is readily available close by, only leads to hundreds of guys driving in, having a beer and driving back,” Cano said. See CAMP on Page 2
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