Pierre Poilievre makes a visit
Conservative Party of Canada leader and His Majesty's Official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament paid a visit to Terrace, signalling his desire to claim the Skeena - Bulkley Valley riding in the next federal election.
With Ellis Ross, the B.C. United MLA for the provincial Skeena riding who won't be running again in order to run as a federal Conservative, Poilievre visited a local truck repair facility to meet with managers and employees there.
The visit was one of many "Bring it Home" events Poilievre has staged on building up a considerable lead in the polls over the governing Liberal Party of Canada.
City orders apartments closed up
Workers have closed off access to the Coachman Apartments on the Bench following an order by Terrace fire chief Chad Cooper to evacuate the three-storey structure because of unsafe conditions.
The move ends occupancy of what had been ongoing decrepit and unsafe conditions at the building. They first came to official light in December 2022 when frozen water pipes burst inside.
The situation became complicated in 2022 when the building's owner died, leaving no one with apparent authority to deal with the building.
Gold in the Mountains
A history of mining in the area called 'Gold in the Mountains' compiled by the Terrace Regional Historical Society figured prominently at the Feb. 2024 heritage fair held in the banquet room of the Terrace Sportsplex.
In a forward, society member Norma Kerby noted that while there were small operations leading into the 1940s, there was not a sufficient supply of mineralized rich veins in any one location to justify a large operation.
A developing forest industry and one that paid well drew away those who would otherwise have been prospecting and mining, she added.
Glued shut
Someone is gluing door locks shut and the Terrace RCMP wants to find out who it is.
On Feb. 6, 2024 alone, three reports were received of mischief at local businesses and one government building.
Terrace RCMP Constable Kelly Cates noted that the damage runs into the thousands of dollars.
Police suspect one person is responsible for all of the occurrences.
Grants coming to northwest
It's been nearly 10 years in the making and an effort consisting of studies, meetings and perhaps a bit of arm-twisting but there's finally some good news for the northwest.
And that stems from the provincial government's 2024 budget proposals containing a provision for a $250 million grant to be paid out to northwestern local governments over five years.
Local governments had formed themselves into the Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance to push for a share of provincial revenues from resource industry taxation.
"I'm happy with this deal and I'm OK with the term on its and I'm OK with the amount of money," said Terrace mayor Sean Bujtas.
Firefighter volunteers to be paid
Terrace fire chief Chad Cooper hopes that paying volunteer firefighters for the time they are training or on calls will reverse a departure.
Calling the situation a "precipitous decline," Cooper said the department needs at least 15 volunteers to operate effectively.
He said paying volunteers would reflect the increased training now required.
Cooper asked the city for a budget hike of $50,000 to pay volunteers $25 an hour when called out and $22 an hour when training.
