Airport Society asks for help
At city council last night Northwest Regional Airport Manager Carmen Hendry made a pitch for the city to support ongoing upgrades to the airport, part of a 20-year plan.
The ask was for $133,000 in the form of a grant or in kind donation in the form of waived development fees, and would be an unprecedented move, staff told council
The total price tag for the airport plan is $15 million for new check-in area, queuing area and other upgrades.
Youth rehab centre wanted
Council will be rewriting and submitting a letter to the provincial health ministry to request that a rehabilitation facility for addicted youth be brought back to the Northwest.
According to local resident and advocate Adrienne Goodrich who was at council with a group of fellow advocates, the problem of youth addiction to hard drugs is a disproportionally bad problem in the area.
The removal of the Atlas Youth Centre ran by Terrace and District Community Services Society up until 2009 was a terrible blow and Goodrich wants council to again advocate for the return of such a facility.
“Since the closure of Atlas Youth Treatment Centre in 2009 our region has been without a residential addictions treatment for the community’s most precious and vulnerable members,” said Goodrich, adding that the counselling that is available is insufficient.
As it stands, youth are sent to Prince George if they have a problem, even if they are in need of detox.
“Prince George is pretty big. For someone to come from a small community to Prince George, the treatment centre is in the middle of town, there is culture shock and there is a lot for them to overcome to stay on a successful path” she continued.
Councillor Stacey Tyers recommended that the letter ask for a detox centre as a beginning.
Gas Tax would fund major aquatic centre overhaul
The city also decided to submit a Federal Gas Tax Strategic Priority Funding Application for approximately $4.7 million in upgrades to the Terrace Aquatic Centre that will be put towards new drainage systems, accessibility ramps, new family change room and also a new fitness room to be located beside where the current men’s change room is. The service desk will also be repositioned.
The grant is for 100 per cent of a project cost and leisure services staff told council that they have a shelf ready plan to submit with their application.
If the money comes in then the centre would have to shut down for 8 months during rennovations.