Investing in our
communities
INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES FOR THE NORTHWEST 2016-2019
Friends and neighbours,
In October, a new federal government was elected on a promise of making major
investments in our towns and communities. With this promise comes a world of
opportunity for us here in the Northwest. Economic development is ramping up, and our
communities are growing as a result. Our local governments are looking for support to
repair our roads and build strong community infrastructure.
I have had the privilege to serve as your Member of Parliament for Skeena–Bulkley
Valley for twelve years and counting. I know how positive federal investments can be
for our communities. Past investment projects have created jobs, improved our sewer
and water infrastructure, and helped fund services and facilities that improve our
quality of life. I also know there is a clear need, and demand, for more of these types of
investments.
As the federal government implements its first budget, it is important that residents,
business leaders, and elected decision-makers speak with one strong voice on their
shared priorities. That’s why, for the last four months, I have been holding community
infrastructure town halls across the Northwest, from Fort St. James to Haida Gwaii,
asking residents about what kinds of investments they think are needed in our
communities.
During these consultations, I committed to send you all a report of our conversations,
in which I identified eleven main priorities for our region’s infrastructure needs. While
each community in the Northwest has its own unique circumstances, I believe this report
contains many of the shared concerns and aspirations found across our conversations.
This brief report identifies these common threads – items that will guide my efforts to
champion your interests and amplify your collective voices in Ottawa. I am confident that
we all share the same priorities going forward as we are presented opportunities from
the federal government.
I also want to sincerely thank those who attended our town halls, submitted ideas
through our online consultation, sent emails or called in with your concerns. The time
you spent engaging with me and fellow community members will help me to work with
the federal government to focus funds to where they are most needed and wanted.
Nathan Cullen
MP Skeena—Bulkley Valley
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1. Roads and bridges
Road maintenance, repair and replacement in and around municipalities are big budget
items that local and regional governments cannot shoulder on their own. Roadwork,
along with upgrades to convert to energy efficient and cost-effective LED streetlighting,
is extremely expensive.
Burns Lake spends between $40,000 and $200,000 annually on roadwork and has
identified replacement of 8th Avenue and Centre St. from the highway to the hospital
as a top funding priority; Southside to Burns is also a priority route. Fort St. James
identified upgrading of the North Road Connector between the district and Mackenzie as
a regional priority; this work would enable the industrial road to more safely handle local
and tourism traffic, increase movement between the communities and open up the area
to greater recreational opportunities.
2. Better transit to link Highway 16 communities
All communities spoke at length about the urgent need for an affordable and accessible
transit system to link Highway 16 communities between Prince Rupert and Prince
George. Communities are hoping an additional $2 million in provincial and federal
funding announced June 15, 2016 for the Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan, and a
commitment from the BC transportation ministry to have a public transit bus service on
the road by the end of the year, will finally lead to concrete action on ensuring greater
personal safety of highway users.
Safety of travel along the Highway of Tears is the driving factor for an improved public
transit system, as well as a recognized need to help move people to larger centres to
access shopping, health care, and other services. There was a strong call at many of
our town halls for coordinated public transit by communities, local governments, and
First Nations.
Frequency of service was identified as a major issue and there was universal agreement
that the federal government has a role to play to help fill gaps in highway transit.
Other transport modes options included expanded Greyhound and Via Rail schedules,
as well as increased funding to allow municipal services, such as Smithers, to increase
its service frequency and routes. Several people asked if Northern Health buses could
be multi-purposed to be available to non-medical travellers, space permitting.
3. Traffic, intersections, and downtown revitalization
Our safety concerns go far beyond Highway 16. I heard concerns about how difficult
it can be for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to move around our communities. Many
people in Prince Rupert agreed that a study is needed to find places where better
sidewalks and crosswalk lights are needed. Similar concerns were voiced in Burns Lake
and Houston, where many intersections need to be upgraded to keep everyone safe
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and also to increase beautification of key traffic routes and downtown cores for the
benefit of visitors and residents alike. Many participants noted the importance of clean
and visually appealing communities to attracting tourism dollars to local economies.
4. Affordable housing
Affordable housing is top of mind for many in the Northwest. Throughout our tour, I
heard about the need for more affordable rental units and seniors’ housing stock, and
for homeless shelters, assisted living, and graduated care for the disabled and elderly.
Everyone has the right to affordable housing, and I will continue to work with municipal
leaders and all levels of government to address severe housing shortages in our
communities. This is one of my top priorities.
5. Hospitals and health care
Hospitals and health care were major issues in all communities, with ongoing challenges
of doctor shortages, recruitment and retention, and inadequate health care facilities
widely noted. There were calls for a new funding formula for health care operations and
infrastructure, investment to improve access to public health care, and streamlining of
federal and provincial funding.
In Terrace, funding for a new hospital was top of mind. Hazelton residents were
concerned about the lack of mental health and addictions services, and are looking
to create a mental health and substance abuse centre. Smithers and Fraser Lake
community members were concerned about graduated care for seniors and the need
for more beds in extended care facilities. Lack of palliative care and respite services for
families caring for ill or elderly members was widely identified as problematic.
Several communities pointed to the degree to which the new $55-million hospital
and health centre that opened last year in Burns Lake has helped alleviate that
community’s health crisis, and noted their own needs for significant health infrastructure
improvements.
6. Internet and cellular connectivity
From Fraser Lake to Kitimat and beyond, I have been hearing about the need for better
internet connectivity in our region. For many communities, there is only one provider and
some areas have very limited range or service quality – some areas have no service
at all! I recognize the importance of being able to connect across communities, do
business, and access information online. As well, residents of Topley, Stewart and rural
Smithers also spoke of the large “digital divide” that exists even within the Northwest.
On a similar note, the need for expanded cellular service and need to attract more
technological services to the Northwest were raised as gaps that must be addressed.
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7. Adapting to climate change
About one-third of the town halls raised concerns about the impact of climate change
on municipal infrastructure, particularly road and water systems; Evelyn’s water risk
was specifically noted. These are excellent, forward-thinking questions. It is important to
consider both current and future impacts of climate change on municipal infrastructure
via prevention, adaptation, mitigation and restoration.
Climate change is undeniably causing extreme weather events like flooding due to
weather that affects the rate of snowmelt, changes to snowpack levels, and wildfires.
These extreme weather events have the potential to catastrophically affect our
communities and disrupt essential services. Climate change also has the potential to
substantially affect the effectiveness and lifespan of municipal infrastructure, particularly
transportation, buildings, and water management.
8. Multi-purpose public spaces, green spaces and
innovation hubs
Demand for more public and green space is high across the Northwest. Folks in
every community I visited were enthusiastic about improving community spaces that
are already standing, and hopeful that more spaces can be built in the near future.
Communities are looking for investments in building and renewing gathering spots,
performance spaces and parks, and multi-purpose projects – spaces that offer artistic,
recreational and entrepreneurial opportunities for everyone.
Many residents also mentioned the need for federal investments in trails, municipal
campgrounds, and hot springs. Projects like these have had an incredible impact on our
communities in the past because they benefit every community and attract tourists to
the Northwest. Creating more of these spaces can create more jobs and provide new
ways for us to reconnect with the nature around us.
9. Food security and geothermal greenhouses
Food security came up often in our conversations with many communities noting the
need for federal and provincial regulations that encourage access to local foods. Many
of us are concerned about the lack of grocery stores and the affordability of fresh,
healthy food. People in Kitimat, Terrace, and Burns Lake are hoping for support for
their local food movements and community garden projects. Across the Northwest,
communities are supportive of building more geothermal greenhouses that improve our
access to affordable, local fruits and veggies and create more agricultural opportunities
in the region.
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10. Water and sewage
I heard concerns about water and sewage in Smithers, Prince Rupert, Kitmat and
Terrace, where deterioration of current infrastructure is seen as an immediate municipal
priority and limitations of infrastructure as a major barrier to community and economic
growth. People in these communities also noted the prevalence of inadequate water
and sewer infrastructure in many neighboring First Nations communities.
The Village of Telkwa urgently needs to build a new water tower to alleviate low water
pressure that is causing major downtown fire protection concerns and also to meet an
existing demand for village expansion. Burns Lake needs financial help to replace its
Fifth Avenue water tower.
Aging infrastructure across the Northwest means hundreds of thousands of dollars
in upgrades are required to serve existing residents, and even more is needed in
additional investments to expand services to accommodate more people moving into
our communities. Replacing what is broken and expanding public access to water
and sewage creates jobs, adds value to our homes, and paves the way for further
development that can only occur when infrastructure services improve.
On a related note, several communities noted solid waste management and landfill
operations need to be brought up to higher global standards, and that more must be
done to redirect recyclables from the waste stream.
11. Communities in Transition
Participants in Houston suggested federal investment in a Communities in Transition
Fund that could be called upon when major layoffs or economic challenges hit
communities hard, as commodity prices drop, and as we witness sharp downturns in
fishing and forestry that have led to significant layoffs across the region.
Some form of Communities in Transition Fund, it was suggested, could quickly kick
off tailored initiatives to help stimulate economic growth and alternate employment
opportunities. While such an initiative may more properly fall within provincial
jurisdiction, I am very interested in this innovative thinking and will raise the idea with
appropriate ministers and agencies in Ottawa.
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