Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Directors with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George have elected Lara Beckett (Electoral Area C, Chilako River-Nechako) as the Board Chair. Art Kaehn (Electoral Area E, Woodpecker-Hixon) was elected to the position of Vice Chair. Both were elected by acclamation. This is Director Beckett’s second term as Chair. Previously she served as Vice Chair from 2019 to 2022. Director Kaehn enters his second term as Vice Chair. He previously served as Chair of the Board from 2007 to 2022.
Update from Vitreo Minerals – Angus Project
Representatives from Vitreo Minerals provided an update to the Board on their Angus Project located near Bear Lake. The proposed project would involve an open pit proppant quarry with a production rate of approximately 2.9 million tonnes per year, located about 10 kilometres east of Bear Lake. Proppant, often called ‘frac sand’, is a sand-based material used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to prop open the fractures that are created during crude oil and natural gas extraction.
Tipping fee changes
Tipping fees for numerous types of waste are changing in the new year. The base fee for municipal solid waste is increasing by $2 to $98 per tonne. Clean wood waste will be $49 per metric tonne, while mixed demolition and land clearing and construction (DLC) waste will be $196 per tonne. Other tipping fees associated with controlled waste items such as contaminated soil, asbestos and international waste will also see a 2% increase.
The fee for small load residential waste under 100 kg remains at $6.
Community Grants
The Board approved the following requests for Community and Recreation Grants:
- $5,000 to the Nukko Lake Recreation Commission for septic system repairs
- $2,500 to the Pilot Mountain Volunteer Firefighter Club for volunteer appreciation
- $500 to the Salmon Valley Firefighters Association for the annual Santa drive
- $5,000 to the Pineview Seniors for program and operating expenses
- $12,000 to the Shell-Glenn Volunteer Firefighters Association for rescue equipment
- $7,087 to the Bear Lake Recreation Commission for septic system repair and volunteer appreciation
- $638 to the McBride Secondary School (PAC) for a craft fair event
- $3,620 to the McBride District Volunteer Firefighters Association for volunteer appreciation and a Halloween event
- $500 to the Old Age Pensioners Organization for operating expenses