Job Creation Cash for Vanderhoof and Fort St. James

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 03:00 PM

Terrace, B.C. - The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has announced more funding for Northwest B.C.

Minister Kevin Falcon says the area will get a $2.7 million share of $20 million announced province-wide. Falcon says the aim of the money is to support local transportation projects with the goal of getting people to work right away.

"In addition to the rehabilitation and expansion projects we are delivering in the Northwest, the Province also recognizes the need to provide some opportunities for short-term, direct, local economic stimulation. This means putting hundreds of local peopleto work in their communities, immediately."

The Vanderhoof and Fort St. James areas will get nearly $500,000. It's hoped that the money will generate local, short-term jobs. Projects will include pavement patching, roadside brushing, removal of dangerous trees, gravel crushing and hauling, bridge upgrading, culvert replacements and other drainage improvements.

Falcon says the projects don't require much lead time, just the cash, labour, and equipment to get them going.

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Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 03:00 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 27 2009 3:47 PM

A bandaid with no long term effects.
Is there any doubt there is an election coming soon?
How much do votes actually cost these days?

Posted by: MrPG on January 27 2009 3:59 PM

Well, if there was no money, people would be whining that the north was 'ignored again', so I guess you can't win.

Posted by: acrider54 on January 27 2009 4:43 PM

Election coming up

Posted by: Moses on January 27 2009 5:02 PM

'A bandaid with no long term effects.'

Hey FreezerHead:

Read the article - 'It's hoped that the money will generate local, short-term jobs.'

Duh.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 27 2009 5:24 PM

Hey Moses...a "local short term job" isn't much good to anybody when you can't pay your bills and you are behind in your mortgage payments is it?
Assuming of course you haven't already lost your house to the bank.
Tell someone who has been unemployed for a year that a short term job at minimum wage is a wonderful thing!
You sound just like a politician...duh!
We don't need short term jobs...we need long term solutions!
We have had enough bandaids and empty promises.

Posted by: Moses on January 27 2009 7:01 PM

Hey Handy Andy:

The funding announcement, and the O-250 article that reported it, both make it clear that this dough is short-term - it's clearly not intended to address (or solve) more systemic economic problems in northern BC.

And anyone that's still waiting around for 'funding' or 'assistance' or 'relief' or 'free money' for workers displaced by changes in the forestry industry deserves to be unemployed.

You've have to be retarded not to have seen the enormous changes coming (in addition to those that have already happened) in the forest sector.

Posted by: northman on January 27 2009 7:50 PM

500 grand doesnt go very far when it comes to road works especially in "bridge upgrading". If you divide that between fsj and vandy that leaves only 250 grand per town. Table scraps compared to the revenue these two towns provided for the province over the years. It is positive news but bitter sweet at the same time especially in the fort.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 27 2009 8:13 PM

The government used to hire "road gangs" in the dirty 30'so these token jobs are not new.
Have we gone back to that?
How about some serious projects?
The Mt.Milligan mine for example,is waiting for permit approval and it could create some serious jobs at a decent wage.
Unfortunately,both the federal and the provincial governments are dragging their heels on it.
I know a lot of displaced forest workers and none of them are waiting for a handout,relief,or free money.
They just want a damn job,a real job,not a token that won't even pay the mortgage.
And Moses buddy...nobody deserves to be unemployed whether they saw this coming or not!

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on January 28 2009 8:01 AM

Lots of cheap houses available in California. We are lucky, so far...

Check this out, see if you would trade places.

http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/11.08/foreclosure.html

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 28 2009 10:02 AM

A good one Yama...and check out the prices of condo's in Las vegas!!
Almost free!