The Interior News
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
N EWS
www.interior-news.com
Airport cafe deal made
By Chris Gareau Smithers/Interior News
Smithers Regional Airport will still have a cafe after Bugwood Bean moves out. Town council tweaked a contract with Shilo and Chris Werrell, shortening the term from five years to two and putting the insinuated ambassador role in writing. The contract will cost the airport $70,200 per year. Shilo said she expects the yet-to-be-named cafe to open Aug. 1. “There’s going to be additional signage to make it clear that
visitors should come that way if they have any questions. We’ve floated around some ideas of an events board that’s updated daily so people can know what’s going on around town as well,” explained Shilo. “And the cafe’s going to have a small menu that’s flavourful and seasonal, and quick and to go.” Shilo said to keep an eye open for the new cafe’s Facebook page, where contests and input will be had, after the name is chosen. Council also approved spending $646,500 on a shed for airport equipment. They decided not to also spend $590,590 for a firehall shed. Councillors voiced concern about the look of the building in a central location.
Unis’tot’en camp blocks pipeline path From COASTAL on Front Coastal GasLink’s route takes it over the Morice River south of Smithers. A permanent camp set up by a group of Unis’tot’en House of the Wetsuweten blocks the pipeline route there. The group and supporters bussed from southern B.C. have told any TransCanada employees doing environmental and geo-technical assessments they come across in the area to leave, and have tried to stop helicopters from landing by building small structures in landing zones. Coastal GasLink project president Richard Gateman said the Unis’tot’en have not agreed to speak with the company. “I would say it’s a very small minority
of folks that are opposed to pipelines in that area; and it’s not just us, it’s any pipeline that’s proposed for that area,” said Gateman. “We’ve signed interim agreements with 20 out of 21 [First Nation groups]. The one House we haven’t signed with is holding out against pipelines.” The interim agreements are a first step to signing agreements for the 30-50year lifespan of the pipeline according to Gateman. “Part of it is just getting them the information and the facts that they need to understand the true nature of the project as opposed to what they perceive it to be or what other activist groups might tell them it is,” said Gateman. Twenty seven per cent of over 300,000
hours of fieldwork on the project has been conducted by Aboriginals according to TransCanada. Gateman added that half the 150 workers in the Morice River area are Wetsuweten. The input is meant to incorporate local knowledge into the pipeline’s design, including routing and site-specific mitigation plans, though Gateman said how much re-routing can be done is limited to the corridor given environmental approval, which ranges in width from 500 metres to two kilometres. Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs affected by the pipeline met in Moricetown June 16. Chief John Ridsdale (Na’Moks) said all reiterated the position that pipelines through the Morice River area would not be accepted.
A3
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Any 2 footlongs out of our Classic/Plus menu + 2 Soups Offer valid for 6 - 11 pm with this coupon. Offer valid until July 31, 2015.
Ed Vandergrift started his career in early seventies Smithers with the Overwaitea store on Main street; in the building where Subway is now located. Since joining with the Leach family operations in 1986 Ed never looked back and is now retiring as general manager of Bulkley Valley Wholesale. The entire team at B.V. Wholesale extend their warmest thanks to Ed for his over 35 years of dedicated service to the local grocery industry. They offer their heartfelt best wishes to Ed and his wife Marlene as they begin this new chapter of their lives.