A Liberal enters the fray
And is the hydrogen dream dead?
After yesterday’s newsletter I got a couple of notes telling me a Liberal candidate for the city would be announced later that day. And sure enough for Carbioo-Prince George, former mayor of Burns Lake/current College of New Caledonia instructor Chris Beach has entered, citing his “confidence in new Liberal leader Mark Carney’s economic vision.” In the modern political era, Liberal candidates have done best when the Liberal leader sees a surge in personal popularity (see: Trudeau, 2015) so we’ll see how that translates this time around. Meanwhile, the Citizen’s latest candidate profile is Jodie Capling of the Greens, also in Cariboo-Prince George:
Speaking to The Citizen by phone on Monday, March 24, Capling (pronounced cape-ling) said she wanted to run to give the riding’s residents the choice to vote Green even in a traditionally conservative riding.
“In past elections, not necessarily federal, but provincial, when there haven’t been Green Party representatives on the ballot, I felt disappointed,” Capling said. “And so I thought ‘well, I guess I better step up then.’”
…
Capling has a master’s degree in resource management from Simon Fraser University and currently works as a yoga instructor. She grew up near Alexis Creek, where she developed a love of camping.
Is the hydrogen dream dead?
At various points in this newsletter, I’ve made note of the city and province both going pretty big on Prince George’s future as a hub of hydrogen power with announcement after announcement for new projects made over the past few years, and premier David Eby bringing it up at events not just here but in Vancouver and even Ottawa. However, documents from CBC News indicate a number of thoese projects may be dead:
The end of one of those plans — Fortescue's Project Coyote — has since been made public, but the documents list six more projects that have been quietly put on ice, including a Prince George clean hydrogen project publicly launched by Premier David Eby last January.
Among them:
Eby travelled to Prince George last January to announce a project led by Chilliwack-based Teralta Hydrogen Solutions to power a Canfor mill with hydrogen produced as a byproduct from a nearby Chemtrade sodium chlorate production facility.
"Our work is creating jobs and delivering cleaner air across the province. B.C.'s hydrogen strategy has paved the way for this project to move forward," Eby said in a news release issued at the time.
"Teralta and their partners, Chemtrade and Canfor Pulp, are leaders in fighting climate change through creative solutions that lower carbon emissions, create good-paying jobs for people, and build healthier communities."
But according to the FOI documents, that project has since been paused.
"Chemtrade ceased sodium chlorate production due to local mill closures, which means no byproduct hydrogen is being produced on site," the documents say.
A Teralta spokesperson told CBC News that while the project itself was successful, the closure of the Canfor mill and Chemtrade's decision to stop producing sodium chlorate in Prince George meant it was no longer viable, so the project has been put on hold indefinitely.
Also on pause: MIXT Energy (McLeod Lake Indian Band) and Mitsubishi's $5-billion green hydrogen and ammonia production project for export on Kerry Lake reserve near Prince George; plus two others in the northwest and one in the northeast near Taylor.
The documents also bring up a topic I’ve not heard before: in order to work, there may need to be ammonia transported by rail:
One of the most efficient ways of moving hydrogen is by chemically combining it with nitrogen to make ammonia, which can be shipped by rail or boat and then "cracked" back into its separate components at a final destination.
"The use of ammonia as a hydrogen energy carrier is considered more energy efficient and uses globally established infrastructure," Eby was told in an information document written last July.
"However, when not handled properly, or spilled, ammonia can pose significant risk to human health and the environment due to its flammability, acute toxicity and negative impacts to aquatic ecosystems."
News roundup:
Reminder: Power outages planned for Friday and overnight Sunday-Monday.
Apparently in his retirement, former B.C. Liberal/United MLA Mike Morris has taken it upon himself to investigate residential school deaths and write a letter of support to Dallas Brodie, the MLA kicked out of the B.C. Conservatives over her comments characterized by John Rustad as mocking survivors.
Drug that could be 'more toxic than fentanyl' being sold in northern B.C.
CNC turns to domestic student recruitment as international caps come in.
Study finds pit houses in the Chilcotin ‘older than the pyramids’.
Kym Gouchie heads to Juno Awards in a specially designed dress. See it Sunday on the red carpet!
Award-winning research looks to improve air quality monitoring.
Discussions of Canada, NATO to take place at UNBC amid geopolitical uncertainty.
Emergency Preparedness Pop-Up taking place Friday at Pine Centre Mall.
Cougars looking forward to pair of raucous crowds as they face off against Portland.
Sign of the times: someone wonders when Popeye’s is opening in Prince George and the majority of comments are “who cares, they’re an American corporation.” When there’s no longer hype around fast food chains opening in mid-sized cities, you know the mood has changed.
Given that there’s a power outage Sunday, odds are good you won’t have a newsletter Monday so talk after that!
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Send feedback by emailing northerncapitalnews@gmail.com. Find me online at akurjata.ca.
Popeye's may not be opening....but there is a new *sigh* Tim Hortons on boundary road.
I just don't get the market for this kind of stuff...it's like there is a NEVER ENDING demand for it.
apparently the list of power outages is either not accurate or it's a real sh-t show over at BC hydro. friend on Claxon has only received notices that they are on the list, but not on the paper's list.