January 11, 2012

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CITY: Pilot project okays booze at hockey games in CN Centre A5 Wednesday, January 11, 2012 ER D N I M RE

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Emergency crews attend a house on Merritt Road Saturday where an 85-year-old man was injured in a fire police believe was arson. The man died Sunday and police have charged a 49-year-old tenant of the house with arson

Review price tag $350K DeLynda Pilon

newsroom@pgfreepress.com

Mulcair likened the issue to the export of other raw resources like bitumen and fish. Adding value to products in Canada before exporting them would enrich the country, he said, and is an important step forward. He called the Enbridge pipeline project an incredible mistake and said he doubts it will ever see the light of day, especially considering First Nations people are, generally, against it. “First Nations people are opposed, and the federal government said they

The core review of city services will cost up to $350,000 and take until early fall to complete. The review will be two-part, looking at core services and evaluating efficiencies as well as looking at revenue evaluation. City manager Derek Bates, who was asked to bring back information on how to proceed with a core review, suggested one of the first things council do is establish a select committee consisting of three council members and the mayor. The select committee will come up with terms of reference and a proposed work plan and bring it back to council for approval. According to a timeline he put together, those documents should be available for approval at the Jan. 23 council meeting. In February bidding will start as council looks for someone to undertake the review. A contract should be awarded by midMarch to the end of March and the review will likely take from April to August to complete, with the results available by September. Coun. Lyn Hall said he had concerns about both the timeline and the money involved. “If there is an opportunity to start earlier and we can get the report back by July or August, then we can have that information available when we move into budget discussions next fall,” he said. He added he hoped the $350,000 contingency budget was more than what was actually required, and said he had hoped the review would cost more in the $200,000 to $250,000 range. Bates said five months was probably the minimum amount of time it would take to complete the review, and said if the select committee decided to reduce the scope of portions of the review, that would reduce costs. Coun. Brian Skakun asked if the review would look at current capital projects and if any of those

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Photo courtesy of the R C MP

Senior dies from injuries Forty-nine-year-old man facing charges following Saturday fire ■ ARSON

An 85-year-old man injured in a house fire on Merritt Road Saturday has died. The victim was a prominent member of the Sikh community in Prince George, although this is not believed to be a factor that led to the fire. Police have not released his name, but it has been reported the deceased is Jagdev Singh Jawanda. A 49-year-old tenant of the house, Frank William Marion, has been charged with arson and more charges are pending

now that the victim has died. Police say Marion has a “significant history” with them. The Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit is continuing with the investigation. If you have any information about this investigation, please contact the Prince George RCMP at (250)561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1(800)222-TIPS (8477), online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca, or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES using keyword “pgtips”.

Mulcair campaigns in Prince George DeLynda Pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com

A second candidate running for leadership of the federal NDP’s made a stop in Prince George Monday and took some time to meet with party members while in the city. Thomas Mulcair has family ties to the city and said his aunt, who is also his godmother, has been encouraging him to visit for years. Monique Wyse, his mother’s sister, is a local artist with tapestries hanging at venues like the Inn of the North.

“I do have family here. My mother’s sister and grandmother and a couple of cousins grew up here. This is my first visit,” he said. He added B.C. plays an important role in the leadership race since many party members call the province home. “It’s very important to visit cities outside of the main centres,” he said. “B.C. has the largest membership in the NDP, and it’s important to meet party members and talk to them, and mostly listen.” Local party members remain concerned about the export of raw logs and

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January 11, 2012 by Prince George Free Press - Issuu