AT a regular council meeting last night that didn't have any bylaw or zoning amendments, memos or long presentations, the bulk of the action came out of the new business section.
Councillor Marylin Davies had news to relay from Terrace RCMP inspector Dana Hart that two people have been arrested in connection with as many as 18 break and enters in the Terrace area over the second half of July.
“One has been charged and pleaded guilty and another is charged and will come to court this week,” Davies said on Hart's behalf.
Other new business included capital investment in the northwest, with councillor Bruce Bidgood having recently attended the ground breaking ceremony for the $50 million hospital being developed in Queen Charlotte City on Haida Gwaii. It'll be completed in two years.
And Councillor Lynne Christiansen spoke of the recent Regional District of Kitimat Stikine meetings August 9 and 10 which she attended with Bidgood as the representative for Terrace.
Christiansen said that the big news to come out of the regional district meeting was the decision to grant $70,000 to the Hazeltons to help build a new arena.
Bidgood added that the regional district has decided to take on ownership of the arena, while New Hazelton will operate it, a move which he characterized as “a very peculiar situation.”
“I said, 'do we really want to be owning any more recreational facilities?'” Bidgood told council, adding the regional district's justification for the decision is “the belief that benefits will be accrued by virtue of the [regional district] owning the arena.”
Bidgood also mentioned that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) is now helping to tackle the ambulance crisis in Stewart, a town of 500 north of Terrace, and will be helping the municipality lobby the provincial government to achieve full-time paramedic service in the wake of resignations and service gaps in current BC Ambulance staffing.
Councillor Brian Downie showed a slide presentation of highlights from this year's Riverboat Days festival for which he acts as council liaison and organizer, saying that it was a phenomenal success. He said it was estimated that 5,000 attended the parade alone, though that number was based on a visual estimate.
“Some day we should do a little survey or study to see what a crowd of 5,000 looks like,” said Downie.
Mayor David Pernarowksi, who missed the Riverboat Days parade because he was on holiday for several weeks, said that he didn't have any new business to report to council.
Downie commended councillor Stacey Tyers for filling in for Pernarowski in the mayor's parade car.
“Stacey did a fabulous job of representing the mayor,” Downie said.