Budget talks move to January 2017 Budget talks won’t dominate news this fall. Council has moved its budget meetings to January, 2017. “It will allow for consultation during TalkTober, in addition it gives us more time,” said city manager Kathleen Soltis. “We found that were some advantages to having budget meetings before the end of the year, we were operating, in some cases, on not complete information.” She added it will help during the election year, as well, so the new council will have an opportunity to take part in budget talks for their first year in office.  Queen’s Counsel nominations open Nominations for the honorary designation of Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.) open Aug. 15 and will be accepted until Friday, Sept. 23, 2016. The title is bestowed annually by the Lieutenant Governor on the endorsement of Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton Q.C. The Q.C. designation recognizes British Columbia lawyers for distinctive merit and exceptional contribution to the legal profession. Successful candidates will have demonstrated professional integrity and good character and will have been a member of the British Columbia bar for at least five years. For information or a nomination form, visit: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/for- legal-professionals/queens-counsel Electoral reform meetings set by Nathan Cullen Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen has scheduled a series of townhall meetings on electoral reform. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged that the 2015 election was the last using the first past the post eletoral system. Cullen sits on the committee tasked with recommending changes. The dates of Cullen’s Democratic Reform Town Hall Tour are: September 6: Prince Rupert, Northwest Community College, September 7: Terrace, Terrace Arena Banquet Room; September 8: Kitimat, Kitimat Riverlodge, Activity Room; September 9: Smithers, Old Church. They all start at 7 p.m. No word on whether Conservative MPs for Prince George, Todd Doherty and Bob Zimmer will schedule meetings.
Briefing Room
Council supports REDress project
BILL PHILLIPS bill@pgdailyneew.ca The cost is a lot more than the city anticipated, but council decided Monday to proceed with improvements to Willowcale Road. Council awarded a contract to Belvedere Place Contracting Ltd. For a total price of $2,529,423.67, excluding GST, even though it had budgeted $1.8 million for the project in 2014. “It’s a little hard to stomach when you see a $1 million budget greater than we had anticipated largely just due to timing,” said Coun. Jillian Merrick. “Unfortunately, with project timing of the essence and that’s why we’re moving ahead becaue there might not be a road there next year. I guess we’ll just have to eat it.” Coun. Brian Skakun said he wasn’t happy with spending the extra money either, but said it’s a matter of fixing aging city infrastructure. We’re not just talking about sewere and water, we’re talking about drainage ditches,” he said. “This is just cost that we have to absorb. It’s the cost of doing business.” The Haggith Creek Crossing on Willowcale Road is 1.6 kilometres south of the Willowcale Road/Penn Road and Milwaukee Way Intersection, about 600 metres from the city’s south boundary. The road serves sawmills within and outside the city. After deterioration of the culvert was observed, DWB Consulting Services Ltd. (DWB) was retained to complete a pre-design for a new crossing in 2013. Following completion of the pre-design a budget of $1.8 million was established for the project in 2014 and included in the city’s 2015 - 2019 Capital Financial Plan. In February 2016, the existing culvert crossing was observed to be failing as the fill slope was eroding from under the pavement on the west side of Willowcale Road and a sink hole was developing on the east side. The road width was reduced to single-lane traffic using concrete barriers; speed reduction signs were installed to slow down truck traffic; a geotechnical investigation was completed and daily monitoring was initiated. Coun. Garth Frizzell added that the city has plenty of aging infrastructure in the city and the Willowcale Road bridge won’t be the last infrastructure project.
BILL PHILLIPS bill@pgdailyneew.ca Tammy Meise had a childhood friend named Carrie-Ann Gordon. In 1997, when Gordon was just 26 years old, a mother of one, she disappeared near Nanaimo. A year later her body was found near Little Lillooet Lake. “She didn’t go missing along the Highway of Tears, but she still is a murdered and missing woman, sadly making her another statistic,” Meise told city council Monday night. Meise is bringing the REDdress Campaign to Prince George later this year. It’s a campaign that was spearheaded by Jaime Black to honour the missing and murdered women in this country. “The empty red dress has the potential to become an
iconic symbol of these women to never forget that they were taken from us,” said Meise, who first learned of the campaign at a B.C. Federation of Labour convention which was adorned with empty red dresses. “This had such an impact on me, that it took my breath away,” she said. “It kind of lit a fire inside of me for Carrie-Ann.” The campaign will come to Prince George on October 2 when, at 1:30 p.m. those involved will line the Highway of Tears holding empty red dresses. After about 20 minutes, the group will move to Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park for a ceremony, candlelight vigil, and prayers. Council agreed to cover the cost of the renting the Kiwanis Bandshell in the park and liability insurance. “The Red Dress Campaign is a form of public art, public expression, I think it’s a great campaign,” said Coun. Terri McConnachie.
Council OKs fixing Willowcale Rd.