Below are notes from the Aug. 20 meeting of Port Edward council.
Bus boost
As residents of the North Coast await word on the final investment decision of Pacific NorthWest LNG, the District of Port Edward has already begun investigating increased access to the community.
As per a request from council, BC Transit provided details on service increases that would see hourly trips between Port Edward and Prince Rupert between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m on weekdays and Saturdays as well as expanded Sunday service. The total cost for the service would be approximately $214,000 per year, but chief administrative officer Ron Bedard noted some of the larger businesses looking to locate in Port Edward have committed to helping pay for the service.
But given the required notice and approval from BC Transit management, Bedard said people shouldn't expect any immediate changes.
"We are a long ways away from this," he said.
Rezone complete
The land has been cleared and on Aug. 20 the District of Port Edward took another step toward realizing a temporary worker accommodation facility within its borders.
Following a public hearing earlier in the evening, council gave third reading to two bylaws that move the development forward. The first was to amend the Official Community Plan to reflect that "the District of Port Edward encourages the development of temporary construction camps in support of liquefied natural gas development on a site-specific basis withing the Canoxy land for industrial uses" while the second rezones a parcel of land just before the entrance to Watson Island to "Lodging, temporary".
Before the rezoning bylaw is given its final reading it must receive approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.