AHN August 18, 2016

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 VOL. 73, NO. 80

SERVING FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

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ALEISHA HENDRY PHOTO

Telitha Nielsen, a summer student working at the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society, sets down a pair of shoes in the park at 100 and 100 in Fort St. John on Aug. 16.

Walk a mile in their shoes

Local organizations come together to show how many people in Fort St. John are in need of food related services

ALEISHA HENDRY ahendry@ahnfsj.ca

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High heels, sneakers, boots, and sandals—footwear that could be worn by any member of the community at any given time. There were 689 pairs of shoes on display at the park at 100th and 100th on Tuesday, donated by the community, to represent the number of people in Fort St. John who use local food banks in an average week. Since the economic downturn, the need for food services in the community had doubled, in some cases even

tripled, from the same time last year. After having shelves cleaned out and more and more people walking through their doors, the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Centre, the Fort St. John Friendship Centre, and the Salvation Army, along with the Northern Environmental Action Team, banded together to show the community just how dire the situation has become. “We want to make it more visual for people to see just how much it is,� said Phallon Stoutenberg, outreach

co-ordinator for the Women’s Resource Society. “It’s one thing to say a number‌but if you were to take a pair of shoes to represent a person, that’s going to make a huge impact on someone that doesn’t really know what happening in Fort St. John.â€? The Outreach Store at the Women’s Resource Centre saw a 101 per cent increase in the number of people accessing its services in June of this year—492 this year as opposed to 245 in 2015. See SHOES on B7

Taylor orders more water samples after ‘minor’ lead excess at fire hall, preschool MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca

The District of Taylor will collect more drinking water samples from its fire hall and preschool after tests earlier this summer found lead levels above federal guidelines. Samples collected from 10 district facilities June 27 found lead levels at the two buildings exceeded the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality of 0.010 milligrams per litre (mg/L). Tests found lead in concentrations of 0.0119 mg/L at the fire hall and 0.0116 mg/L at the preschool. “It’s a minor exceedance,� said Gordon Davies, the district’s director of operations, noting a second sample will be taken to ensure the results were correct.

“The sample is to be taken after water is standing in the facility for six hours. If there’s lead within the internal plumbing system or fittings, it’s actually leaching into the water.� Taylor council had ordered the testing of its facilities as part of a Northern Health plan to identify potential lead contamination in drinking water supplies. Davies presented the results of the June 27 samples at the district’s public works committee Monday morning. From those, ALS Laboratories detected lead at eight of the facilities. Only the fire hall and preschool, which is located in Taylor Elementary School, exceeded the guideline. See LEAD on A8

Lead Sampling Results Lowest detectable concentration: 0.00050 mg/L Maximum concentration allowed: 0.010 mg/L • District Library: 0.00261 mg/L • Lone Wolf Golf Course Clubhouse: <0.00050 mg/L • Fire Hall: 0.01190 mg/L • Medical Clinic: 0.00731 mg/L • District Ice Arena: <0.00050 mg/L • Community Hall: 0.00263 mg/L • Visitor Centre: 0.00586 mg/L • Taylor Preschool: 0.01160 mg/L • District Office: 0.00388 mg/L • Golf Course Maintenance Building: 0.00081 mg/L

Source: District of Taylor

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The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is calling for stricter limits on hydraulic fracturing near BC Hydro dams, after a freedom of information request revealed longstanding concerns over the potential for fracking-induced earthquakes to damage Peace River hydroelectric infrastructure. On Aug. 16, the leftleaning think tank released a report based on internal communications between BC Hydro and the Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) dating back to 2009, when concerns arose over coal bed methane development and “induced� seismic events. Ben Parfitt, a resource policy analyst with the CCPA, said fracking-linked earthquakes have grown in intensity, topping out with a record-setting 4.6 quake linked to Progress Energy drilling last summer. He said the research highlights the need for firm setbacks between fracking operations and dams. He characterized the existing regulations as unwritten “gentlemen’s agreements� between the OGC and BC Hydro. “Hydro was very clearly alarmed at the proposed plans (for coal bed methane development) at that time, which called for around 300 wells, some of them in fairly close proximity to its Peace Canyon dam,� he said of emails received in response to an FOI request earlier this year. See DAMS on A4

Pimm exits Liberal caucus amid unspecified ‘allegations’ MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca

North Peace MLA Pat Pimm has announced he has “stepped away� from the B.C. Liberal caucus after allegations have forced him to get a lawyer. In a brief statement sent Monday afternoon, Pimm said he is staying on as an independent MLA. “I want to inform my constituents that allegations have been brought against me which require me to obtain legal counsel,� Pimm said. See PIMM on A7

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