The City of Terrace has announced a new date for the public hearing regarding the proposed inland port development, and the hearing will not include a physical meeting as originally planned.
The public hearing was initially set for Dec. 18 and was to include a four-hour session that members of the public could physically attend to provide feedback on the proposed development, after which council would have cast a definitive vote on amendments to the city’s official community plan necessary for the proposed development to proceed. However, the hearing was postponed due to increased pandemic safety restrictions in B.C. as COVID-19 cases rose in the northwest and throughout the province.
Now, the city has rescheduled the hearing to January 14 at 5 p.m. and the hearing will be held in a virtual-only format, according to a statement from the city.
Members of the public will be able to participate in the hearing via the Microsoft Teams conference software. For people who have never used Teams before, the city will hold a test session in early January, though a date has not been finalized for that.
The hearing will also be streamed live over Facebook and the city’s website, for people who simply want to watch without participating.
“In accordance with the most recent provincial health officer order, the public is currently not permitted to [physically] attend public hearings or council meetings,” the city statement reads.
A virtual open house, set up by the city to provide information about the proposed development, remains open until Dec. 31.
The city has set up a dedicated web page for information about the proposed inland port, including a timeline of events and answers to frequently asked questions. That page can be found at www.terrace.ca/proposed-inland-port
The public hearing link and other details can be found online at www.terrace.ca/participate