‘regional ‘consultation

"process. is-. over, the hearings

oo fave. been. held, a~report. has

lp been filed. with the provincial _
_! government, and now the wait-
ing begins.
Sl ‘The Region Six (North Coast)
" Transportation Planning Com-

* mittee presented its recommen-
.’ - dations to ‘the: Ministry of Re-
al. gional Development. June 29.

-*. The-teport was compiled by the
oe -10-member committee from .in-
. formation. and - briefs received —

" over: a period of nearly a year.

“<= Bob “Thompson, : regional: de-
o velopment _ -officer : for “North.
'. where cars and trains can collide
with .each - ‘other. The report .

Coast, ‘said i in an- interview from

“y> Victoria last week that the’ re-
_ . ports fas © TOW ' begun | going
~~ through the legislative digestion -

. ‘process that will eventually: de-

"termine what action the govern-

ment will take on the recommen

“. ‘dations.
‘After North Coast Minister of .
Terrace, The project would re-:

State Terry. Huberts received the
‘ report, copies of it were circu-
lated: to the region’s three

a MLA’s — Larry Guno, Dan

Miller. and Dave Parker — for
review and comment, Thomp-
son said that when the report
comes back with attached
- material from the MLA’s, it will

be forwarded to the Ministry of .

Transportation and Highways.
The ministry will then incor-
porate the recommendations in-
_ to a provincial strategy and cost
gut and analyze the suggested
projects. The resulting report

will then go to highways. minis-

ter Neil Vant, who will lay. it
‘ before Cabinet. .
 “Then-the regular assessment

process begins,’ ‘Thompson

said: The endorsed recommen-.

dations, in whatever form they
~ survive, will then go into the
budgeting process next spring.

In the report the committee

argues that a strong and inte-

grated regional | transportation
system is. a major | key to "the
region’s future economic
growth, The .report states,
‘« ;, most municipalities and

organized areas within Region 6

are capable of supporting great-
ly increased populations, . but

sustained economic growth will

depend heavily upon improved
’ transportation infrastructure.”

The committee also indicates
that recommendations having
regional rather than local im-
plications were given the greatest
emphasis in the report.

‘The committee gave the fol-
lowing recommendations ‘‘pri-
mary rating” in the report:

@ Improve the Terrace-Kitimat
-airport to allow efficient han-
dling of larger numbers of pas-
‘gengers: estimated cost, $2.3
million. The recommendations
were for a larger terminal build-
ing and extended runways and
lighting, and they also suggested
a study to determine whether an
instrument landing system or a
microwave landing ‘system
would be more suitable for the
- airport. The report also. notes

that passengers and goods re-"

quiring customs clearance are
subjected to considerable incon-
venience due to the fact that the

"* nearest customs “office is in

Kitimat.”
@ Relocate the ferry dock on

Disby island: estimated cost,

$3.8 million, Air passengers
from Prince Rupert have to be

through. B.C.

by Island because that’s: where

‘the Rupert airport: is. ‘The. com-
mittee says moving the: ‘Digby |

Island dock to Dodge Cove

‘would- cut down ‘ferry’ travel
time, serve Digby Island resi-

dents better, and possibly allow
additional ferry tuns to-provide
better service for air passengers
coming and going on small com-

mercial - airlines and private.

charter flights.

@ Eliminate all level railway
scrogsings on Highway 16 within
“the. region: by'.1992, There are

still ‘three points on the highway

notes that the Ministry of High-

ways already has plans to con-

struct overheads at Carnaby-

Kitsegukla” and Esker, both near »
Hazelton. The report .recom-
mends another Overhead at Du-.

mont, 43: kilometers west of

quire realignment of nine kilom-
eters.of roadway at an estimated

- cost of $14 million.

@ Rebuild the section of road
between Greenville and Ajiyansh
that passes through the Tseax
lava ‘beds: estimated cost,

$500,000, Serious deterioration.

has occurred, and the committee

recommends bringing it up to _

‘maintainable gravel stan-
dards’’.

@ Pave Highway 37 from Mezi-
adin Junction to Bob Quinn
Lake: estimated cost, $110 mil-

lion. The report states, “The
- route provides an alternate route. ..... ewes sete
to the. Alaska.
“Highway, and is considered es-
sential for further development  —
_of the northwest quarter of the
province.” It further suggests -

that this project should even-

' tually be followed by “further

paving to the Yukon border.

“The 300-kilometer dirt and grav-

el stretch: north of Meziadin
Junction, where the pavement
ends, is thick with heavy in-
dustrial traffic and presents an
unattractive, if not downright
hostile, ° drive ‘for recreational
users and the public in general.

‘@ Rehabilitate the Hagwilget

Bridge: estimated cost, $2.5 mil-
lion. The single lane bridge con-

necting New Hazelton with the

Village of Hazelton and the
Kispiox Valley is outdated and
in need of major structural re-
pairs.

Projects given a secondaty —
rating by the committee were: a
two-lane bridge at Meziadin
where Highway 37 crossés the

Nass River: a vehicle bridge

across the Nass into Canyon —

City; rehabilitate the intersec-

tion at the Port Edward turnoff .

from Highway 16; work on the
‘“five corners’’ intersection in

downtown. Prince Rupert to re-..
duce traffic hazards; building a
bridge. to Digby Island from... :
Prince Rupert.to do away with. =
the ferry; build:29 kilometers of —

road from Greenville to Kinco-
lith: build a resource road from

Highway 37 into the Iskut

Valley; extend the Harbour
Road in Kitimat to tidewater;

new bridges to connect Port:
-. Simpson and Tuck Inlet; and,

finally, assistance to developers
for. building the last four

kilometeri of road into the pro-

posed Shames Mountain ski
resort.

‘Suggested projects in-the Ter-.
race area that the committee

received. through hearings and
briefs but presented in the report:

. without recommendation were
the paving of the road to Old

Remo and upgrading the CNR
rail: line © between Terrace
and Kitimat.

‘Initlatives:

Under a separate heading the
committee also proposed a num-
ber of policy changes and studies
regarding the region’s transpor-
tation network:

e Identify community airports

and airparks that could benefit.

from. ATAP. (Air Transporta-
tion ‘Assistance Program) fund-

ing from the Ministry of Trans-’
- portation and. Highways.

e Support for: direct east-west

air connections between Terrace
and Prince-George: -

@ Identify sites in sinall com-
munities where helipads are re-
quired.

@ Support for municipal ef-

forts in lobbying for full time -
customs officers at the Sandspit,
Prince Rupert and Terrace-

Kitimat airports.

@ Review dangerous cargo Teg-
ulations as applied to marine
shipping. Restrictions have had
the effect of raising prices and

TERRACE ROTARY
JRIVERBOAT RACE

AUG. 7, 1989 .
OPPER RIVER FLATS

~. Ist Prize: $2000.00 .
2nd Prize: Weekend Trip for 2 to Vancouver
including accommodation (Century. Plaza Hotel

delaying. delivery of common

goods to isolated coastal com-.

muntities. :

© Strike a task force to examine
and review the operations of
B.C. Ferries-on the north coast.
Although not. directly stated in
the report, -complaints about

B.C. Ferries were universal
_among coastal residents. Several
other proposed initiatives were.

directed at making the ferry ser-
vice. more responsive, efficient
and useful. -

_@ Further upgrade and im-

provement of existing roads.and
highways in the region.
@ Designating the road from
Rosswood to Aiyansh as a pro-
vincial highway, with the objec-
tive of eventually upgrading it to
full Highways standards.

© Opposition to any cutbacks
to or abandonment of VIA Rail
passenger service.

@ ‘Initiate a study of traffic and
congestion patterns on highways

Terrace Review — _— Wednesday July 26, 1989 99.

‘action on transportation report. until spring |

ferried from downtown to Dig-

through Terrace, Prince Rupert,’

Stewart and Kitimat: The objec Bey
tive ‘would be to determine the.
feasibility of alternate or bypass
routes for commercial truck
_traffic to reduce hazards. ee
The committee consisted of. “
Darlene Cornell of...
Stewart, Rick Wozney of Kiti- © |
mat, Jack Talstra of “Terrace, :
Gordon Feyer of Masset, and.

mayors

Canyon City Band. chief council-

lor Harry Nyce, ‘Kitsumkalum :
Band chief councillor Cliff Bol-

ton, Skidegate Band chief coun-
cillor Tom Greene Sr., and Jay
Strong, president of the Prince

Rupert Chamber of Commerce.
Strong was the committee alter-..
nate for Prince Rupert alderman
who. died unex- -

Eric Janes,
pectedly while the committee
was returning from hearings in
the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The report was prepared by. -

Jackman Consultants of Ter-
race. .

boat.

Red Cross Water Safety Says:
DON’T DRINK AND. DIVE

_ Drinking and diving don’t mix. The use ofalcoholor |”
drugs affect reaction time and judgement. If youare | -
under the influence, don’t swim, dive’or operate a_

The Canadian Red Cross Socvety af

Terrace Travel Canadian Airlines International td)
3rd Prize: Gas Barbeque

- Tickets: $3. 00 each “or Tw Two for $5.00

- Available From ‘Any Rotary Member

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