News Influencing Decision Makers in Northern BC
PRINCE GEORGE
Kim Haakstad
Kim Haakstad has been appointed as the new president and chief executive officer of COFI.
The 80th Annual Truck Loggers Association Convention + Trade Show will be held at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver from January 15 – 17, 2025.
David Luba, co-Founder of tentree, a sustainable apparel business that has planted over 105 million trees, will speak at the 2nd annual UNBC Faculty of Business and Economics dinner on Friday, March 14, 2025.
Dr. Paula Wood-Adams, UNBC Vice-President, Research and Innovation, has improved polymer science by developing breakthrough materials that fulfill technology demands and manage environmental effect. Innovative biodegradable plastic foams for medical implants and an electrically conductive plastic-based composite for electromagnetic shielding have been developed with partners and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding.
Selen Alpay, a committed supporter of youth in Prince George, has received the 2024 BC Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association Partnership Award.
The Farmhouse Catering have announced that Locals by Farmhouse, the on-site restaurant and Gourmet Express Café, have officially closed operations at YXS as of November 28, 2024.
Registration is now open for the 2025 B2B Expo in Prince George happening February 14th & 15th, 2025 and presented by the City of Prince George, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Fraser Fort George.
UNBC is celebrating its 35th anniversary by giving $350 in tuition credits to 350 deserving students.
Prince George has been announced as the thirteenth most generous city in Canada by Go Fund Me.
DL Projects Inc. has successfully matched employee donations, raising over $17,910.00 to provide financial assistance to charitable organizations that aid community members in times of crisis.
PRINCE RUPERT
Chris Cooper will assume the role of president and CEO of LNG Canada starting April 1.
Mami Temaki at 716, 3rd Avenue West, Prince Rupert, is now fully open as of December 17, 2024.
Don Coburn, the owner of Skeena Valley Christmas Tree Farm, is reducing operations after years of serving the local and provincial market.
The hydroelectric facility, which is expected to be finished in 2026 and serve 95 percent of Hartley Bay’s demands, as well as drought mitigation, is being funded by $2 million that the Gitga’at Nation (Hartley Bay) secured.
The first union contract with UNITE HERE Local 40 has been approved by the vast majority of hospitality workers at the Red Chris copper-gold mine, located close to the settlement of Iskut.
A new respiratory therapy (RT) clinic, the Nelson Kinney Respiratory Clinic, has opened at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital. The facility features state-of-the-art equipment and a respiratory therapist (RT).
The Prince Rupert Moose Lodge is set to hold a New Year’s Dance on December 31 at its hall, marking one of the lodge’s largest annual fundraisers.
FORT ST JOHN
The Fort St. John Senior Flyers will host the Valleyview Jets in a rescheduled North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) match on December 21st at the North Peace Arena. The original game had to be postponed due to weather conditions.
The City of Fort St. John council has given the green light to the Fort St. John Curling Club‘s application, allowing an increase of 50 people to their service capacity and extending their liquor license hours of operation.
A transportation survey was carried out by the Left Turn Right Turn (LTRT) consulting firm for the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM). The study’s priorities included improving air travel to the local airport, expanding the operating hours of the seniors bus, and other similar initiatives, as announced by the NRRM.
After a public hearing, the City Council approved a zoning amendment bylaw that will let the Fort St. John Co-Op project move forward to a property at the corner of 114A Avenue and 100th Street that already has a gas station, convenience store, propane fueling station, and car wash.
The Fort St. John Rotary Club has announced that its Drive Thru Breakfast fundraiser has successfully raised $30,000. This funding will benefit various community programs, including the Terus Community Centre Capital Campaign by the Fort St John Association for Community Living, the Fort St John Country Quilters Guild, Abbeyfield House, the local BC SPCA branch, and the Senior’s Hall Luncheon Program in Fort St John.
Lisa Behrens and Brenda Baumeister of the FSJ Cancer Support Circles Society presented to Regional Council to promote support services for cancer patients, caregivers, and families in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, and surrounding communities.
At the November 12, 2024, Regional Council meeting for Fort Nelson Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, a resolution was passed to establish the FireSmart and Wildfire Resiliency Advisory Committee. The Expression of Interest (EOI) process (November 19–29) resulted in nine applications, showcasing expertise in wildfire mitigation, forestry, agriculture, and First Nations perspectives.
KITIMAT
On December 11, at the Upper Skeena Recreation Centre in Hazelton, the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS) and the Gitxsan Huwilp Government signed an MOU to create a government-to-government relationship founded on respect, cooperation, and communication.
TERRACE
Terrace has been ranked as the 41st most livable city in Canada out of 100, and it stands 18th among cities in BC.
A ceremony took place in the lobby of Ksyen Regional Hospital on Dec. 13, 2024, marking the official opening of the facility, which is estimated to cost $633 million. On November 24, 2024, it started welcoming its first patients.
BC Housing will provide money for the ‘Ksan Society to open a temporary winter overflow overnight shelter on the 4400 Block of Lakelse Ave. in January.
WILLIAMS LAKE
During the regular meeting on December 17, the Williams Lake Council discussed their aim for a 0% tax increase concerning housing assessments.The Council has instructed staff to review the City’s annual budget and prepare proposals for consideration when BC Assessment data is available in January 2025, aiming for a 0% average tax increase above assessment rises. The council has given the green light to new projects that were recommended by staff and funded by grants, ahead of the approval of the 2025-29 Financial Plan Bylaw.
Williams Lake Blue Fins Swim Club will get $2,000 and KidSport will receive $1,000 from the Council’s approved Community Grants for late 2025. The Blue Fins swim club has asked for $5,000 in total, and Council is requesting $1,000 more from Cariboo Regional District Areas D, E, and F.
As a result of the recent Canada Post job action, commercial and business utility invoices will not be subject to late penalties. Council instructed staff to refrain from enforcing these penalties during the September/October bimonthly billing period.
The Northern Development Initiative Trust Local Government Internship Grant Application for 2025 was modified by the council to request $60,000 rather than $50,000.
Council authorized the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce and Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin to renew their leases at the Tourism Discovery Centre for five years from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029, at $1 per year.
Williams Lake’s Cariboo Memorial Hospital‘s $367 million renovation is proceeding according to plan and within budget, according to project manager Brad Mackendrick.
SMITHERS
The province’s Connecting British Columbia program, the federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund, CityWest, and the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako have all contributed to the supply of high-speed internet to residents in the Upper Viewmount area, which is located east of Smithers.
The Nilhts’I Ecoener Wind Farm Project, a joint venture between Ecoener Energie Canada, Inc. and the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, was declared as a winning bid to construct a wind farm on traditional territory.
All Smithers short-term rentals and B&Bs must get a business license and complete the new checklist. Visit for bylaw updates and business requirements. Read on here.
QUESNEL
Brett Festerling
Brett Festerling is staying on with the NHL as an analyst for the Seattle Kraken’s Kraken Hockey Network (KHN).
Craig’s Table, owned by Craig and Rebecca Sherstan, will close its doors at the end of March 2025.
The chief of ʔEsdilagh First Nation, Troy Baptiste, was re-elected for a another term of four years on Monday, December 9.
The Cariboo Gold Project, which is expected to process about 1.1 million tonnes of gold-bearing ore annually, was granted Environmental Management Act (EMA) licenses, Osisko Development Corporation stated on Thursday, December 12.
100 MILE HOUSE
Jesse Fraser has been appointed as the new executive director of the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre.
The acquisition of the former B.C. Liquor Store in the Cariboo Mall next door has allowed FreshCo to expand their store by 5,500 square feet, bringing the total square footage to 28,000. New product offerings and self-serve checkouts are part of the expansion, according to owner-operator Daniel Broddy.
The Bank of Montreal‘s 100 Mile House Branch will close permanently on June 27, 2025.
The Loaves and Fishes at 100 Mile House have finally extended their operation, after two years of planning and fundraising. They have added a new ATCO Trailer to their facility, giving them plenty of space to store non-perishable food.
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