THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 2016 VOL. 73, NO. 87
SERVING FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
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MLA Pimm’s arraignment postponed
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JONNY WAKEFIELD reporter@dcdn.ca
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Fort St. John for LNG supporters celebrate federal approval of Pacific NorthWest LNG at the Lakepoint Golf and Country Club on Friday, Sept. 30.
Locals celebrate, rumours fly as feds approve Pacific NorthWest LNG • Breakdown: A look at the project’s 190 conditions /A12 • Exit rumours denied; executive shakeup follows at Progress /A13
Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm’s arraignment was postponed for three weeks at the request of a special prosecutor Tuesday morning. No plea was entered in Dawson Creek provincial court, as more time was needed to finalize disclosure documents related to Pimm’s assault charge. Pimm’s arraignment has been scheduled for Oct. 25. He did not appear in court Tuesday, however, his lawyer spoke by phone and said more time was needed to review the charges against his client. Pimm was arrested after an incident Aug. 13. The two-term MLA had been at the Dawson Creek rodeo the day before to announce details of the Site C dam agriculture mitigation fund with Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick. See PIMM on A5
JONNY WAKEFIELD & MIKE CARTER reporter@dcdn.ca, dcreporter@dcdn.ca
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Justin Trudeau’s government gave a tentative “yes� to Pacific NorthWest LNG last week in its first major energy policy decision—one which will have far-reaching impacts for Northeast B.C. At a news conference in Richmond Sept. 27, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and Dominic LeBPROVINCE OF BC PHOTO lanc, minister of fisheries and Premier Christy Clark speaks to reporters in Richmond following the federal oceans, announced the Petgovernment’s announcement. ronas-led project could move approve the project, claimforward with strict conditions North Coast. There are nearly 20 proposals ing the plant would disrupt to mitigate its environmental to refine and ship B.C.’s natural the Skeena River salmon fishimpacts. The $11.4 billion export fa- gas to Asia, but Pacific NorthW- ery and make it impossible cility, slated for Lelu Island just est has been widely considered for Canada to meet its climate change commitments. outside Prince Rupert, would the most-likely to be built. The decision is a historic one process natural gas from the While the project has cleared Montney gas fields in Northeast a major hurdle, it remains to be for Northeast B.C. because it B.C. for shipment to Asia. seen whether Petronas will ac- will allow the province to sell its gas on the world market, where It would include 900-kilo- tually invest in the project. metre natural gas pipeline from Environmental groups and it commands higher prices. Progress Energy holdings in some First Nations criticized the northeast to the province’s the government’s decision to See PNW LNG on A12
Much work still to be done for LNG supporters MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca
They began in March with a 600-truck strong rally down the Alaska Highway to drive national attention to the economic plight of Fort St. John and the need to get B.C.’s natural gas to new markets. On Friday, Sept. 30, there was no big truck rally to celebrate federal approval of Pacific NorthWest LNG; instead, about two dozen Fort St. John for LNG members and friends took to the Lakepoint Golf and
Country Club in Charlie Lake to raise a glass for a six-month effort they were happy to see finally paid off. But group founder Alan Yu says locals can expect another truck rally, albeit on a smaller scale, soon. “Our first rally was to get the feds to say yes to LNG, and to create national awareness that Fort St. John is being affected by the economic downturn. It’s the same message we brought with us to Ottawa,� he said. “Now, the only thing that’s different is we’ve achieved those (goals). And now we
would like to express our gratitude to the federal government for approving this project.� Federal approval came down in the face of continued opposition from some environmental and First Nation groups over the project’s impacts to fisheries and both B.C. and Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. It also came down nearly two years after the B.C. government gave its approval to the project in 2014.
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Vandalized play structure to be torn down: city MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca
The play structure at Pickell Park will have to be torn down after it was vandalized last week, the city says. The city says the structure was vandalized “sometime during the week of Sept. 26� and needs to be removed as it is no longer safe to play on. “It is really disappointing to have to remove playground equipment from a park. We simply don’t have the funds to replace expensive equipment in our budget this year,� Grounds Manager Chris Murphy said in a statement. Crews have already had to repair a number of play structures around the city, and have cleaned spray paint off others. Several trees were also cut down in Toboggan Hill Park last week, the city said. Anyone who sees public property being vandalized is asked to call RCMP at 250-787-8140.
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