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All the incumbents who were re-elected to council – Lyn Hall, Brian Skakun, Murry Krause, Garth Frizzell, Frank Everitt, and Albert Koehler – obviously thanked their supporters for their election win Saturday. And so they should. But they probably should also thank Mother Nature. Good old Mother Nature has been kind to us this winter. There have been winters here when the snowblower is in mid-season form by Halloween. Not so this year. The winter snows have held off quite nicely and, more...

There is something missing in this election campaign. It’s been dominant in the past few election campaigns, but this time around it’s non-existent. Crime. For some reason, no one is talking about the city’s crime problems this election campaign. Maybe it’s a feather in Mayor Shari Green’s cap. After all, she did form the Mayor’s Task Force on Crime. Maybe it’s because the RCMP’s Downtown Enforcement Unit has been having success, although it was scaled back in 2011. Maybe it’s because the...

The incredible turnout at the mayoralty debate at the library Wednesday evening is certainly indicative of the interest Prince George residents have in this election. It’s also indicative that residents are not happy with what has transpired over the past three years and are taking a keen interest in who wants to run the city and who they want to run the city. That is a good thing, because it will likely mean a better turnout at the polls. It’s a regrettable vagary of our system that unless...

As you listen to those who are seeking your vote this fall, you’ll likely hear talk about an “open and transparent” government. It was one of Mayor Shari Green’s campaign planks three years ago. What transpired out of city hall this week is the antithesis of open and transparent government. It laid off 11 employees and is so secretive about it one might joke that the 11 employees weren’t even told. But this isn’t a joking matter. When the city does something such as laying off 11 people, it...

As you listen to those who are seeking your vote this fall, you’ll likely hear talk about an “open and transparent” government. It was one of Mayor Shari Green’s campaign planks three years ago. What transpired out of city hall this week is the antithesis of open and transparent government. It laid off 11 employees and is so secretive about it one might joke that the 11 employees weren’t even told. But this isn’t a joking matter. When the city does something such as laying off 11 people, it...

Just because the teachers’ strike/lockout is over it doesn’t mean things are all hunky-dory in the school system. They aren’t. One of the points highlighted during the labour dispute was the fact that British Columbia has the second lowest per pupil funding formula in the country. While the province loves to talk about how much it is pouring into education, the fact of the matter is that how much the province spends per pupil is dismal. While the teachers got a lot of press about their...

Just because the teachers’ strike/lockout is over it doesn’t mean things are all hunky-dory in the school system. They aren’t. One of the points highlighted during the labour dispute was the fact that British Columbia has the second lowest per pupil funding formula in the country. While the province loves to talk about how much it is pouring into education, the fact of the matter is that how much the province spends per pupil is dismal. While the teachers got a lot of press about their...

While some residents of Prince George enjoy the new curbside recycling program, others are left footing the bill. We say “some residents” because apartment dwellers and those who do not receive city garbage collection are omitted from the new service and they are likely some of those who are subsidizing the nice new shiny boxes. Multi-Material BC, with the complicity of the province, have foisted a great inequity on the province with this new program. And, since it is largely the rural...

Blame it on those Winter Games people with their catchy slogan – we are winter. Jeepers, it’s all city council can talk about. Not the Games, but rather, snow. And they talk about it at length. Seriously, though, after last winter’s snow clearing disaster, it’s a discussion that needs to take place. Obviously still smarting from the derision cast his way last winter, Coun. Brian Skakun went on a bit of a tirade Monday night. He pointed out that the city shouldn’t have spent $131,900 on the...

“Putting out the fire with gasoline.” - David Bowie Premier Christy Clark squandered a wonderful opportunity Wednesday. After repeated calls for her to enter the ongoing dispute between the province and its teachers, Clark finally emerged to make a few brief comments. The opportunity, for her, was to rise above the rhetoric and vitriol that has marked the province’s relationships with its teachers back to when Clark was Education Minister. The opportunity, for her, was to show...