Election season is over. Wildfire season is here
And the Amazing Race comes to Prince George.
Alright, it’s been an eventful week and I simply had more to do than I could manage while also picking up this newsletter. A week ago today it wass election day and you know what happened there but here’s my report on it the following day, from the perspective of another sweep for the Conservatives in the region:
Jason Morris, a professor of political science at the University of Northern B.C., says supporters of other parties need to be "busier than beavers" organizing themselves if they hope to see someone other than a Conservative elected to represent the region next time around, pointing out that party has a strong presence in the area even in non-election years.
In contrast, he observed that the Liberal Party often doesn't even announce candidates for some ridings in the area until midway through election campaigns and has at times put forward the names of people with no history in the region.
"It's just a terrible way to try to build for the future," he said in an interview that was completed prior to the election results. "Political parties ... aren't just supposed to be functioning when the writ is dropped. They're supposed to be doing their best in the communities they wish to represent."
Based on the results, which saw Todd Doherty with a 60.1 per cent vote share and Bob Zimmer with 70.9 per cent (with some polls yet to report, still?), I think it’s likely that the breakdown of individual voting spots will show those two candidates won all parts of the riding, Prince George included.
Probably the more interesting result is the fact the Liberals came in second in both these ridings, despite the relative slip-shod organization they had in each spot. In Cariboo-Prince George, you’ll recall, we spent a week assuming one person would be running only to find out it was someone else, while in Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, the Liberal candidate moved to Prince George midway through the election campaign, did an interview or two, and promptly seems to have peaced out, not taking part in either debate held in the region. That didn’t stop him from finishing with three times as many votes as Cory Longley of the NDP, who was very present at both debates as well as in media and has a bit of name recognition having finished second in the 2021 election.
Nevertheless: it seems safe to assume most of the folks here were voting for party over local candidate, given the results for the Liberals. Clinton Emslie, who ran for the Liberals in Cariboo-Prince George, told the Citizen, “Considering we only entered the race three weeks ago, I think we did a lot in those three weeks,” which may be true but one can only imagine how succesful they might be if they tried announcing a candidate more than three weeks before voting day. The NDP candidate was a bit less optimistic, overall, understandably.
Meanwhile, it looks like turnout for Cariboo-Prince George was the highest it’s been since the riding was created in 2004 (but still pretty low), while Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies is on track for a decade-low. And the Conservatives handily won the student vote, as well.
Justice for Luke
Another major story I reported on this week was the decision to remove a family associated with the drug trade and a fatal hit-and-run on Haida Gwaii from the community of Skidegate. You can read about it here and here. The local angle is the group did make it to Prince George, resulting in local protests, as well as a bit of a standoff after they left a pair of boats behind which resulted in RCMP having to come and tell protesters they had been sold.
Council news
City staff draws up trade war 'battle plans' for council to consider
Large addition on Hart residential property approved by council.
Mining is the new forestry
Maybe not quite the exact same situation as the forestry boom but as the Canfor Polar sawmill in Bear Lake, which employed 180, shuts down a new silica sand mine, which would employ 150, is being proposed for the same community:
Vitreo Minerals' proposed silica sand mine, about 60 kilometres north of the city, near Bear Lake, would produce sand used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to prop open the fractures that are created during crude oil and natural gas extraction.
Right now, the company says, most of that sand is imported from Wisconsin, but amid a "Buy Canadian" movement, CEO Scott Broughton believes that should apply to the industrial sector, as well.
"We should make that locally. We should capture that market," he said while speaking at the Minerals North conference held in Prince George this week.
If it moves forward, sand from the mine would be sold into the Montney oil and gas basin bordering northeast B.C. and Alberta, where industry is anticipating increased demand as the LNG Canada facility comes online in Kitimat, on B.C.'s North Coast, later this year.
Terrace mayor Sean Bujtas, though, also has a warning about what happens when big industry comes in:
“Quite frankly, the cost of industry is being pushed onto the residents,” Bujtas said. “When you think about projects like LNG Canada — I’m very supportive of that project, very supportive of mining and the Golden Triangle. But since the final investment decision for LNG Canada, the City of Terrace has raised its taxes by 40 per cent.
“I don’t know how you would feel, but if you live in the City of Terrace — and you can’t put all that cost onto LNG Canada — why should that project cost you money? Why should it cost your neighbour money? Why should it cost that young mother with small children money?”
Mayor Simon Yu was asked about this by the Citizen and he remains optimistic Prince George will be the centre of a mining boom:
“This will be the place,” said Yu. “Eventually, it will become the centre for all the mining activities in BC, and not just our immediate region, but further — to the Yukon and perhaps the Okanagan.
“Logistically speaking, we’re really at the centre of the province — geographically, historically, and with all the roads and railroads putting us at this spot. Looking at all the exploration happening in all directions, I cannot help but envision that this will be the place. All the workers and their families are going to come here. We’re going to play a pivotal supporting role.”
Fire season is back
Things kicked off Wednesday and Thursday in the Peace, when a handful of fires cut off communication in Tumbler Ridge and prompted a small evacuation on the north side of Fort St. John. Cooler weather helped calm things over the weekend but as a reminder of the risks locally, a small fire broke out east of Buckhorn, though it was promptly held and an evacuation for a handful of properties was given near Hixon Friday, rescinded Saturday.
The Amazing Race was in town
They’ve been filming since the 22nd. They started in Edmonton, Lake Louise and then flew to Vancouver over a week ago. Then they went to Inuvit. Then Prince George.
News roundup:
Today: McLeod Lake First Nation holding first walk for International Red Dress Day.
Also today: PG Dutch Community to commemorate 80th Anniversary of the Netherlands liberation.
Northern Health hit with court order after failing to respond to request about care home conditions.
Premier brings up Prince George delegation during public safety discussion (another one for my file of David Eby bringing up Prince George more often than any other premier I ca think of). It came after local MLA Kiel Giddens brought up the need for a pyschiatric hospital in Prince George in the legislature.
CNC budget reflects estimated decrease of $7 million in international tuition revenue.
Coffee shop coming back to Books & Co. in downtown Prince George (hooray! This used to be my top recommendation for visitors to the city as a place to start your day and now it can be again).
Argentinian travellers reach Prince George as part of seven-year road trip.
Former top cop testifies as officer tries to have conviction overturned; Former Independent Inspections Office chief testifies about charges against Prince George RCMP officer.
Big job ahead: Prince George man has to remove 100-plus vehicles from his property.
PG RCMP looking into sexual interference complaint near Lac des Bois elementary school.
PG RCMP raid Nicholson Street home for 2nd time in less than a year.
Northern BC housing market showing resilience during economic turmoil.
New crosswalk light going in at Queensway and Patricia Boulevard.
Prince George Community Foundation launches new pilot program to support seniors in need.
Trustees hear feedback from families, unions and staff on next SD57 budget.
“This can’t be real” Prince George resident wins $5 million on Lotto 6/49 draw.
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Send feedback by emailing northerncapitalnews@gmail.com. Find me online at akurjata.ca.
This photo of Mr. PG being involved in the Amazing Race reminds me that we started discussing moving our beloved tin (wood) man to a better location over the last year, but that seems to have dropped off the the radar of late.
Frankly, the photos we saw in the newspaper's article and others online shows that this location is just not aesthetically pleasing with the large apartment blocks immediately behind the statue. He blends into the colour scheme of the buildings' siding, access to visit is still very poor and the original reasons for moving him there seem to have been eroded over time.
I don't think there is anything wrong with the apartments, which have contributed more housing to our city but our mascot deserves a better location that focuses on him rather than a landscape of bland grey/brown/tan buildings that ultimately diminish his importance to our city.