Author: SKEENA NEWS
KITIMAT, B.C. – As Kitimat’s global profile continues to rise, its international student program is experiencing a surge in popularity, but this success has created a critical challenge: an urgent shortage of local families to host students for the upcoming school year. The Coast Mountains School District 82 (CMSD82), which runs the international education program, is making a public appeal for new host families in Kitimat. Dozens of students from around the world are set to arrive in late August to attend Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School (MEMSS), but a significant number have not yet been placed in a local home. Program…
A beloved local restaurant has received a special honour from one of the region’s key financial institutions. Ranu’s Kitchen, a cornerstone of Terrace’s culinary scene, has been named the Business of the Month for July 2025 by Northern Savings Credit Union. The recognition is part of Northern Savings’ long-standing commitment to its “Neighbours helping neighbours” philosophy, where the credit union regularly features a deserving local business on its official website, encouraging the community to show its support. Ranu’s Kitchen has become a go-to destination for residents across the Terrace region, celebrated for its authentic and delicious East Indian cuisine. A family-run establishment, it…
A monumental public art installation is underway at the roundabout where Highways 16 and 37 meet—a symbolic and geographic intersection that connects cultures, communities, and travelers across northwestern British Columbia. This ambitious collaborative project, led by celebrated artists and supported by the Skeena Salmon Arts Festival Society, is titled Su-gigyet: New People. Honouring the teachings and linguistic heritage of the Ts’msyen people, Su-gigyet—meaning “new people” in Sm’algyax—was a name gifted by the late Kitselas elder Sm-oogyet Sha-gann (Mel Bevan). Its deeper interpretation, “the original people have adopted a new way of doing things,” captures the heart of the installation’s message: reconciliation, transformation,…
SMITHERS, B.C. – One person has sustained significant burn injuries and was airlifted to Vancouver for specialized medical treatment following a fire at Smithers’ temporary overnight sheltering location in the early hours of Saturday, July 19. According to a news release issued by the Town of Smithers, the fire broke out early this morning. Smithers Fire Rescue and other first responders were dispatched to the location, where they arrived quickly and were able to promptly contain the blaze, preventing further harm. The Town of Smithers expressed its gratitude for the swift and compassionate action of the volunteer firefighters and first responders.…
TERRACE, B.C. – Dozens of volunteers from across the Skeena region came together in a massive, coordinated effort today to search for Thomas Kelly, the beloved husband and father who has been missing since July 12. The heartfelt community response saw search teams deployed on foot, by boat, and with drones, covering a large and challenging stretch of terrain. The extensive search, which began at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, was a testament to the community’s determination to bring Tom home. Participants have praised the incredible work of organizers, particularly Jahaziel Charitye Trudell, for relentlessly coordinating the complex, day-long effort. The…
Terrace RCMP Seek Public’s Help in Locating Missing Teen TERRACE, B.C. – The Terrace RCMP are urgently requesting the public’s assistance in locating 19-year-old Sarah Houlden McFadzen, who was last seen nearly a week ago on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Police have not provided information regarding the specific location where McFadzen was last seen or the circumstances of her disappearance, but are asking the community to be on the lookout for the teen. McFadzen is described as a 19-year-old Caucasian female, standing five feet, six inches tall and weighing approximately 126 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Police and…
A line has been drawn in the sand across the Skeena region. With Kitimat’s council recently voting to join Terrace, Telkwa, and other northern communities in unified opposition to Pacific Northern Gas’s staggering rate hike, our local leaders have given a name to a burden every northerner knows intimately: the Northern Tax. It’s a tax you won’t find on any government form, but you pay it every time you open a bill. It’s the silent understanding that for the privilege of living in the region that powers the province, you must pay more for the essentials of life. The strong, principled…
SKEENA REGION, B.C. – A family’s private nightmare has become a public battleground over our province’s values, and the life of a 10-year-old girl hangs in the balance. After the B.C. government cut funding for her life-sustaining medication, the family of Charleigh Pollock is now in a desperate race to crowdfund a treatment that costs nearly a million dollars a year. The family’s fight has drawn passionate support from across the province, including from Skeena’s own MLA, Claire Rattée, who is challenging the government’s decision and demanding action. Charleigh is the only child in British Columbia with the rare and fatal…
PORT EDWARD, B.C. – The wait is over for one of the most anticipated musical events of the summer. The Intertidal Music Festival returns for a full weekend of music, food, and culture, running from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20at the stunning and historic North Pacific Cannery. The three-day, family-friendly festival is set to deliver an unforgettable experience, featuring over 15 bands across three dynamic stages, promising more than 25 individual performances against the stunning backdrop of the Port Edward waterfront. Headliners and Must-See Acts This year’s lineup boasts an impressive and diverse array of talent. The packed schedule includes something…
SKEENA REGION, B.C. – An official statement can be a cold and final thing. On July 14, the Terrace RCMP announced that after a comprehensive search by boat and helicopter, the official effort to find Thomas Kelly, the 46-year-old man who went missing in the Skeena River, was being suspended. The official search may have paused, but for his family, his friends, and for many in the Skeena community, the real search has only just begun. And it raises a fundamental question for every single one of us who calls this place home: what is the value of one life? We…