THURSDAY, january 24, 2019 Vol. A-75, No. 4
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
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Seniors housing focus groups this week matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
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Chris An and his son Jayce, 3.5, were among those who dropped by the grand opening of the North Peace Family Superpark on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019. It’s a dream come true for the group, after six years of all the blood, sweat, and tears that goes in fundraising for these kind of not for profit endeavours. The park features a play structure, a climbing wall, a reading hut, a toddler area, a sensory room, a birthparty room, and concession stand. “It’s great to see it being used in every way it was intended to be used,” says Jaandi Roemer, executive director.
Caribou talks take focus at resource forum matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
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A planned meeting last Thursday between the Peace River Regional District and the province to talk caribou recovery has been pushed to this week’s BC Natural Resource Forum in Prince George. The two governments were set to meet in Dawson Creek on Jan. 17, with a public presentation by Mark Zacharias, BC Deputy Minister of Environment, and Dave Nikolejsin, BC Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources. The forum runs from January 22 to 24, and the regional district will be trading up from talking with the deputies — instead meeting with Environment Minister George Heyman and Forests Minister Doug Donaldson, who are scheduled to appear at the forum. “If we can bump it up to a ministers’ meeting, I’m quite fine with that. That takes us to the top,” said Brad Sperling, chair of the regional district board. “We haven’t changed our opinion, our doors are open. We want to have an open conversation. People are concerned, right or wrong, but people are concerned just by not knowing.” Local politicians have been ratcheting up pressure on the province to publicize details
of two agreements being developed with West Moberly and Saulteau to restore caribou populations in the region. They say the work is being done without appropriate consultation, and have asked the process be stopped until studies are done on the socio-economic impacts caribou recovery will have on industry, tourism, and backcountry access. The province gave a public presentation about caribou recovery planning to the regional district in October, and has invited directors to a number of conference calls and workshops on the matter over the last year. Southern mountain caribou have been listed as a threatened wildlife species under the federal Species At Risk Act since 2003. Two herds, including the Burnt Pine herd near Chetwynd and the Banff herd near Jasper, have already been extirpated. According to recent counts, there’s an estimated 229 animals in five other herds in the South Peace region. The federal government has declared there to be an imminent threat to their recovery, putting pressure on the province to take action. The province is developing a conservation agreement with the federal government under the Species At Risk Act,
outlining the efforts at habitat restoration each government will undertake over a five-year period. It’s also negotiating a partnership agreement with the federal government and with Saulteau and West Moberly, which will will contain specific conservation and recovery measures. The province says local governments and other stakeholders will be consulted before the agreements are finalized and signed. Areas to which the agreements will apply, and any restrictions on industry and recreation, are still being negotiated, it says. Saulteau First Nation has called widespread rumours of mass closures to industry and the backcountry to be untrue. The Natural Resource Forum, in its 16th year, is billed as the largest resource forum in Western Canada, including keynote lunches, Ministers’ Breakfast, networking receptions, and a line-up of other speakers, including Premier John Horgan, federal Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi, and LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz. Other provincial ministers attending include Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham, and Jobs Minister Bruce Ralston.
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A series of public focus groups about a proposed seniors housing development in Fort St. John kicks off on Jan. 23. Peace Holdings will host three public sessions for those interested in their proposed development next to the hospital. “The community support to date has been tremendous and we’re encouraged at the dialogues started because of the attention this senior housing crisis has brought to the forefront,” said Ron Brar. The 20-acre master planned development is slated for property adjacent to the hospital. The development, billed as an active adult community, is being designed for what Brar has called a “full continuum of care” that will allow residents to age in place. It’s envisioned the development will include a range of housing, including semidetached bungalows, apartments and condominiums, independent and assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, and palliative care. The development is planned to include commercial amenities such as medical offices, a pharmacy, and a coffee shop. Brar is looking to hear from businesses interested in setting up shop near the hospital too. More than 150 surveys have been submitted as part of the company’s needs assessment so far. “While correlating the data, we have consulted with and set meetings with additional groups that have come forward and also need assistance with finding suitable housing in our community and we will be holding private focus group sessions with them,” Brar said. The public focus groups take place Jan. 23 and 24 from 6 to 9 p.m., and Jan. 25 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The sessions will take place at the seniors hall at 10908 100 Street. They are free to attend. The needs assessment is ongoing. Hard copies can be picked up and completed at the Century 21 office at 101-9120 100 Ave., or at the Canadian Grind Café.
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