Author: SKEENA NEWS

Canada Day Across the Skeena – Kitimat Celebrates Early as Northwest B.C. Communities Mark July 1 By Skeena News Canada Day unfolded across Northwest B.C. this year as a regional mosaic — part celebration, part reflection, and part reminder of how differently July 1 is experienced from town to town. In Kitimat, the Canada Day season began before July 1, with Festivals Kitimat hosting its outdoor concert and fireworks at Riverlodge on June 30, followed by parade and daytime programming on Canada Day itself. In Terrace, families gathered at Heritage Park Museum for an afternoon of activities, cake, games and…

Highway 37 Reopens After Vehicle Incident Near Kitimat’s Orange Bridge By Skeena News Highway 37 between Kitimat and Terrace was temporarily shut down Monday evening after a motor vehicle incident near Kitimat’s well-known “Orange Bridge,” creating another reminder of how quickly one crash can disrupt one of Northwest B.C.’s most important road corridors. Kitimat RCMP advised the public that Highway 37 near the Orange Bridge was closed because of a motor vehicle incident and said the highway would likely remain closed until at least 9 p.m. CFNR also reported that the Kitimat–Terrace highway near the Orange Bridge was closed due…

Philippines President’s Canada Visit Carries Local Meaning for Filipino Communities in Northwest B.C. By Skeena News Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will visit Vancouver from July 1 to July 4, marking the first visit by a Philippine head of state to Canada in 11 years and placing one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities at the centre of a major diplomatic moment. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the visit on June 26, saying Canada and the Philippines are looking to strengthen ties in trade, investment, defence, maritime security, clean energy, critical minerals, tourism, food security and cultural exchange. While the meetings will…

Route 99 Special Suspended for Summer in Kitimat and Prince Rupert as School Year Ends By Skeena News BC Transit is suspending Route 99 Special in both Kitimat and Prince Rupert for the summer, a seasonal change that takes effect Sunday, June 28, 2026. The move is tied to the end of the school year. BC Transit says the Route 99 Special service will be discontinued for the summer and return in the fall. In Prince Rupert, the agency says the route will resume in September, while in Kitimat it says the service will return in the fall. At first…

Behind the Terrace Data Centre Pitch – Christopher Chong, His Companies, and the Public-Record Reality Check Skeena News Investigative Report A proposed data centre in Terrace arrived with the language of the future: sovereign compute, artificial intelligence, trans-Pacific connectivity, international partnerships and a multi-billion-dollar digital infrastructure campus. The proposal, promoted by Vancouver-based technology entrepreneur Christopher Chong through Skeena Data Centers Corporation, has been described in company materials and media coverage as a large-scale data centre and innovation park planned for the Terrace area. Public materials connected to the project have referred to 430 acres or 173 hectares, scalable power, closed-loop…

Former Terrace RCMP Inspector, Now Ottawa Police Chief, Warns Officers Over Alleged Database Misuse By Skeena News A former Terrace RCMP inspector who now serves as Ottawa’s police chief is drawing national attention after warning officers about allegations of misconduct involving police databases and inappropriate contact with women encountered through police work. Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs reportedly sent an internal video message to members of the Ottawa Police Service after concerns were raised about officers allegedly using law enforcement databases to identify women they encountered in public and, in some cases, contacting vulnerable women they met while responding to…

Terrace Aquatic Centre Closing July 2–19 as City Plans Annual Repairs and Deep Cleaning By Skeena News Residents who rely on the Terrace & District Aquatic Centre for swimming, fitness and recreation will face nearly three weeks without access this summer as the facility prepares for its annual maintenance shutdown. The City of Terrace says the aquatic centre, including both the pool and fitness centre, will close from July 2 to July 19, 2026, with plans to fully reopen on Monday, July 20. City officials say the closure is part of the facility’s regular annual maintenance schedule rather than an unexpected shutdown.…

$21 Billion Kanata LNG Proposal Could Transform Northwest B.C. — But Major Questions Remain A proposed US$15.7 billion floating liquefied natural gas project near Prince Rupert has suddenly placed Northwest B.C. at the centre of another major energy story. On June 16, South Korean shipbuilding giant Hanwha Ocean and Vancouver-based Kanata Clean Power & Climate Technologies Corp. announced they had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to explore the development of Kanata LNG, a floating LNG export facility with a planned capacity of up to 12 million tonnes per year. The companies say the project would leverage floating LNG technology…

Canada Revenue Agency Is Upgrading to AI — and Automatic Tax Filing Could Unlock Benefits for Thousands By Skeena News Corporation The Canada Revenue Agency is moving deeper into artificial intelligence and automated tax services, marking a major shift in how Canadians may deal with taxes, benefits, and government filing in the years ahead. CRA has already begun using generative artificial intelligence in its public chatbot, saying the tool is designed to help Canadians find trusted information about CRA programs and services through Canada.ca. The agency has also said it plans to expand digital self-service options and use advanced tools…

A major Canada–B.C. housing and infrastructure agreement names Terrace and Prince Rupert as priority communities — but the real test will be whether Northwest B.C. receives shovel-ready money, not just political promises. TERRACE — Prime Minister Mark Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby have announced a major housing and infrastructure partnership aimed at accelerating homebuilding, lowering construction costs, and supporting local infrastructure across British Columbia. The agreement is being promoted as a more-than-$5-billion, 10-year partnership between Ottawa and Victoria. It includes money for development charge relief, housing-enabling infrastructure, public transit, health infrastructure, and a new condo-conversion program through Build Canada…