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| YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 |
For our Blog watching feature for year's end we once again offer up a trio of headings to provide for a glimpse of some of the news highlights of the year soon to end.
Category number one will be the Overall Top story, as determined by the amount views the article received over the course of the last 365 days.
Category Two will feature those stories of note from Prince Rupert City Hall.
Our third category explores some of the key topics of the year from Business or Industrial footprint in the community.
All of our results have been determined by the viewer count for the stories through the year.
At the bottom of each section you will also find links to additional blog resources to review themes in more detail, listed by the month.
Our Lists of the year, unfold as follows:
Overall top stories
The year started with a Boil Water order and a rather lengthy period of uncertainty when it came to the city's drinking water. With the topic of the city's water supply making for a return visit through some national attention in October.
Also of note on the month was the work of both the city's RCMP detachment and Fire Department who had a number of case files through the year that attracted some notice.
Supportive Housing and Education also made for themes through the year that resonated with readers.
A Federal election gave us a new MP, though from a familiar party, while the end of the year featured a Giant party as Rogers Hometown Hockey arrived on the same weekend as the city's Winterfest making for a remarkable few days for Prince Rupert.
The months rolled by as follows:
Most Read -- All Inclusive
January
Lack of information puts social media to a boil on Prince Rupert water issues
February
RCMP, Prince Rupert Fire/Rescue respond to McBride Street Crash
March
Crow's Nest Lodge opens in Prince Rupert
April
SD Board to meet to review final Budget Decisions tonight
May
Lax Kw'alaams Mayor and Government welcome latest Senate moves on Tanker Ban Bill
June
Prince Rupert Fire Rescue on scene of Third Avenue blaze
July
Northern BC case files grow in string of suspicious deaths and missing persons case
August
City relays details of Friday Police incident involving an aggressive dog in Seal Cove area
September
Coast Mountain College Board in Prince Rupert for day long session
October
Skeena-Bulkley Valley stays Orange, as Taylor Bachrach's vote mirrors much of his six week lead
November
Prince Rupert remains partial focus for latest report in nationwide tainted water series
December
Prince Rupert was more than ready for its close up! As Rogers Sportsnet's Hometown Hockey showcased the city to national audience
See our right hand column feature North Coast Review Backgrounders for links to archives of the year on a range of topics of note for the region.
Also as part of our right hand column options we have a North Coast Review Extra Edition feature which offers more in depth reviews of some of the larger issues of the Northwest this year.
Tracking the year in politics is fairly easy as well from our right hand column listings as well, just check out our archives for both the House of Commons and the Legislature for items of note from the North Coast and Northwest in 2019.
Those who have deeper interest in the federal and provincial scene will find our companion blog D'Arcy McGee of interest, where we have archived notes from both Ottawa and Victoria.
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Municipal government
2019 was the year that finally delivered a commercial cannabis establishment to the city, the process of applications on which made for some discussion through the year at Council sessions.
Both Police and Fire services also made for notes of interest along the way in the year, as did the nature of the city's relationships with its neighbours, from some controversy with Port Edward over the Ridley Island Tax issue, or collaboration with First Nations as seen towards the end of the year.
It was also a year for pay raises for both the Mayor and Council, that delivered through a select committee of residents who outlined why they believed that the elected officials required better compensation.
And 2019 was the year that the last vessel of the Alaska Marine Highway System departed Prince Rupert harbour, it's final fate still unknown as we head towards a new decade.
What caught the interest of the readers through the year looked as follows:
Most Read -- Municipal Government
January
City Council's cannabis process called into question by hopeful production proponent
February
Council defers discussion on proposed Fire Service level change; takes report review to workshop and out of public spotlight
March
Temperatures on the rise over Ridley Island Tax Dispute
April
The Bully Boys of Third Avenue West?
May
City of Prince Rupert call for de-incorporation of Port Edward not gaining much traction with the Province
June
SOFI Report outlines Mayor and Council compensation for work of 2018
July
Partnerships will blaze the trail towards a new look as part of the 2030 Prince Rupert Plan
August
Federal, Provincial funding secured for 30 million plus water treatment plans; City's share to be 8 million dollars
September
Alaska Marine Highway System to end Service to Prince Rupert on October 1st
October
Brevity for City Council Sessions, leaves much unsaid in public forum
November
Detachment Discussion Deferred to December
December
Collaboration the focus for Prince Rupert 2030 Announcements, setting the template for the future as program of civic renewal moves forward
Our archive of the year on the Municipal scene includes the following elements:
Council Discussion Topics
Overall Municipal Archive Notes (including Port Edward, Regional District and area First Nation communities)
School District and Education Notes for the Northwest
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Industry/Retail
Port development dominated much of the year's industrial review, with the container terminal and expansion plans and the impact they will have on the region making for much of the year's narrative.
Among some of the other port related items that grabbed attention on the year, the progress at AltaGas on Ridley island which opened for it s first shipments earlier this year, as well some new thoughts on shipping goods such as bitumen and LNG through containers also generated some strong interest from our readers.
It was another troubled year for the fishery with both the Herring and Salmon seasons delivering troubling returns and highlighting the struggles of that industry on the North coast.
Ridley Terminals also found itself in the headlines frequently through the year from the long anticipated sale of the summer, to the handing over of the keys as December arrived, the coal terminal and its LPG shipping option made for much news through 2019.
Most Read -- Business/Industry
January
AltaGas on time, on track towards completion benchmarks
February
2019 Herring season a bust for Prince Rupert shore workers
March
Fairview Terminals adds Zim shipping line to list of marine carriers
April
Nass Valley latest region to see stirrings for potential LNG development
May
Potential for 6-7 million TEU's with Port's Master planning for Prince Rupert waterfront
June
Peter Lantin joins Board of Directors for the Port of Prince Rupert
July
Eagle Spirit moves forward with pipeline/terminal plans; seeks guidance of NEB
August
Ridley Terminals sale an example of the rising cost of Social Licence?: National Post Article
September
Prince Rupert's Northwest Gateway tests the waters; hosts transit of a test run for containerized bitumen shipments
October
Clarity Cannabis edges closer towards its big Prince Rupert reveal
November
Chinese led LNG project in Terrace thinks "Inside the Box" for shipments out of Port of Prince Rupert
December
New ownership takes over at Ridley Terminals, introduces debut of refreshed website
For more background on the region's industrial and commercial sector see the following:
Industrial Archive
Commercial Sector Archive
To all our readers, we hope you have a very happy and enjoyable New Year's Eve, with best wishes for all the Best in 2020. We're looking forward to seeing what stories will be the ones that resonate through the year when we do this all again on December 31st, 2020!!!
Our archive of weekly Blog Watching for the year now ending can be found here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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