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| A hospital bed in Prince Rupert will make for a temporary campaign stopover for People's Party candidate Jody Craven |
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| Shoreworkers at the Canadian Fishing Company operations in Prince Rupert are currently voting on a new contract |
After a summer of negotiation towards a new labour contract, Shoreworkers with the Canadian Fishing Company in Prince Rupert are holding a contract vote this week, with the union executive making note of the need for reply by the end of the this week.
An update on the contract process was posted on Monday to the UFAWU-Unifor Facebook page, with members asked to call 250-600-4814 if they have not received a ballot in the mail.
A sample of the wage increases and Northern differential for Prince Rupert shore workers is included in the information notes, with a 35 cent differential in place for those workers in the north.
As part of the contract negotiation, the current proposal calls for retro pay to be backdated to April 16th.
The Deadline to mail the ballots back is September 3.
If approved by the membership, the term of the contract would run from 2021 to 2024.
More notes on the Fishery on the North Coast, as well as items of interest from the Alaska fishery can be explored here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
Residents of Haida Gwaii will have an opportunity for some face to face conversations with their MLA, with Jennifer Rice using her Social media options to announce plans for an early September visit to the Islands next week.
The North Coast MLA posted her itinerary to her Facebook Page on Monday, with stops noted for Old Masset on September 8th, Daajing Giids and Queen Charlotte area on September 9th and Port Clements on September 10th.
While on Haida Gwaii Ms. Rice will be in attendance for a Pole Raising Ceremony at Daajing Giids.
The event as we noted on Monday set for near the RCMP detachment in the community the mid-day pole raising outlined as one taking place in the spirit of reconciliation for the community.
For those on Haida Gwaii looking for a meeting with the MLA, you can call the North Coast constituency office at 250-624-7734 for more information or email Ms. Rice at Jennifer.Rice.MLA@leg.bc.ca
You can follow her Facebook page for any additions or changes to the tour.
More notes on the MLA and the Legislature can be reviewed here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, a day put aside annual to remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.
“Today is International Overdose Awareness Day; a day in which we remember and mourn the family members, friends and neighbours we’ve lost to drug toxicity. To the thousands of B.C. families grieving the loss of a beloved family member, I extend my heartfelt condolences and my hope that the stories you’ve shared will continue to influence positive change. Those who died mattered and their loss is felt deeply, and we must continue to urge those in positions of influence across our province and the country to move to urgently implement measures to prevent more unnecessary suffering and death.” -- Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner, BC Coroners Service
The commemoration at the end of August comes as the ongoing epidemic continues to claim lives amid growing calls for actions that will address a public health crisis and stimulate discussion on prevention and drug policy.
This year, the day of recognition arrives in the Northwest with a public warning still in place, with Northern Health having outlined its concern over recent Overdose events in the northwest.
With incidents of overdoses rising in the region, the health Authority issued a an Overdose Alert for Terrace and Smithers earlier this month.
Northern Health also provided a glimpse into the issue with this background piece from one family to reflect the issues of struggles with opioids.
While Prince Rupert was not included in that alert, the North Coast Transition Society which perhaps has the most interaction with those on the streets offered up their own concerns at the time.
You can learn more about the Overdose Awareness campaign here.
Further items of note from Northern Health can be explored here,
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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| A Sunday night discussion on the CBC French network has revived the topic of the Northern Gateway pipeline (screenshot from Radio Canada program) |
It took a few hours for the translation to come in, but once folks east of the Ontario Quebec border had a chance to hear of a Sunday evening television interview from Montreal, the ghosts of the Northern Gateway debate of almost a decade ago returned to the hot topic discussion list.
The reintroduction of one of the more controversial moments for British Columbia and the northwest came following an appearance by Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole on the French language news program.
Mr. O'Toole while expanding on his vision of reconciliation issues, spoke to the prospect of having Indigenous leaders and groups become involved in investments such as the once proposed pipeline project that would have delivered Alberta resources to a shipping terminal at Kitimat.
The history of that pipeline and its eventual demise can be traced from our archives of the time, the issue one which proved to be a political and social lighting rod across Northern British Columbia at the time.
The Conservative leader expanded on his themes en Anglais through Monday, though most likely the only area that it will generate much in the way of a heated debate will be found in the Northwest and Skeena-Bulkley Valley.
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O'Toole supports building dead Northern Gateway pipeline, cites Indigenous benefits
By the time Monday evening was drawing to a close, Nathan Cullen the former MP for Skeena Bulkley Valley and current MLA for Stikine had weighed in on the prospect of a do over for the Northern Gateway debate.
He was followed a little later in the evening by the current office holder Taylor Bachrach, who is seeking re-election on September 20th.
While the theme of Monday seems to be one of how this is a new suggestion, it's not really.
Earlier this year, the Conservative leader, while speaking to the Terrace Chamber of Commerce had previewed his thoughts on resource development and the need to approach Indigenous communities as part of the goals of reconciliation, mentioning the Northern Gateway project at the time.
The concept of an Indigenous owned pipeline to transport resources has been a frequent project championed in the region, most recently through a proposal touted by Eagle Spirit Energy which had outlined plans for a pipeline to a facility near Grassy Point north of Lax Kw'alaams.
The return of a pipeline project to the political narrative in the heat of an election campaign isn't particularly surprising.
Though considering the vast difference in opinion between the two main contenders in the region for the Skeena-Bulkley Valley seat, it most likely won't have much impact on the campaigns for either the NDP or the Conservative supporters.
Both are the home for voters who are not likely to change their opinions let alone their voting intentions, and mostly will only serve to generate some energy for their base of voters and party activists.
Its reprise however may provide opportunity for many of the local politicians of the region to weigh in, the topic one which was a focus for not only MLA Rice at the time, but Prince Rupert City Council which joined in on the debate and even contributed to the launch of the municipal political career for Mayor Lee Brain.
The Northern Gateway of the past also brought a large volume of opponents to the streets and to rallies at the time, making for one of the dominant political themes from 2012-2016
As for the current debate, it's the undecided vote where the reintroduction of the Northern Gateway themes may have the most impact, and whether it shifts any of those votes to either of the two top contenders as part of the current campaign that is underway.
The larger discussion would come following the election, though with current polling suggesting a minority government may once again be the most likely outcome on Election Day; the prospect of a Northern Gateway II would seem one that may not find much traction even should the Conservatives be the ones to gain office on September 20th.
More notes on the local contenders and they efforts heading towards Election Day can be reviewed here.
A wider overview of the national campaign themes can be explored from our political blog D'Arcy McGee.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
