Author: SKEENA NEWS

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – Prince Rupert City Council has publicly released its annual statement of salaries and expenses and has awarded a nearly $2.8 million contract for the city’s 2025 paving program, following its regular meeting on Monday night. The 2024 Statement of Financial Information (SOFI), often called the “sunshine list,” is now public. The report details remuneration for all city employees earning over $75,000. In 2024, the city’s top administrative official was the highest-paid employee. The report also shows the mayor’s total remuneration and expenses for 2024 were approximately $130,865, while the seven city councillors’ combined total was approximately $208,116.…

HOUSTON, B.C. – The District of Houston is inviting all residents to come together for a classic community celebration on Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1. The main festivities will be held at Jamie Baxter Park, offering a family-friendly atmosphere for all to enjoy. Here’s what you need to know for the event: The event will feature a free community barbecue, allowing neighbours to share a meal together. There will also be a traditional Canada Day cake cutting, along with various games and activities for children and families. The celebration is designed as a relaxed, daytime gathering for the community to connect and…

SMITHERS, B.C. – Smithers will be celebrating Canada Day with a focus on community spirit and family fun, with the main festivities taking place at the Bulkley Valley Fall Fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 1. Residents from across the valley are invited to join the afternoon celebration, which offers a relaxed, community-focused atmosphere. Here’s what to expect at the Fall Fairgrounds: The celebrations are scheduled to run from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Residents should note that there is no official town-sponsored fireworks display or parade scheduled for Smithers this year. The event at the fairgrounds is the primary public celebration. The focus in Smithers…

TERRACE, B.C. – Terrace is gearing up for a full day of family-friendly festivities and fireworks to celebrate Canada Day on Tuesday, July 1, with most of the action centered in and around George Little Park. Here’s what you need to know to plan your day: Daytime Celebrations at George Little Park (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) The main celebration, organized by the City of Terrace’s Parks and Recreation department, kicks off at noon. Residents are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy an afternoon of community fun. The event will feature: Evening Fireworks Display (11:00 p.m.) The…

KITIMAT, B.C. – Residents of Kitimat should prepare for a series of road and parking lot closures this weekend and into next week as the community celebrates with a packed schedule of events leading up to Canada Day. Here is a day-by-day guide to help you navigate the festivities: Saturday, June 28: Memorial Hill Climb The annual Memorial Hill Climb race will take place on Saturday. For the duration of the event, the following closures will be in effect: Monday, June 30: Pre-Canada Day Concert & Fireworks A major celebration is planned at the Riverlodge Recreation Centre on Monday evening, featuring…

TERRACE, B.C. – If you’ve seen a post online claiming that all Canadian school zones will be enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week starting July 1, you can ignore it. The BC Highway Patrol has issued a public statement confirming this information is “completely false.” RCMP say that misinformation is being spread rapidly on social media and by disreputable websites, with AI-generated content helping to amplify the false claims. Officials are reminding the public that there are no changes coming to school zone enforcement in British Columbia. In B.C., school zone speed limits are only in effect from 8 a.m. to…

GITLAXT’AAMIKS, B.C. – For the first time in its history, the Annual Premier’s Forum with B.C.’s Modern Treaty Nations was held on Nisga’a lands this week, a powerful symbol of the evolving government-to-government relationship in the province. Leaders and technical staff from the eight Modern Treaty Nations gathered with the Premier and provincial cabinet ministers at the Nisga’a Lisims Government Legislature in Gitlaxt’aamiks. The forum, organized by the Alliance of B.C. Modern Treaty Nations, focused on the critical work of implementing their constitutionally protected treaty rights. The Alliance, which includes the Nisga’a, Maa-nulth, Tla’amin, and Tsawwassen First Nations among others, represents…

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – Prince Rupert will once again join cities from coast to coast for the annual Canada Day Drumming celebration, a nationwide event that will see thousands of people drumming together on Tuesday, July 1. The free, family-friendly event will take place in the lower parking lot of the Rupert Square Shopping Mall, with residents asked to gather by 11:15 a.m. At exactly 11:30 a.m. PST, Prince Rupert will join communities across the country in a simultaneous drumming session to celebrate Canada’s cultural diversity and community strength. Free rattle drums and miniature Canada flags will be distributed to participants.…

TERRACE, B.C. – Terrace is experiencing a devastating start to the year in the ongoing toxic drug crisis, recording the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Northern B.C. and the second-highest in the entire province, according to new data from the BC Coroners Service. The latest report, which covers deaths up to the end of April 2025, shows eight people have died from toxic drugs in the Terrace Local Health Area so far this year. This translates to a death rate of 104.1 per 100,000 population, a measure used to compare jurisdictions of different sizes. Only Vancouver’s Centre North health area has…

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – The decision to award a billion-dollar contract to build new vessels for BC Ferries to a state-owned shipyard in China is drawing sharp criticism, as it comes at a time when federal agencies are warning of increased cybersecurity threats from Beijing. BC Ferries and the provincial government have defended the move, stating the Chinese bid was the most “cost-effective” and that Canadian shipyards did not submit bids, citing a lack of capacity to build the complex vessels. The province’s Premier has called the decision “not ideal” but stated that after a five-year procurement process, it is too…