Author: SKEENA NEWS

Dear Editor, As an Iranian-Canadian living in Terrace, I would like to share and acknowledge the profound suffering that many families in Iran are experiencing. Over the past weeks, independent reports have documented severe violence and widespread repression affecting ordinary people, young and old alike. These events are not widely understood here and deserve quiet recognition. I am not asking for political action, but simply for a moment of thought, conversation, or prayer for those whose voices are difficult to hear under current conditions. In recent weeks, the situation inside Iran has continued to worsen amid rising regional tensions. International…

TERRACE / CALGARY / VICTORIA — Leadership decisions at both the federal and provincial levels are set to redefine the political trajectory of Northwest British Columbia for the coming decade. From the convention floors in Calgary to the caucus rooms in Victoria, the Conservative movement is doubling down on a “resources-first” agenda that places the Skeena region at the heart of the national economy. Federal Level – Poilievre’s Mandate for “One-and-Done” Approvals On January 31, 2026, Pierre Poilievre secured a powerful renewed mandate as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. In a decisive show of unity at the party’s national convention in Calgary, 87.4%…

PRINCE RUPERT / OTTAWA — The political discourse in the Skeena region on January 30, 2026, is dominated by the fallout from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent high-stakes meetings in Prince Rupert and the escalating debate over a proposed Alberta-to-B.C. bitumen pipeline. The tension reached a boiling point today as Coastal First Nations (CFN), an alliance of nine nations including the Heiltsuk and Haida, launched a sharp defense of their sovereignty against a wave of political and media attacks. The Kitimat Disconnection and the Prince Rupert Risk During a pivotal news conference in Ottawa on January 29, 2026, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith officially…

PRINCE GEORGE — In a landmark shift for the northern forestry sector, the Ministry of Forests announced on January 30, 2026, the transfer of one million cubic metres of timber rights to a powerful new coalition of the Witset, Wet’suwet’en, and Lake Babine Nations. The ceremony, held during the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, saw nine regional chiefs sign an agreement that effectively repatriates a significant portion of the Morice Timber Supply Area (TSA) to Indigenous stewardship. The “Canfor Undercut” and the Houston Vacuum The timber in question was previously held by forestry giant Canfor to supply its sawmill in Houston, B.C.. Since the mill’s closure in…

PRINCE RUPERT — On January 30, 2026, the Port of Prince Rupert’s role as a critical node in Canada’s trade diversification strategy was reinforced by record-breaking year-end performance data from major terminal operators. Trigon Pacific Terminals reported handling 10.4 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025—a 14% increase over the previous year—accounting for 40% of all exports flowing through the gateway. Breaking the U.S. Monopoly: The Rise of LPG The speed at which the Skeena region has opened new global energy markets is most evident in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sector. Before 2019, 100% of Canadian propane exports were directed to the United States. By the end of 2025, Prince…

PRINCE GEORGE / TERRACE — The provincial energy strategy reached a critical implementation point on January 30, 2026, as Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix officially opened the competitive bidding process for data centre connections to the electrical grid. This novel approach, enabled by the Energy Statutes Amendment Act passed in late 2025, is inextricably linked to the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL)—a multi-billion dollar “nation-building” project designed to break the energy bottleneck across Northern B.C.. Electrification of the Golden Triangle The NCTL project is the vital piece of infrastructure for the Skeena region, doubling the capacity of the current 500-kilovolt radial line that…

KITIMAT — As the District of Kitimat navigates its 2026 budget deliberations, municipal council is facing a clear mandate from residents: fix what is broken before building what is new. A recent report presented at the January 26, 2026, regular meeting compiled 57 public submissions from the “Get Involved Kitimat” digital engagement hub. The feedback highlights a community grappling with the physical toll of industrial expansion and a strong desire for practical, climate-resilient infrastructure. Roads, Sidewalks, and the “50-Year Wait” The dominant theme of the 2026 feedback is the deteriorating state of local thoroughfares. Residents expressed sharp frustration over long-standing delays in repairs, with…

TERRACE — The Skeena region’s primary post-secondary institution, Coast Mountain College (CMTN), is undergoing a profound structural transformation as of January 29, 2026. Driven by a precipitous decline in international student enrollment, the college has launched an aggressive “restructure and refocus” strategy to address a $4 million budgetary gap for the 2026 fiscal year. The Catalyst: 90% Drop in International Enrollment The fiscal crisis follows sweeping changes to international education policies by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). These federal restrictions—including new caps on study permits and stricter Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility—have made CMTN programs significantly less accessible to global applicants. International registrations at the college…

SMITHERS — The technical landscape of the Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District shifted significantly today as American Eagle Gold Corp. released one of the most substantial drill results in the history of the NAK Project. The findings confirm the presence of a massive, continuous “high-grade core” that persists from the surface to extreme depths, potentially anchoring the site as a multi-generational mining asset. A “Substantial Intercept” in the South Zone The highlight of the technical release is Hole NAK25-78, located in the project’s Southern Zone. The hole yielded a staggering 802-metre intercept grading 0.31% copper, 0.27 g/t gold, and 1.2 g/t silver, beginning just 54 metres below the surface.…

TERRACE — The management of the region’s natural capital remains a top priority as industrial development expands, but new data suggests that Skeena’s bears are finding it easier to stay “wild” this year. Reports released by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) on January 28, 2026, reveal a dramatic downward trend in human-wildlife conflicts across the province and the Northwest. According to the 2025 calendar year statistics, British Columbia saw the lowest number of black bears destroyed by officers in over a decade. Province-wide, only 211 black bears were killed—a staggering 65% drop from the record highs seen in 2023. Regional Breakdown: Skeena in the Top Three While…