Haida Gwaii Observer, November 06, 2015

Page 1

Remembrance Day events Ferry talks page page

Masset Library QCS lands village contract

23

page page

Skidegate’s Robo tours15 minutes

34

page page

Haida Inkkcough Whooping

5 4

page page

79

OBservER OBSERVER

Founded 1969

$ 3 00 00

Haida Gwaii

www.haidagwaiiobserver.com

ii nn cc ll uu dd ee ss G G SS TT

May 1, Friday,Friday, November 6, 2015 2014

Massive Internet Earthquake rattles upgrades beds butunderway fails to North-to-south fiberoptic startle nerves line part of $2.1M project

By Stacey Marple Haida Gwaii Observer By Stacey Marple Haida Gwaii Observer The early morning of Friday April 24, Haida Gwaii was hit an Earthquake Better internet onby Haida Gwaii hasof 6.1 magnitude. No tsunami were for issued been the topic of manywarnings discussions after the earthquake. The epicentre of the the board and employees of GwaiiTel, quake wasare approximately south itofathe but who in the works167 of km making Village reality. of Queen Charlotte. Some residents of Haida Gwaii reported “On Haida Gwaii we can see the expoobjects shaking and windows rattling, but no nential growth of serious damage or injuries were reported. internet services; it the islands of Haida Gwaii all have is As obvious we need unique geological qualities, the effects of an and want increased earthquake broadband can ser-vary from island to island. Every reported feeling the quake in vice,” community Carol different Kulesha ways. said inQueen an Charlotte Village which has a rock base didn’t feel the quake as much email. With funding as the residents of the northern parts of Graham of over $2-million island. Tlell and north is mostly a sand based dollars from Gwaii area and feels almost Trust and $140,00 every quake that happens. - Carol Kulesha Shirley Wilson of Skidegate reported from Northern feeling the earthquake. “I was sitting in my Development bed when Trust, I heardan the house creak.” After Initiative the initial creakprojshe felt her bed start rocking improvement and noticed her ornaments rocking. “The ect is now underornaments rocked for a while after the quake way. stopped,” Ms. Wilson The new project told the Observer. “My son who also ininstalled the house willand see brother a second setwere of radios on a didn’t the Hayes earthquake all.” Rupert that tower feel on Mt. nearatPrince Barry Pages of Masset, director of the will send signals to a tower in Masset. Skeena-Queen Charlotte District “This will give us bothRegional redundancy for said heand felt increased the quake but because it wasMs. fairly safety ability to grow,” short he wasn’t too radio concerned. However, he Kulesha said. The stations will double added, “This is a reminder to every one to the capacity of transferring data to Haidabe prepared.” Gwaii. Earthquakes arelimited nothinginnew to Haida “We won’t be moving data Gwaii. quake comes just grow weeksfor after a across The to Mt. Hays and can a long study ed Haidaexplained. Gwaii as ground zero time,”identi Ms. Kulesha forThe the project next major on theconwest willseismic also seeevent GwaiiTel coast. necting the islands communities north to Thiswith recent earthquakeline, doesn’t qualify as south a fiberoptic eliminating the big points one scientists was smaller choke that bogpredict, down as theitsystem. than even some of the aftershocks after the 7.7 “One of these has been where we leave magnitude earthquake in 2012. our own fiber stream and enter a system The same thatown Haida Gwaii got shared withweekend others. Our fiber would hit by thisthis,” 6.1 tremor, Nepal was devastated eliminate she said, adding the fiberopby 7.8will magnitude event. tic aline also travel into Port Clements Earthquakes between a 6.0 and a 6.9 are and Tlell. on Page 3 considered a strongSee onINTERNET the Richter scale.

“I cannot emphasize how important this is.”

Archie Stocker Sr. photo

No tricks here—whether hamming it up with a grin, or painting one on, Old Massett children offer theirSubmitted best. photo

Committee members of the Pulling Together Haida Gwaii Event demonstrate their teamwork abilities at the carving shed in the Kay Centre. The group will be holding a fund raiser May 2. See full story on Page 3

Future of and Masset library enters after new chapter Search rescue suspended Day 3

Community mulls three leading locations formorning, newApril structure 18. He missed dinner By Quinn Bender

Haida Gwaii Observer By Stacey Marple Haida Gwaii The search forObserver Kumdis Ilsand resident, Brent Hendren, was suspended Turnout forfollowing a meetingone held at the last weekend of Haida Jesse Simpson Memorial Library indiGwaii’s largest search and rescue cates, many Masset residents want operations in more than 25 years. a say the future their library. “I inknow for a of fact that if he was The meeting was called the alive out there we would haveby found staff at the Masset branch of the him. There’s no chance we would Vancouver Island Regional Library. have missed him. The community Masset know mayorwe Andrew Merilees was should did everything we present as well as Councillor possibly could to find him,” Tony said Tyler. Ashurst, Chris SAR manager with The meetingGround was brought forward Archipelago Search and after the Vancouver Island Regional Rescue and deputy unit leader with

Prince Rupert’s

“I know for a fact “We have thatreally if he don’t was alive a tight out theredeadline.” we would have found him.” - Andrew Merilees - Chris Ashurst

Library (VIRL) reached a decision Massett Marinehad Rescue. toMr. change library locations Masset. Hendren, 27, was in last seen The present building, which the comrowing out to his Kumdis Island munityrental has a lot of supplies love for, has been cabin with Sunday

plans with friends later that night. deemed unfit to use as a Library. The following Tuesday Masset VIRL is willing to build Masset RCMP received a missing personsa brand new facility to house the Library report, which led to the discovery and is looking for a new site. The Mr. Hendren’s boat abandonedbody and presented several to Mayor overturned south options of Watun River Merilees share with council, near PuretoLake Provincial Park.who then decided to believed let the community “It is strongly that Brent have theirwhen say, on at thecapsized Oct. 15 drowned hissite, rowboat meeting. west of Kumdis Island,” Mr. Ashurst Structural stem to a 2009 said. “This issues is based onback information Assessment Report, which noted the from witnesses, the location of the capestimated costs for capital upgrades sized vessel, and the distribution of his would total $137,150. personal effects along the shoreline. See VIRL on Page 3

See SEARCH on Page 2

Excellence in Service and Accommodation

Call 1-800-663-8150


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.