McEwan Sets Record Straight

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 09:03 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The President of Initiatives Prince George, Tim McEwan says an article that appreared in the National Post saying Prince George doesn't have the trans shipment designation needed to handle cargo wasn't fully correct.

Speaking on the Meisner program on 93.1 CFIS FM this morning, McEwan says his team is working on a week to week basis on getting all the regulatory permits approved "We do have a distance to go in creating a free trade zone and whether we can get that regulatory section in place , but right now the main focus at the airport is to land planes and refuel."

That free trade zone will allow back haul opportunities out of Prince George, and will allow the shipments to be sorted and sent on to other destinations.

McEwan says that while the Airport Authority has been aggresively marketing the refuelling stop, there is no committment as yet.

He says Prince George does have the trans shipment designation needed.

Meantime, Initiatives Prince George continues the search for the Logistics Director who can work with the intermodal set up at CN, the Prince Rupert Fairview terminal and the Airport to take full advantage of the intermodal hub opportunities.

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Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 09:03 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Jayda on September 23 2008 9:46 AM

Oh how I wish I could get Ben's program out here.

Posted by: MrPG on September 23 2008 9:47 AM

There's a link above, you can stream it through your internet connection.

Posted by: Bridge on September 23 2008 9:58 AM

Here is the link; dream dream and more dreams.

Cheers

Posted by: RRrabbitt on September 23 2008 10:18 AM

I only caught a small part of the air talk, but it sounded like Tim wants to beat the drum for downtown revitalization again !!!

I would strongly suggest that the taxpayers in the City have poured enough money into this lifeless horse....

ENOUGH !!!! The horse is DEAD !!!

Bury it and move on, dammittttttt !!

V.

Posted by: lunarguy on September 23 2008 11:11 AM

Well hopefully no planes actually stop in for a refuel as they don't have the required fuel truck or on-site storage built yet. If they do stop in, it will require many additional hours to re-fuel including streaming the trucks in from the refinery as there is not enough on site storage.

Posted by: diplomat on September 23 2008 11:28 AM

"Bury it and move on, dammittttttt !!"

I am just as frustrated as you are but I don't think that this is an option.

Are you saying that this City is incapable of tackling a simple task like revitalizing its downtown by the simple method of working outwards from City Hall street after street starting with rundown and grimy George Street?

It has to be done on an annual basis according to a long range overall plan, not in spurts and fits like doing Third Avenue and then nothing for the next ten years.

Wouldn't it cost more money to bury the downtown (acquire all the buildings, demolish them, remove all the below and above ground infrastructure and backfill and level the land) then it would to simply rebuild streets, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping?

Posted by: gus on September 23 2008 11:44 AM

They did not have to bulldoze and bury streets such as Robson and Commercial and numerous others in Vancouver and others cities. It is not the buildings that are the problem, it is the merchants in the buildings and the people in the City. Buildings will be upgraded one at a time as business increases. The right City investments, policies, merchants and interest of people in PG to shop other than at the WallMarts and Costcos of the world, as well as some population growth will go a long way to make downtown retail more viable.

Posted by: gus on September 23 2008 12:02 PM

A free trade zone is much more than what is described. Free Trade Zones allow manufacturing and product assembling without having to pay national duties and taxes. I do not believe an Export Distribution Centre is a Free Trade Zone which allows manufacturing. Unlike the USA and many other countries, I believe Canada has no free trade zone which allows manufacturing. Create one here and we have a leg up.

Posted by: NMG on September 23 2008 1:43 PM

The downtown should be revitalized! The issue we've had in the past is that as a city, we weren't SERIOUS about doing it. That has to change and there is no reason why it can't.

Posted by: lostfaith on September 23 2008 1:50 PM

I'm afraid it's not the merchants and buildings that are the problem with the downtown.
People refuse to go down there because they are sick and tired of being panhandled/harrassed every step they take.
Until the problem people down there are gone, the downtown doesn't have a hope.

Posted by: tinyapplecork on September 23 2008 3:58 PM

Downtown DOES have a hope, lostfaith. The muppet hecklers prefer heckling rather than participating...

What the downtown needs is LEADERSHIP. With leadership comes the fulfillment of the vision. One observation of mine is bylaw services performance. On certain issues, like parking, they are vigilant whilst on other issues, such as loitering, noise, littering...they seem to be completely absent.
My suggestion is that you start small. Community support and involvement needs to be encouraged and city hall needs to act in a supportive capacity. Want to revitalize? Stop studying it to death and take action. Someone graffiti your wall? Stop bellyaching and just suck it up and take care of it immediately. Put the calls in to the RCMP, crimestoppers, and neighbours and look out for each other. Many hands, eyes and ears do wonders.

Everyone, including groups such as IPG, all seem to be independent of one another... time to COOPERATE.

Posted by: downnotout on September 23 2008 4:30 PM

start off with a vagrant bylaw and in the summer a pile of brooms and in the winter shovels and have the vagrants sweep or shovel there way out of town or spent time in a jail like that one in Arizonia the tent jail one of two things will happen less vagrants or a cleaner city

Posted by: diplomat on September 23 2008 5:00 PM

Tinyapplecork, I fully agree with you. Too many cooks spoil the broth! Get all the various groups under the same umbrella!

Get tough on vagrancy and loitering, which used to be against the law during more normal times.

We need a real leader who can make things happen!

Which reminds me of the upcoming municipal elections!

Would a person with the required energy and real go-get-em attitude please throw her/his hat in the ring, PLEASE!

Posted by: metalman on September 23 2008 5:29 PM

I have an attitude, but no energy.
So no me for council, but thanks.
We can't just give up on downtown, but something must be done about the wildlife. The inhabitants of the streets have basically taken over, and regular Janes and Joes never know when they will be accosted, even if the panhandlers and rowdys are just 'havin a lil fun' couple that unpleasantness with the needle exchange area, the refuse in the streets, vomit covered clothing left in doorways, the fact that you can't leave anything of value in your car, at least not in sight, plus we still have parking meters. I know that there is a plan to get rid of the meters in the works, but when will it be implemented? It is not that I mind paying a quarter to park, far from it. It has to do with the fact that I do not want to get a ticket for five dollars, if perhaps I do not have enough quarters on me, or I end up staying in the store a little longer and use up the meter time. All in all, the meters are a p.i.the a. Clean up the downtown, make it safe and clean, and the people will come back. It can happen.
metalman.

Posted by: leaderless on September 23 2008 6:24 PM

FINALLY, some great input and comments on what the downtown really needs. There's momentum happening to make this improve and it takes the WHOLE community wanting it.

Posted by: diplomat on September 23 2008 6:59 PM

"Clean up the downtown, make it safe and clean, and the people will come back. It can happen.
metalman. "

How very true! On Sunday we went to the Ramada for the brunch special! It was a great experience until when we left the hotel we were accosted on the sidewalk by a panhandler asking for spare change! I did not give him any but I was tempted to tell the young man to get a job! He looked strong and able bodied! There are some entry level jobs available in town.

What a waste of a young life! Sad.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on September 23 2008 8:31 PM

"..What the downtown needs is LEADERSHIP..."

Crap.

Lead all you want, but the only ones following are the bums and the people that make a living off them. Makes a goofy parade, but whatever makes you happy.

Downtown is for, and owned by, the bums, start from there with any plans for that area. Rebuild the area for vomit, fights, street-sleepers, panhandlers, drug addicts, ugly hookers and of course the people that are in the poverty industry that come down for a few hours to pick up a pay cheque. That is what the down town is for, and you build accordingly. Then it will be a success.

Posted by: tinyapplecork on September 23 2008 9:16 PM

well Yama...I realize you are probably behaving as your usual self but I need to respond to you.

I take from your comment that you are not part of the community of PG then. You seem to be disconnected from your neighbours...ALL OF US...including those you have termed bums, drug addicts, hookers...they are your neighbours whether you like it or not. You can sit on the side lines and holler and shake your fist, verbally paint the entire downtown with your perception of the downtown; or, you could DO something...anything POSITIVE. IMO, Yama, you are looking at a corner of our society and magnifying an issue in sensationalistic proportions.
Here is a small suggestion: Ask one of them...any one of them to tell you how they got there (the point in their life). Find one...just one...offer to assist in what ever way you are comfortable. It could be as small as making a phone call to outreach services in town. If you are not part of the solution, (meaning all of us)then we are part of the problem as well!

Posted by: diplomat on September 24 2008 7:19 AM

""..What the downtown needs is LEADERSHIP...""

Yes, it certainly does! The city, the province and the whole country could benefit from a healthy dose of real leadership too!

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on September 24 2008 7:52 AM

"...Find one...just one...offer to assist in what ever way you are comfortable..."

Actually I did. Two of them. I bought them a place to live and they work for me. And what have you done cork?

That's why I am comfortable and knowledgable in talking about downtown.