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Tuesday, February 26, 2019 | Your community newspaper since 1916

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

The city wants to borrow $32 million, of which $10 million would go to improvements in the Aquatic Centre.

Residents to have say on city borrowing Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca The public will have its say over whether the city should borrow up to $32.2 million to pay for as many as 11 projects as city council voted Monday to advance the items to alternative approval processes. If at least 10 per cent of the electorate, estimated at 5,546 signatures, sign a petition against a respective project, council will have to either scrap going ahead with the item or take it to a fullblown referendum. The deadline for signing a petition is May. The forms will be available at city hall starting on April 18, but because they were also posted with the agenda package for Monday’s council meeting, city hall will accept those that have been printed off, filled out and brought in before that date.

Most council members supported taking the step. “We’ve been hearing for at least the 10 years I’ve been on council that there is a big storm coming in infrastructure rebuilds… and now we’re starting to see that the storm is arriving and there’s a lot to be done,” said Coun. Garth Frizzell. If they survive the process, they will be funded through the Municipal Finance Authority which Frizzell said is “the least expensive debt mechanism we can get.” For all but one, the money will be paid back over 20 years and, in total, they will add up to $2.5 million per year in debt-servicing costs and account for 2.3 per cent of future tax levy increases, according to staff. “I’m sure these wouldn’t be in front of us if a) we hadn’t approved them at budget already and b) if staff hadn’t approved these as critical,” Frizzell added.

basis of the critical mass of where something comes apart like we had this summer at the corner of 20th and Massey where we found ourselves in a position where we had to do more work than we intended to. “And these projects, I think, fall into the category. If you leave things for some time, sooner or later it catches up with you. It’s a costly exercise.” At $10.2 million, a major refurbishment of the Aquatic Centre in advance of the 2022 B.C. Summer Games is the biggest expense while the next largest is $5 million for replacing about 600 traffic signals and street lights. That’s followed by $4.7 million to replace roofs on a dozen civic facilities, followed by $2.9 million for equipment purchases (which would be borrowed over 10 years at 2.6 per cent), $2.7 million for additional work at Masich Place

It’s a huge number, there’s no doubt about it. But procrastination won’t help the number go down any, it’ll raise it up. — Coun. Frank Everitt Coun. Frank Everitt echoed Frizzell’s comments and added holding off on the work is not an option. “It’s a huge number, there’s no doubt about it,” Everitt said. “But procrastination won’t help the number go down any, it’ll raise it up. “And we’ll be doing it on the

Stadium, $1.7 million for continued redevelopment at Ron Brent Park, $1.4 million to expand the mausoleum, $1.2 million for upgrades along 14th Avenue from Irwin to Freeman streets, $1.1 million for culvert replacements along Goose Country Road, $800,000 for upgrades along the Highway 16 West frontage road from Heyer to Henry Roads and $500,000 to signalize and reconfigure the intersection at Domano Boulevard and St. Lawrence Avenue/Gladstone Drive. Coun. Brian Skakun voted against proceeding with six of the projects: Masich Place, Ron Brent, 14th Avenue, Highway 16 West frontage, Goose Country Road and the street light replacements. All other councillors at the meeting voted in favour of all 11. Councillors Terri McConnachie and Susan Scott were absent from the meeting.

Kidney Foundation offers to Warm the Sole Sawmills reach tentative Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca

agreement with union

The Kidney Foundation wants to Warm the Sole of each of the 3,300 dialysis patients in B.C. and the Yukon. There are 215 people in Prince George who received a pair of Warm the Sole socks to help keep their typically chilly feet warmer. Diane and Paul Duperron, who are longtime volunteers for the local branch of the Kidney Foundation, are two of the volunteers who have been visiting patients on dialysis this week to gift the socks to those experiencing kidney failure. Farrah Campbell, 41, moved to Prince George from Tumbler Ridge a year ago to get better care and said the support she gets here makes all the difference. She said it’s not easy being a dialysis patient and explained how she used to cover up the bumps, bruises and needle marks on her arms from dialyzing for four hours

Citizen staff

Today’s Weather Hi -11° Low -17° See page 2 for more details and short-term forecasts

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE HINZMANN

Diane Duperron, a volunteer with the local branch of the Kidney Foundation, sits with Farrah Campbell, who is on dialysis three times a week. Duperron gave Campbell a pair of Warm the Sole socks as part of a campaign by the foundation. three times a week for fear of what people would think. She said she doesn’t hide those marks anymore.

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“It’s part of who I am,” Campbell said, as she dialyzed Saturday morning. — see ‘I DON’T LOOK, page 3

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The union representing workers at 13 northern B.C. sawmills is recommending they accept a tentative agreement with the operations’ bargaining agent. The agreement, “provides a fair wage increase to our membership,” United Steelworkers Local 2017-1 says in an online posting. “It also provides significant improvements to benefits and contractual language.” As proposed, the five-year agreement calls for two-per-cent wage increases in each of the first four years and 2.5 per cent in the last year. The first-year increase is retroactive to July 1, 2018. and there will be a $500 lump sum payment on ratification and a further $500 on July 1, 2020.

Province boosting mine safety NEWS 6

www.pgcitizen.ca

It also calls for an increase to the premiums for shift differential and first aid, a reduction to the long-term disability premium and an increase to the coverage provided by disability insurance. “The Bargaining Committee was able to fend off disappointing concessions presented by the employer during this round of bargaining by the strong will of our membership with a strong strike vote and rotating job action,” the union said. However, it added the probationary period for new employees will go to 60 days in six months from the present 30 working days in 90. Eligible benefits will still begin after 30 in 90. The tentative agreement with the Council on Northern Interior Forest Employment Relations was reached on Feb. 13.

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