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Chamber hosts regional leaders

Event highlights success and failures of the past year
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Telkwa Mayor Carman Graf addresses the audience at the Smithers District Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week.

Smithers’ Mayor Taylor Bachrach, Telkwa Mayor Carman Graf and Regional District Director Stoney Stoltenberg all visited the Smithers Chamber of Commerce last week to highlight some of the successes and failures from 2013 and to outline what citizens should look forward to in the coming year.

Graf began, speaking about two major projects that will be completed in 2014: the Hankin Ave. cillage office and the regulation soccer field.

The Hankin Ave. project was part of an initiative to re-energize business in Telkwa’s downtown.

“It was part of a long-term effort to kickstart investment in our downtown core,” Graf said.

“We have no desire to compete with private enterprise, but there was no infrastructure to allow private enterprise.”

The new building will also have 5,000 square feet of rental space available for businesses.

“We want everyone to know that Telkwa is open for business.”

As for the year ahead, Graf said the most important issue on the horizon is to build an additional water reservoir beside their existing one, to allow the village to both repair the old one and increase the water capacity.

“We are still searching for grants to expand our water infrastructure,” Graf said.

“Since we have limited resources available, we have had to think outside the box.

“We have to use innovative approaches to many things we do.”

Bachrach was next to the stage.

He began by talking about some of the heavier, negative issues facing the Town of Smithers.

“There are a lot of reasons we can feel positive about the next few years, but at the same time I want to acknowledge that there are some really challenging events that have happened recently, especially around the forest industry.

“I am sure everyone was as shocked as we were at the shutdown of NewPro.

“That’s not the kind of news that we want to be hearing. Those are really tough jobs to replace.”

Bachrach also outlined his concerns with WestJet’s new cheap flights out of Terrace.

“The fact that WestJet is offering $100 flights to Vancouver, we can’t do much about the actual price that people charge, but we can do a lot when it comes to the competitiveness of our airport.”

As such, town council has endorsed a 20-year terminal expansion plan and have put the first phase of that plan into their capital budget in expectation of new government grants.

Bachrach said he expects 2014 to be a busy building year, citing the new arena, the mall redevelopment and a few planned housing projects.

“2013 was a very busy year on the capital side, we have fewer projects for 2014 but they are still really big ones.”

Another major change for residents will be when they see their garbage pickup go from once a week to once every two weeks, to allow alternating week curbside recycling.

On the whole, Bachrach’s message was a positive one.

“We continue to define our niche as a community as a really dynamic vibrant entrepreneurial lifestyle capital and in my mind that is where Smithers shines as a community.

“We have so much diversity and we can do some many different things, that’s how we are known.”

Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako director Stoney Stoletenberg finished off the luncheon.

He highlighted the need for more agricultural diversity in the region.

Stoltenberg also said taxes could decrease with the opening of the Mount Milligan mine.

“Because they are part of the tax base now everyone’s taxes will go down because of Mt. Milligan, even the municipality’s shares,” Stoltenberg said, in answer to an audience question.

“If they are contributing to general revenue, everybody benefits.”