Could this be the Cougars year?
Could this be the Cougars year?
Plus more fines for Coastal GasLink and a really good bear video
The Vancouver Sun’s sports reporter Steve Ewen thinks that after an iffy few decades, this might finally, again, be the Prince George Cougars’ year:
That hasn’t been a common refrain for many years, especially when you consider that last spring’s opening round playoff win for Prince George over the Tri-City Americans marked the franchise’s first trip out of the first round since 2006-07.
They do feel like they’re hitting a sweet spot, though. They look like the favourites in the B.C. Division, at the very least.
He notes the team has Riley Heidt, a lead scorer and the second overall draft pick in 2020 after phenom Connor Bedard. The season starts at the CN Centre tonight and Saturday.
Wildfires are still burning and crews are burning out
Local media went to a firefighting camp set up near the airport that has been accomodating more than 200 crew members from South Africa. To say goodbye, they performed a series of dances which, as far as I can tell, you have to go to X to watch via the My Prince George Now account:
Them leaving isn’t great:
Fire Information Officer, Marg Drysdale told Vista Radio it’s a big blow to their efforts as the area is still pretty active in terms of the volume of blazes.
“We have 26 active fires, four of those are wildfires of note. We currently have 13 that are out of control, seven under control, and six being held. It’s an extremely active fire zone right now.”
“They are going to Prince George (South African firefighters) to have a final dinner this evening and then they are going to be on their way home. It’s a very large logistical challenge to get that many people halfway around the world to help us fight fires.”
BC Wildfire needed more than 3,000 firefighters from around the world, almost twice its usual workforce.
“They were ill-prepared,” Velisek says. “A lot of us felt that way. They should have that awareness by now that seasons are going to be incredibly busy, longer and things are going to get worse.”
Given these challenges, Velisek and many others felt an impending sense of dread.
“I felt so unprepared because the fire season usually starts in June — the fire season hadn’t even peaked yet,” she says.
And the fire chief of West Kelowna went to the United Nations to urge action on climate change:
"Over $20 million was spent reacting to my fire, not to mention the insurance losses, which could be triple that," Brolund told his audience.
"What could we have accomplished if we used that same amount of money proactively? We're spending the money on the wrong end of the problem."
Surely this administrative fine will make the pipeline company stop violating environmental rules
The pipeline company that prompted national rallies over fears they would cause harm to the environment have been fined $346,000 for "deficiencies with erosion and sediment control measures" which will surely prompt the company to make sure this doesn’t happen again and — oh, wait, what’s this?
It follows three previous penalties totalling over $450,000 for the same violation over the last year and a half….
Since the construction of the pipeline through northern B.C. began in 2019, the EAO says it has issued more than $800,000 in fines, 59 warnings, and 30 orders, which includes 13 stop-work orders.
The company was also fined $6,000 for “providing false and misleading information” in relation to maintenance inspection records, which the company admits is regrettable, albeit unintentional.
Meanwhile, hospitality workers at Horizon North Parsnip Lodge have voted in favour of potential strike action this weekend, which their union says would result in a pause on pipeline construction. You may remember Parsnip Lodge as the location where 18 people were taken to hospital in Prince George, prompting a code orange, after their bus — which they had to take for hours every day — went off the road.
Northern Capital News: Now earlier!
I previously sent this newsletter out at 7 a.m. but this week I decided to try doing it at 6, and got this email:
I just want to say that the 6am arrival of your newsletter is so much better for parents of children who wake up at 7am daily needing to be fed and have all of their needs met immediately.
I enjoyed reading the newsletter (as usual) in silence in it’s entirety with a coffee this morning. Magical!
So 6 am it is from now on. Real-time results.
A really good bear video
I was walking my dogs and talking about how I haven’t seen bears in more than a week when my neighbour sent me this video just a few doors down from my house:
I’ve become overloaded on bear vids but this one is pretty cute. Here’s an Instagram version so you’re allowed to share it online.
Quick news
The city put out a long story (their words) about why road projects are seemingly always delayed.
Heartbreakers is closed for several months after the building next to it blew up, but they are holding a party at the old Rollerdome tomorrow night.
Save-On-Foods opening Pine Centre Mall store next Thursday. This report also says they plan to re-open the Parkwood location as a Save-On? Can we be a five Save-On town? We’ll see.
Union of B.C. Municipalities votes in favour of pets for renters/
Council returns Monday! Here’s the agenda.
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