Change…It’s a comin

Well it’s been over a year since my last posting … (some of you may have noticed that  I removed several  articles on past issues about our fair town – no use beating dead horses, folks!) so I thought I might start writing again on changes happening in Kitimat post-National Post articles.

As always, I will offer up both positive and negative change and encourage my readers to respond with their viewpoints and/or opinions on these issues, but again, be mindful… bullying other posters or trolling etc, will not be tolerated here, so don’t bother posting if that is your  intent. I’m not interested in people disrespecting others opinions.
If you disagree with someone, post the whys and whats of the matter… be adult-like and you will be treated like-wise.

If you need to speak about specifics, you may use “generalities” when referring to a person or place of  business.  (eg: “A woman that works at one of our banks”, etc)

Thanks, Snookie

Kitimat B.C – Business Ideas and Recommendations

This is a community plan that Danny Nunes wrote for Kitimat In it he discusses ideas & recommendations he has for the city.
This video gives a tour of many well know locations in Kitimat as he discusses what he would like to see implemented. Way to go Danny!

Time to build for the future

I have a few ideas;
Do something with our Marina district – comparable to Prince Rupert’s “Cow Bay”.
A lovely boardwalk… with restaurants, gift shops, whale watching, day cruises, beach excursions, etc … just for starters.

Kitimat Sentinel
“Letters to the Editor”
http://www.northernsentinel.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=16&cat=45&id=870783&more=

It is time to move on.

Mayor Wozney and Trafford Hall have had their day in court, not once but twice, at a huge financial and morale cost to our community.

Their claims against Alcan and the BC government have been thoroughly and completely rejected by the province’s top lawyer, and have cost every one of us dearly.

The majority of our councillors agree.

Over the last six years their poorly considered actions have crippled our Northern communities as the recent BC census shows.

Thankfully, last week’s court decision reaffirmed Alcan’s historical right to sell power – an absolutely necessary part of the company’s aluminium smelting business plan, encouraging them to move forward with their $2 billion investment in the region, once again breathing fire and optimism into our picturesque little town.

The judgment also provides us with the opportunity to bring to an end this ridiculously unproductive debate, as any further delays might be fatal to the project. Under no circumstances whatsoever should an appeal be permitted by the electorate.

And should an appeal be considered we must take every action to prevent it.

For the first time in many years we have an opportunity to turn our backs on the controversial actions of some and together concentrate our efforts in a productive and positive direction to benefit the many.

A $2 billion investment does not come to a region or even to a province very often.

As Kitimat residents, community leaders, business people and parents of the next generation of Kitimatians, we must come together in order to focus all our efforts on building a brighter and better future for Kitimat, ourselves and the next generation.

Now is the time to rally together for our promising future.

Yours sincerely,

Howard Mills.

The District of Kitimat will explore options for dealing with derelict commercial buildings.

I think I have already stated how I thought it was unfair that we as homeowners are responsible in maintaining our properties (grass kept a certain height, etc, etc) otherwise we are issued a letter from The District telling us to clean them up or they will for us, and then turn around and bill us for doing so. Yet commercial businesses are allowed to become rundown thus lowering the property values of neighboring businesses.

I hope this is taken seriously this time and that the lawyers will see changes made… and the sooner the better!

http://www.kitimat.themixbc.com/node/509855
Local News (The Mix 1230AM) – by John Crawford

The District of Kitimat will explore options for dealing with derelict commercial buildings.

The issue gained national attention, thanks to a video distributed on the internet which showed the dilapidated condition of some abandoned businesses in Service Centre and Nechako Centre.

Councillor Joanne Monaghan, who bitterly complained the video made it appear all of Kitimat was like that, said the District needs a mechanism for dealing with run-down commercial buildings.

She says current provincial laws aren’t very helpful. She says a municipality is allowed to demolish derelect residential properties, but not commercial buildings.

The issue is being referred to the District’s lawyer.

Either “demo” or be “demo’d” Energetic answer to “Crumbling” problems?

If only …!

I have talked to many Kitimat residents since Dirk Meissner published his “damning article” , and all of them agree that since we “as home owners are required by the district to keep our properties and lawns in “tip-top” shape otherwise they will come ’round and rectify the problem at our expense, that the owners of theses eyesores in town, be given the same treatment.

Why is this not happening? What the hell is council waiting for? Why there are double standards for some is beyond me!
I really wonder what the “real” reason is…

I say we pressure council to force the owners of the eyesores to demo or be demo’d & then face the financial music.
Enough is enough!

 

Mar 28 2007
Re: Kitimat Sentinel
“Opinions”
http://www.northernsentinel.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=16&cat=48&id=861268&more=

Energetic answer
The city has targeted an abandoned house as a prime candidate for demolition.
The city manager said the property owners will be served 60 days notice. If they don’t comply, they will have a further 30 days, at which time the city will tear down the structure, with the owners picking up the tab.

“It wouldn’t be cheap if we had to go in and do it,” he said.
The house has been a subject of contention with council dating back to 2001.
Council adopted a new nuisance bylaw at Monday night’s council meeting, giving them teeth to deal with such “eyesores.” “Basically the powers we had before was the power of persuasion,” the manager said.
At last, you say, action.

Sorry, I’ve misled you all a little. 

The above isn’t about our city council.

It’s actually from a story by ex-Sentinel reporter Richard Macedo written back in June of 2003when he worked for the Alaska Highway News in Fort St. John. Richard also tells me the house in question was torn down by the owners three months later.

Our council might want to get a copy of the Energetic City’s by-law.

What if?

On page 10 you’ll find a story in which Richard Hebda, curator of Botany and Earth History at the Royal BC Museum, warns a dramatic climate shift is on the way regardless of what we do.

The implications take me back to a question I raised here last month – what if we’ve got it wrong on climate change?

We know we cannot prevent earthquakes and tsunamis, but at least we prepare for such eventualities.

The provincial emergency program (PEP), for example, comes up with scenarios then does its best to ensure we have the appropriate plan and resources to deal with each.

Much of what we are doing – or talking about doing – with regard to climate change assumes we can reverse the warming trend. But what if climate change is every bit as inevitable as “the big one”?

We are often asked what our children and our children’s children will think of us for not doing anything to stop global warming.

I wonder what they will think of us for being so dumb as not to have put together a PEP-style plan to deal with what they, with benefit of hindsight, will see as having been inevitable.

Malcolm Baxter