206 Shashaak Street | Lax Kw’alaams, BC V0V 1H0 t 250· 625· 3293 | tf 877· 725· 3293 www.laxkwalaams.ca
MAYOR’S REPORT Week of July 13 – 19, 2014
Another week has flown by and we are now in the second half of the year. Our annual audit is just about complete and we will be providing the results through an annual report as soon as possible. The annual report is being worked on and will provide our membership with a summary of what occurred over the past year, including our financial position. This past week, we worked on a number of issues: • We met with the Prince Rupert Port where we discussed a number of projects such as their proposed Roll On/Roll Off Barge project, and their Alaska State Ferry Landing project, where to date there has been no consultation with Lax Kw’alaams. In these matters and others related to the Port activities, we will continue to do everything to protect and assert our title interests and we will never agree to anything that may put the marine environment and our sea resources at risk. • We met with the Mayors of Prince Rupert and Port Edward to further our interests in the Tsimshian Access Project, which is being designed to provide a direct link access to Lax Kw’alaams. Our own Embark Engineering is leading this part of the project with the province of BC. • Together with Metlakatla and a joint venture partner we met with the federal government to discuss the purchase of the Ridley Coal Terminal. The government advised that they were not going to negotiate directly with us and are going to go to a competitive bid process. We do not agree with their decision and are now looking at our options with our legal team.
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Our team met with LNG Canada to discuss the draft application to the Canadian Environmental Agency. A number of issues were previously identified and we continue to move forward with our discussions with LNG Canada and government relating to impacts on the Band members interests. Our previous decision to undertake a Marine Use Plan will help us to best represent the member’s interests as we move forward with these discussions. Our team also met to discuss a number of business-‐related issues surrounding the BG Canada project, the Petronas Project and the Nexen Project. With regards to the Nexen Project, we discussed capacity funding to allow us to adequately represent the member’s interests in relation to the investigation of their project.
Despite all of the LNG-‐related meetings and discussion, we continue to focus on what is important at home. The fish plant has recruited more workers from the community and across the bay. Our Fisheries Department also has 14 people working with Nexen on their various investigation activities. The new school project is now moving into its second phase of construction. We are seeing the form of the school taking shape as the steel framework is erected.. Along with this work is the continued work on the new gymnasium. We have about 1.5 months to go before we see the new hardwood floor and seating installed! We also continue to work on the Tuck Road paving proposal and last week the team from Embark Engineering and the province was again out doing some more engineering investigation on the road. Our goal is to complete the paving on the Tuck Road about the same time as our new school is completed. We look forward to sharing with you this snapshot of activities each week. Every week is just as busy with our Councillors working on Aboriginal Rights and Title issues, health issues, education, and housing and social services to name just a few. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or thoughts. Yours truly Mayor Garry Reece Email: Garry_Reece@hotmail.com
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