New Residents of the Month: Meet the Parnell's

The funny thing about Prince Rupert is even though a resident or even a whole family might be new to town, chances are they have history or connections here. Such is the case with the Parnell Family, recently relocated from Masset on Haida Gwaii.

When Willis and Bobbi Parnell and their two daughters, Sydney (Age 7) and Camryn (Age 6) moved to Prince Rupert a few months ago, it felt very familiar. Willis has been an All Native Basketball Tournament participant since 1984 always playing for a Haida team. Now that he works several hours each month for the Prince Rupert Recreation Department, he's very much retracing old footsteps, especially in the Russell Gamble Gymnasium. In Masset, Willis worked for the Greater Massett Development Corporation Recreation Department.

Bobbi is the new manager of The Career Resource Centre located in the Ocean Centre Mall. This is a role Bobbi is as familiar with as Willis is with the Prince Rupert gymnasiums as she held the same position at the Haida Gwaii Career Development Centre in Massett.

"We thought we were really going to miss Masset," says Bobbi, "and we do, but we are getting about five overnight visitors a month while our friends transit between Rupert and Masset, that we hardly notice the change."

The girls, both in French Emersion at Westview, have quickly gotten involved in figure skating and soccer and are investigating swim lessons and possibly joining the Swim Club.

As part of our WELCOME to the City of Prince Rupert, The Parnell's receive a complimentary 30-day pass to all the recreation facilities at the Jim Ciccone Civic and Earl Mah Aquatic Centres. If you have a new neighbour you'd like to introduce to your fellow residents, contact e-Rupert's editor at mcurnes@princerupert.ca

Volunteer of the Month: Shawn Thomas

 

Ask Shawn Thomas about Communities in Bloom and his face lights up like a Spring Garden. "I saw this program work in Fort St. John where I lived before moving to Prince Rupert. I saw how it took community spirit and transformed the town." Shawn firmly believes the same thing can happen here, because it already does. "There are so many great groups working to make Prince Rupert beautiful like Civic Pride and the Kaien Environmental Youth Society, that it just made sense to apply to participate in Communities in Bloom. The City of Fort St. John became so involved in the competition that they eventually won awards provincially and nationally and have gone on to compete internationally. Shawn is co-chairing the Prince Rupert initiative with Treena Decker. The pair made a presentation to City Council a few months back that received instant support with City Council agreeing to fund the application fee to participate in Communities in Bloom, on the spot!

Shawn also volunteers as the chair of the Youth Committee for the Hecate Strait Rotary and sees volunteering as a way of giving back to the community. Born in Grand Prairie and raised in the Kitimat area, Shawn has fallen in love with Prince Rupert in the nearly two years he has lived here. Shawn is a reporter/photographer for the Northern View and Northern Connector.

Prince Prince Communities in Bloom Initiative

Locally, organizers are taking what works in Prince Rupert--Civic Pride Society, the Kaien Environmental Youth Society, City Parks gardeners and other service organizations to take Prince Rupert gardens, parks, trails and residences to a competitive level, to compete for awards and recognition among other communities our size.

Provincially, BC Communities in Bloom is a not-for-profit program that helps municipalities develop their communities by improving the tidiness, appearance and visual appeal of their neighbourhoods, parks, open spaces and streets through the imaginative use of flowers, plants and tress. An integral part of the success of this program is increased environmental awareness and preservation of heritage and culture.

This program engages the whole community by including citizens of all ages, businesses, local organizations, community groups and municipalities. Communities in Bloom is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental awareness and municipal beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program. 

For more information on how you can learn more or become involved in the local efforts, please contact Shawn Thomas or Treena Decker. The next Communities in Bloom organizing meeting will take place next Thursday, April 17 at NWCC Room 189.

Consider This Journey of the Salmon

Article & PHOTO by: Monica Lamb-Yorski

The Prince Rupert Community Arts Council and School District No 52's Arts & Culture Week Committee have teamed up for a public art project, Journey of the Salmon.

Local artist Joan Mostad has designed a mural depicting the journey of a salmon from beginning to end and things it might see along the way such as a bears, sea lions, killer whales, seagulls, fishing boats, kelp or even an old cedar tree trunk. Hundreds of piece, taken from the mural design,  have been cut out from plywood and primed for artists of all ages to paint - both realistically and creatively, depending on their abiliites and inspiration. Once completed, the pieces will be attached to a fence for public display.

Joan has gone to both high schools to work with art students on some of the pieces and worked further with some of the students at The Drawing Room, an artists studio she shares with two other local artists, Lisa Morrow and Nicole Best Rudderham. From April 14 to 26, some of the pieces will be on display at the Lester Centre of the Arts to highlight Arts & Culture Week activities taking place there. For the first week they will provide a backdrop on the stage for high school plays about the environment being shown to school children in the district and during the second week they will be on display in the lobby.

To further celebrate BC's Arts & Culture Week (April 20 - 26) the project team is hosting a painting day on April 26 from 11 to 5 pm in collaboration with the Oldfield Creek Hatchery for young artists from age five to 12. There will be four sessions held at the hatchery during that day for a maximum of ten children at a time. Participants will also have the opportunity to tour the facility. The sessions are free. People wanting to sign up for the painting sessions can call Monica Lamb-Yorsk at 624-8600. There will be other painting days held at the Drawing Room and older students or adults interested in participating can also call Monica to sign up for these.

City Hall News

City and C.U.P.E. Local 105 Reach 5-Year Agreement

The City and the Union representing the majority of its employees, C.U.P.E. Local 105, reached a landmark, 5-year agreement last month; an agreement that will see C.U.P.E. Local 105 employees receive a 3% wage increase this year, an additional 3% in 2009, then a 3.25% increase in 2010, followed by a 3% increase in 2011 plus a 1.5% additonal increase in July of that year, with the same combination increase to occur again in 2012.

Over the past several years, C.U.P.E. employees had foregone substantive wage increases due to the economic challenges faced by the City following the closure of the Skeena Cellulose Mill and the defaulting of taxes owed the City by this company. Mayor Herb Pond has praised city employees for their cooperation during difficult times and is pleased by the results of this latest Collective Bargaining. [See the Mayor's letter in this issue of eRupert].

Do you have a question about the City of Prince Rupert that you would like me to find an answer to? Email me at mcurnes@princerupert.ca.

Pepsi Cola Scores with Prince Rupert Recreation

The Prince Rupert Recreation Complex recently scored with the Pepsi Cola Bottling Group. Wishing to improve service by moving to a new vending machine company and with an objective of increasing the number of healthy-choice products vended through machines at the Prince Rupert Recreation Complex, the Department of Recreation & Community Services sought bids from both Coke and Pepsi for a 5-year beverage exclusivity contract.

Pepsi's range of non-carbonated products (waters, fruit juices, coffee) outnumbered what Coke currently offers and Pepsi came to the table with an offer to replace aging scoreboards in our complex with three new scoreboards. These scoreboards are costly and not in the City budget at this time and this contract was one way to aquire new equipment. Two of the new Daktronics scoreboards will be placed in the Russell Gamble Gymnasium and the other will replace the board in the Arena. In addition, the Pepsi Bottling Group is financing the aquisition of a two-line LED reader board which will help the Recreation Department promote events and public service announcements. According to Michael Curnes, Director of Recreation & Community Services, "In all, Pepsi, committed just about $30,000 in amentiies while also providing brand new vending machines that feature healthier products."

A five year vending contract at the Recreation Complex was also awarded to local company Northwest Beverage & Vending Systems who also placed brand new snack machines in the Jim Ciccone Civic and Earl Mah Aquatic Centres. The new machines accept bills and feature the latest in computer technology and robotics. The proceeds from the vending machines received by the Recreation Department help fund Recreation programs, the purchase of equipment and help supplement the Everybody Gets to Play Fund.

Emergency Preparedness Week: May 4-10, 2008

72 hours… Is your family prepared?
Emergency Preparedness Week
May 4-10, 2008
         
Many people will face severe weather, fire, floods or other destructive events in the communities where they live. Although emergencies like these may be beyond our control, there are ways to reduce their potential impacts.

Emergency Preparedness Week

The 13th annual Emergency Preparedness Week which takes place May 4 -10, 2008, encourages Canadians to be prepared to cope on their own for at least the first 72 hours during an emergency or disaster while rescue workers help those in most desperate need.

EP Week is an annual national campaign coordinated by Public Safety Canada. All provinces and territories participate in EP Week, as do many first responder groups (police officers, firefighters, paramedics), public safety lifeline organizations, businesses, schools, health organizations and not-for-profit groups. It is a collaborative event promoted by many organizations, and supports activities at the local level.

While each level of government has legislated responsibilities with respect to emergency management, the actions of individual citizens play an important role in preparedness. Planning and preparing for emergencies can significantly reduce the impact and help people recover more quickly.  Please click either of the links in this article for more information.

How Does Prince Rupert Measure Up?

Last Fall, Prince Rupert City Council appointed a 12-member citizen work group to explore opportunities and recommend priorities that would help the community improve access and inclusiveness to allow residents of all physical and mental abilities to participate in and enjoy the benefits of recreation, civic involvement, mobility and cultural events.  This work group has been meeting every two weeks to inventory challenges and recommend solutions that will make Prince Rupert not only more accessible and inclusive for the people who live here but also for the tens of thousands of visitors to our community annually.
The members of the work group come from a diversity of backgrounds and life experiences, many of which include personal physical and mobility challenges.  The co-chairs of the group, Julie Kirkbright and Grainne Barthe, know all too well the challenges faced by residents and visitors in our community. 

A car accident twenty years ago left Julie a wheelchair-bound paraplegic and Grainne has been 70% deaf since birth. “We live fulfilling lives,” says Barthe, “but there is no doubt we have to work harder at it than most people.”  Barthe likes to remind people that not all disabilities are visible.  Her own long hair usually conceals her hearing aids. 

The City of Prince Rupert, with its island topography and renowned weather patterns, make mobility particularly challenging.  With this in mind, the work group spent its first several meetings taking inventory of buildings, sidewalks and crosswalks, transportation, housing, and parking.  The group looked not only at what was lacking but what really works in our community for people with physical and mental challenges.

Among the amenities identified as positive in our community are: the new elevator at Prince Rupert Mall; some sidewalks and ramps; W/C accessible washrooms at Atlin Terminal, the Aquatic Centre, the Tot Lot and Mariners Park; the Millennium Walkway along the waterfront; the NWCC Facility; the Public Library (large format and audio books); some city busses are equipped to receive wheelchairs/walkers; Greyhound Buslines has some buses with W/C washrooms; the new wheelchair accessible Taxi (funded in part by the City); Handi-Dart; the Northern Health Bus; the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre (pool ramp and aquafit programs); the Lester Centre (ramp and seating area for W/C); the Citizens of Prince Rupert are very helpful/accommodating; the Butze Rapids Trail Short Route is W/C accessible; some doctor’s offices have ramps; the Hospital (automatic doors/elevator); some Seniors Apartment Housing (Helsmen’s, Sunset Villa) and the Inn at the Harbour—all have W/C accessible room(s) and unit(s); Pineridge and Lax Keen Elementary Schools (all one level); Museum of Northern BC (added an elevator); Grocery Stores (Safeway has W/C accessible public washroom); and the Digby Island Ferry/Airport Access.


The group next created a list of challenges and opportunities facing Prince Rupert from an accessibility perspective. Those opportunities identified include: installing Chirp (audible) crosswalk indicators at major intersections; installing an elevator at the Civic Centre; requesting that the Via Rail station install a passenger ramp; add W/C accessible washrooms at the waterfront; extend the Millennium Trail; Playgrounds need to become more accessible; Recreation Programs are needed for W/C bound youth and adults; Swimming Pool needs private shower/change rooms; Handicap Parking stalls around town are not large enough to accommodate unloading; need more Senior Housing; Curling Rink not W/C accessible, Bowling Alley could be improved; Cinemas could move W/C seating to be closer to the screens; Sidewalks/Stairs need better marking, better curb cutouts; some streets are missing sidewalks; stricter enforcement of accessibility building codes; more stores and restaurants need to be accessible; Transportation (more buses need to be W/C accessible and more bus stops); Snow removal at bus stops and sidewalks needs to be faster and perhaps a return to former city practice of stockpiling snow in centre lane than along sidewalks/parking areas; Signage needs to be improved (way finding, parking); More paved trails.
Individuals in the group next voted for the top three priorities that they would like the work group to focus on during its 6 month mandate and these priorities are:

Chirp (audible) crosswalk indicators needed at major intersections
Elevator needed at the Civic Centre
Sidewalks/Stairs need better marking, better curb cutouts

The Measure UP Prince Rupert Work Group has been busy working out details and costs and has begun looking for grant and corporate funding to help the City address the priorities identified.  The Elevator Project at the Civic Centre is expected to carry a $100,000.  Of the five traffic signals in town, four are operated by the Ministry of Highways (Highway 16) with one operated by the City of Prince Rupert.  Installing Audible Chirp Signals is expected to cost between $1000-$2000 per intersection.  Curb cut outs, like the new one pictured above and just recently completed on McBride Street at Second Avenue, can cost anywhere from $500-1000 depending on the circumstances.  The need for this particular cut-out was identified by this work group and shared with Chief Engineer for the City, Bob Thompson who saw an opportunity to work it into another sidewalk upgrade project in the vicinity. 

Anyone with an interest in helping the Measure Up Prince Rupert Work Group identify and secure funding for any of the above projects, is encouraged to contact Michael Curnes, Director of Recreation & Community Services, who is providing staff support for this volunteer initiative.

Focus on Economic Development

From Christopher Colussi, Manager of Prince Rupert & Port Edward Economic Development

Prince Rupert and Port Edward are going to Beijing

As part of the Province’s goal to display BC communities during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, film crews spent 3 days last month in Prince Rupert and Port Edward to capture High Definition film of the communities.  The footage will be used in two Provincial initiatives, BC Stories and BC Explorer and shown in both the Beijing and Vancouver/Whistler Olympics through touch screen video facilities. 

BC Stories are short stories on communities to be given to media outlets at the Olympics.  Prince Rupert’s story includes the development of the container port with commentary from Mayor Pond and the Prince Rupert Port Authority.  The film crew also met with the local Chinese Community as part of the story.

BC Explorer is a set of clips on BC communities for people visiting the BC Pavilion in Beijing.  They highlight areas of live, work, play, invest and community.  The filming crew visited multiple sites on Kaien Island capturing all the different sights, sounds and actions going on in the communities.  All footage for both Stories and Explorer will be made available to the community at a later date.  Funding for the project was a dual partnership between the BC Olympic and Paralympic Winter Gamers Secretariat and the Northern Development Initiative Trust.

Community Announcements, Continued from Right Column:

FROM the “Awaken the Spirit” Workshop Committee

We are hosting a special event scheduled April 25TH & 26TH At The Crest Hotel in Prince Rupert Called "Soup & Bannock For The Soul". We Invite you to come Awaken Your Spirit at this two day workshop that will Rejuvenate, Revitalize and Inspire all who attend. This event has been designed to focus on personal development that is based on solutions & not problems.

The participants will learn that life is like the seasons & we can't wish away the winters by tearing December off the Calendar...They will always come. Some winters are long, some are short, some are hard & some are easy but they will always come. The great thing about our winters of life is what comes after winter? Spring ...A time of growth , A time to reflect and this will teach us that "bad times aren't here to stay...they are here to pass like the seasons.

Each workshop session is well balanced with a lot of Humor and material that will not only Empower "You" but will affect all those who we care about and work with each day. Please have a look at the attachments and circulate this to all departments and friends who may benefit from this unique event...Remember that "Things don't Just happen...Things happen Just."

You can send a request by email to firstpeoples@shaw.ca Awaken the spirit Community & conference Development programs and we will send a PDF file back to your community or organization.
In Respect
Fred Anderson
Awaken the Spirit
fred@awakenthespirit.ca
(250)797-1423

FROM Service Canada

Are you already part of an organization that might develop a New Horizons for Seniors project, or do you need to build a team to help make it happen? An effective team will help develop a good project idea and ensure its success. There will be a Prince Rupert workshop on this Grant opportunities for Seniors, Wednesday April 23, 2008, 9am – Noon at the Service Canada Centre in the Ocean Centre Mall. 

FROM Hecate Strait Employment Development Society

GATEWAY TO MATURE WORKERS PROGRAM announced at Hecate Strait Employment Development society, 612 Second Avenue West, PR!

If you are over 55 and want to learn new skills, while being paid to do so—this program is for you! 
Accepted participants will receive $8 per hour while in class (30 hours per week) and will receive skills development training to assist in working as a volunteer in the community or as a paid employee.
Project participants will be expected to make an application and to include an updated resume, and follow-up assessment interview, in order to be considered for this project.  The primary target is those 55—64 years young; however, if space allows persons 50—54 may be considered.
Eight intake sessions over a year:                             
April 7 – May2
May 12 – June 6
June 16 – July 11
Sept 8 – Oct 3
Oct 13—Nov 7
Nov 17 – Dec 12
Jan 5 – Jan 30
Feb 9 – March 6

Program consists of:
3 weeks of employability skills
1 week of Employment Assistance Skills
4 weeks skills development (certified training identified through career plan and initial assessment)
4 weeks work or volunteer placement

For more information, contact Hecate Strait at 624-9498 or drop by our office at 612 Second Avenue West.