ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A6 | NEWS | THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021
Proposed Chetwynd plant could figure into fed’s new hydrogen plan Nelson Bennett nbennett@biv.com The federal government has unveiled a strategy to harness Canada’s prodigious energy assets to become a leading producer of hydrogen. “The strategy is designed to spur investment and partnerships to establish Canada as a global supplier of hydrogen, and to increase domestic production, which will transform our energy sector,” the government said in a Dec. 16 announcement. “As one of the top 10 producers of hydrogen in the world, Canada will benefit from the growing global demand for hydrogen — a market that is expected to reach almost $12 trillion by 2050.” The Canadian strategy includes seed funding in the form of the $1.5 billion Lowcarbon and Zero-emissions Fuels Fund to help attract private investment. “It’s a great start,” said Mark Kirby, president of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Association. “But there is going to need to be more. If you look at the investments being made by our competitors in Europe, in Japan … Netherlands, Australia, we will need to see
RENEWABLE HYDROGEN CANADA
more federal and provincial investment to de-risk those early adopters.” Canada was late out of the gate to develop an LNG industry — eclipsed by Australia and the U.S. in building new LNG projects — so if it doesn’t want to be beaten in the nascent hydrogen economy, it will need to ensure it does not deter private investment. Alberta is currently Canada’s biggest producer of grey hydrogen, made from natural gas. But B.C. also has the natural resources needed to produce both green and blue hydrogen. Green hydrogen is made from water and electricity; blue hydrogen is made from natural
gas that includes carbon capture and storage. There may also be synergies to be had in developing hydrogen production alongside the existing natural gas industry and nascent LNG industry, which is buildings the pipelines and export terminals that could also serve as a platform for hydrogen production and exports. “There are projects on the books to get low carbon hydrogen production in place in B.C.,” Kirby said. One of those projects is the Renewable Hydrogen Canada project in Chetwynd. Earlier this year, Macquarie Capital agreed to finance the $200-plus million plant. The project is just waiting for regulatory approval.
Kirby said there are several other hydrogen related proposals for B.C. “We have the advantage in B.C. that we can scale up low carbon hydrogen production and we can do that cost effectively,” he said. “But without question there is going to have to be investment from the private sector, and that is going to have to have some support from provincial and federal groups to derisk that investment.” Although the pioneer in hydrogen fuel cell technology is a B.C. company – Ballard Power Systems, there aren’t many hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road in B.C. yet. One of the limitations has been a reliable supply of hydrogen, much of
which is still imported from other provinces or states. Earlier in December, HTEC Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation announced a $20 million investment by Chart Industries Inc. to help the North Vancouver-based company build out its hydrogen fueling infrastructure in B.C. Hydrogen is one of the most flexible low-carbon fuels available, and the International Energy Agency predicts significant growth in its use, both as a low-carbon fuel and to power hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. “Low-carbon and zeroemission hydrogen has the potential to reduce our annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45 million metric tonnes a year in 2030 and could create up to 350,000 new jobs in Canada by 2050,” the federal government said in its news release. “As an increasing number of countries strive for netzero emissions by 2050, they are looking to hydrogen for their clean energy needs,” said federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. “Canada is well positioned to be among the global leaders in hydrogen production.”
Council & Committee Meeting Dates Each year, Council publishes the adopted Council and Committee schedule for the upcoming year in compliance with Section 127 (1) of the Community Charter. 2021
Council 5pm
Recreation 9am
Public Works 9am
Protection 1pm
January February March April
4th & 18th 1st & 16th 1st & 15th 6th & 19th 3rd & 17th 7th & 21st 5th & 19th 3rd & 16th 7th & 20th 4th & 18th 1st & 15th 6th & 20th
4th 1st 1st 6th 3rd 7th 5th 3rd 7th 4th 1st 6th
18th 16th 15th 19th 17th 21st 19th 16th 20th 18th 15th 20th
18th 16th 15th 19th 17th 21st 19th 16th 20th 18th 15th 20th
May June July August September October November December
All Council and Committee meetings are held in Council Chambers at the District of Taylor Municipal Office, Upstairs at the Complex or other specified location on Mondays (next business day if a holiday falls on the Monday)
Committee of the Whole meetings will be scheduled as needed on either the 1st or 3rd Monday of the month at 4:00 PM
CITY OF FORT ST JOHN
Used motor oil contaminated this load of recycling in Fort St. John last month, which was sent to the landfill instead, the city said. Residents can bring their used oil to the BC Used Oil Management Association collection facility at GFL Environmental at 8831 100 Street.
Hydro credit —barely Residential BC Hydro customers can look forward to a credit on their power bill early in the New Year, and the money they get back could buy them a coffee or two. For business, the rebates wil be higher, depending on how much power they use. BC Hydro says it will be giving out a one-time credit on power bills in the New Year, as it retroactively reduces a rate decrease that took effect in April by an additional 0.6%. The 1% rate decrease, introduced in April, is being bumped up (or down, as the case may be) to -1.6%. The additional decrease is being made at the request of the BC Utilities Commission. But that one-time credit amounts to about four bucks for the average residential customer, although it will be more significant for commercial and industrial customers.
A10 | NEWS | THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 | NEWS | A11
Grateful in the midst of tough times
A
ll I wanted for Christmas was to go to a hockey game, and go curling. I wanted to play some sports, and have some local sports to write about. I can say with confidence that never have I fell more short of having my Christmas wish-list fulfilled than last year. But, turns out, you can still enjoy Christmas and winter when nothing goes the way you want it to, as long as you have the right perspective and know what to set your sights on. We can’t focus on or anticipate the familiar. Because nothing familiar has happened in about nine months now. For example, my slow pitch team was 9-3 this year, nine wins better than normal. Nothing familiar about that. As long as we keep thinking things will immediately get better, we will be disappointed the next month when things seem to turn for the worst. That also means, for 2021, we shouldn’t approach the new year the way we normally would. If we are focused on how bad 2020 was, and expect this year to fix everything that went wrong the past nine months, we’ll only be more disappointed if the effects of the coronavirus pandemic last into May. Or, the coronavirus pandemic could simply be replaced by some new national or international issue. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t look to the next
DILLON GIANCOLA 12 months with hope and anticipation. There’s no reason we can’t focus on personal growth, for example. It’s easier for me to watch my weight when I can’t feast on my parent’s cooking, anyway. That plan to go to the gym in the new year does become just a tad more difficult if there are no gyms open. However, it’s a chance to take up a new activity or hobby, whether that’s some new exercise outside or to take up cross country skiing, or doing something at home. OK, stop me if you’ve heard that said before. Those are the same things many of us were suggesting in April or May, and it probably sounds stale right now. The other thing we can do then, is to continue to change how we see things around us. Yes, the vaccine may come right away and maybe in three months many of us will be able to do the things we want to. But there’s also a real good chance that doesn’t happen. Continuing to find the things to be happy about and grateful of in the midst of tough times is kind of all we can do. Fortunately, it’s also the best thing we can do, and it makes all the difference. Though we don’t yet know when things will go back to normal, we can at
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO
While hockey teams have at least been active off the ice, here’s hoping we see more teams playing hockey and less players outside wearing masks in 2021. Above, Huskies players Raymond Dick, Conrad Wiebe, and Tyler McArthur accept food bank donations at Bert Bowes during the Huskies Fill the Bus, Nov. 29, 2020.
least rest easy knowing that things will indeed go back to normal. For local sports, that means no matter how many NWJHL seasons are cancelled in a row, the Fort St. John Huskies will be back on the ice trying to win their third straight championship as soon as they’re allowed. They’re still the defending champions, you know. Fort St. John stands out to me for the communities’ love of extra-curricular activities and affinity for volunteering. That doesn’t just disappear — the generosity
and resilience shown this Christmas season is perfect evidence of that — and local tournaments, events, and festivals will be back. I don’t know what this month, or the next 12, have in store. We will all likely face horrible things we can’t yet imagine or aren’t aware of, but we can choose to attack the new year with vigor and excitement until those things happen. A year itself isn’t good or bad, and we get to choose how a year will affect us by the things we choose to do, the healthy habits and decisions we make, and our
outlook on life. Plus, there is going to be an all-Canadian division in the NHL. Which means that no matter what happens, the rest of the year, I’m already sleeping well knowing the Toronto Maple Leafs have an easy path to first place in the division. Nothing makes me believe in “new year, new me” like knowing the Leafs will get to bet up on the Edmonton Oilers nine times this year. Nine! The year 2021 is looking up after all. sports@ahnfsj.ca
Accomplished horse owner, trainer Donalda Cochrane dies Dillon Giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca
SUPPLIED
Donalda Cochrane died December 7 at the age of 80.
Longtime Fort St. John resident and accomplished horse owner and trainer Donalda Cochrane has died. Cochrane passed away at her Fort St. John farm on December 7 at age 80. Cochrane had a strong passion and love for horses, and was devoted to several horse sports throughout her life. As written in her obituary, “She accompanied her father on his driving teams as a child, flat raced in Kerrobert Fairs as a teenager, competed in barrel racing and steer undecorating as a young adult, and became an accomplished and win-
ning breeder and trainer of racing quarter horses until her passing. She found what she loved early in life and did it until she passed.” She raced horses both as an owner and a breeder from 1991 to 2018. According to Equibase, her horses had 579 starts, finishing in first place 95 times. Her career earnings are $894,681. Cochrane had a large family, and family was something that meant a lot to her. She applied the term to parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, as well as stepchildren, grandchildren, and neighbours. She leaves behind family in Fort St. John, Grande Prairie, and Houston, Texas. She is predeceased by Earl, her husband, who died in 2011.
SUBMITTED
From left: Richard Calliou, Heather Boult, Curtis Whitford, and Jodi Snider display CNRL’s donation of $20,000 to Bert Bowes Middle School for the completion of the new outdoor track, on Dec. 22, 2020. “Our goal is to have this surface completed by the end of summer, 2021, and we are still looking for support to reach our fundraising goal. This generous donation from Canadian Natural Resources Limited gets us closer to completing the project,” said Whitford.
LYNNE COTE-AUBIN PHOTO
Ecole Central Elementary students Kennedy and Julia Holtman deliver some of the 70 care packages that students prepared an collected for seniors care homes, Dec. 16, 2020.
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | NEWS | THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021
BC HYDRO PHOTOS
A bald eagle nest structure attached to an 18-metre-long pole. The basket is lined with twigs to attract bald eagles, who will complete the nest.
SITE C — FALL/WINTER 2020
Drilling underway for bridge pier construction at Dry Creek.
Halfway River bridge piers with girders are installed between the fourth and seventh bridge piers.
The first turbine runners arrived in Prince Rupert from Sao Paulo, Brazil in December. The turbine runners are expected to arrive at site late January.