Alaska Highway News 2016-0414

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THURSDAY, APRIL 14 2016 Vol. 73, No. 62

Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities

$1.50 inc. gst.

alaskahighwaynews.ca

“The Only Newspaper in the World That Gives a Tinker’s Dam About the North Peace.”

BROWNS JUST WEEKS AWAY FROM OPENING

PERFORMING ARTS FEST KICKS OFF

MINOR HOCKEY HANDS OUT HARDWARE

BUSINESS A10

SPORTS B1

ARTS B5

new growth R0011217497

Council cuts tax rates

matt preprost Photo

Tabatha Nedokus, permitting supervisor with Canfor, holds up a spruce seedling. The company expected to give out 1,400 seedlings during the 2016 CKNL Trade Show for attendees to plant around the community. More than 13,000 people turned out to the 44th annual event. See more on B15 and at alaskahighwaynews.ca

Exclusive

Justice minister, courts won’t derail Site C, Christy Clark says Dam past the ‘point of no return’ as province awards $470M turbine contract to Voith Hydro jonny wakefield reporter@dcdn.ca

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 phone 250-785-5631  fax 250-785-3522  email circulation@ahnfsj.ca  online alaskahighwaynews.ca  facebook AlaskaHighwayNews  twitter @AHNnewspaper

One day after her government pushed spending on the Site C dam past the $4-billion mark, Premier Christy Clark said she isn’t concerned about the project being derailed by either Ottawa or the courts. In an interview with the Alaska Highway News, Clark said she believed the dam was already past the “point of no return” she vowed to reach earlier this year. “I would say from the day we made the decision, the decision was done,” said Clark. “It’s a significant investment in jobs for the

bc government photo

Premier Christy Clark says she has no concerns about federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s previous criticisms and protests of the Site C dam.

province. I don’t think there are many British Columbians who

would say we should return.” On April 6, the government awarded a $470-million contract for generating turbines on the dam to Voith Hydro—putting BC Hydro’s contract commitments at around $4 billion. Observers say that makes it increasingly unlikely a future government will cancel Site C—a door left open by BC NDP Leader John Horgan when asked about the project late last year. Still, the dam faces opposition in the courts, as well as from protesters who have spent weeks occupying a camp outside BC Hydro’s Vancouver office.

aleisha hendry Wondering how your child’s school compares to others in the province? A think-tank has done the work for you. The Fraser Institute released its Report Card on British Columbia’s Elementary Schools 2016 recently, and not without some criticism. The report often raises the ire of teachers’ associations, and Peace River North was no exception. Peace River North Teachers’ Association President Michele

aleisha hendry photo

Michele Wiebe says its unfair to measure and rank schools on one test.

Wiebe does not agree with the Fraser Institute’s ranking system. “It’s one moment in time,”

Ackerman off to Ottawa to talk LNG with federal ministers

she said. “It’s not fair to assess students based on, or even rank schools based on, one test.” The rankings use the Foundation Skills Assessment test taken by students in Grade 4 and 7 to determine a school’s academic performance in reading, writing and numeracy. The top ranked elementary school in School District 60 is Upper Pine, with a score of 8.2 out of 10, and Baldonnel Elementary coming in a close second with 8.0.

Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman will be in Ottawa next week to meet with the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Finance and others to promote a liquefied natural gas industry. City councillors endorsed her $2,074 trip at their April 11 meeting. “MP (Bob) Zimmer’s staff has got three meetings lined up so far, and we’re asking for meetings with about seven different ministers,” Ackerman said. Northern Rockies Mayor Bill Streeper and Taylor Mayor Rob Fraser will also attend. “We’re still waiting to find out who is all joining us to go on this trip from other communities,” said Ackerman. Council also endorsed Ackerman and up to two other councillors to attend the Canada LNG Export Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver from May 10-12. Ackerman will be speaking at the event and her admission cost, valued at $2,950, is waived. Council has yet to decide who will attend with the mayor.

See RANKINGS on A5

—Bronwyn Scott

See CLARK on A7

School rankings get an F from local teachers’ group ahendry@ahnfsj.ca

Fort St. John city councillors have approved a cut to residential and business tax rates for 2016, but many land and homeowners will still see a higher tax bill this year thanks to rising assessments. On April 11, council approved a residential tax rate of $4.75 per $1,000 of assessed value, down from $4.96 last year. Council also lowered tax rates for businesses, and light industrial and major industrial landowners, setting rates at $13.38, $24.11 and $26.40, respectively. Although the city has cut residential tax rates for a fourth consecutive year, the assessed value for a singlefamily home in the city jumped from $379,864 in 2015 to $403,430 in 2016. The average homeowner can expect to pay roughly $18.47 more on their property tax bill, or around a nickel a day. The average homeowner will pay $6.91 a day for city services in total. Meanwhile, the city says it will spend $16.3 million on roads and related infrastructure this year. The city plans to add sidewalks and street lights to sections of 86 Street, 107A Avenue and 96 Avenue. The city will also pave 75 Street and 85 Avenue. Work will also begin this summer on a storm sewer replacement on 93 Avenue between 96 Street at 100 Street.

PAVING 250.719.0686 FREE ESTIMATES

Residential • Commercial • Industrial Roads • Driveways • Parking lots

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Serving Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort St. John & Surrounding Areas


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Alaska Highway News 2016-0414 by Alaska Highway News - Issuu