I’ve been thinking about the Japan tragedy lately and what it could mean for PG. This is an epic catastrophe and likely the biggest one of our life time… in no way should we trivialize it, but in the end what does it mean for us here in PG?

The people of Japan in the effected area no doubt will be traumatized by this whole series of events. They have no where to run… being from a small crowded country. If they survived the earthquake, and the tsunami, then they have no escape from the radiation fallout that could, when all is said and done, make large swaths of land unlivable for generations. Many will be looking for an out, or a place of refuge, but they have nowhere to go to escape.

For PG we will probably benefit from this tragedy per capita more than any other city in the world as we have established trade links with Japan for our lumber… and with whole towns wiped out they will be looking to us when it comes time to build their new homes. Mills will need to up production as they clean out their inventory… 500,000 people are out of home already, with likely far more if the nuclear reactor melts down.

PG can market itself as a place that doesn’t have earthquakes, tsunami’s, or nuclear powered electrical generation. Japanese people would make good law abiding neighbors that would improve our cities crime rate statistics… they are big savers, innovative, stoic, and hard working… all characteristics that would contribute to a diversified culture and economy in PG.

If PG could ever grow by 30,000 filling in the Cranbrook Hill crest neighborhood diversifying our economy into a strong economic connection to Japanese trade, then the city could become a true self sustaining city able to afford the amenities of a city becoming a real service center where people would want to live. In a way PG could make this happen out of the tragedy of recent events in Japan, and in the process provide an out to a safe and secure life for those that are traumatized from the events of the past week… peoplel who may have no choice of return to their original homes when all is said and done.

If it was to work we would need some ground rules. I would suggest if we made PG a migrant relief zone for those displaced by the Japanese disaster that we make it a win win scenario. The Japanese immigrants would benefit from a clean safe place to live and grow to escape what could be generations of destruction in an area that has been wiped from the face of the earth and radiated with fallout. For the PG area we would see the economic boom of a growing city sharing the cost of infrastructure and services as the city fills in and matures.

For it to work the Japanese would need to be able to pay cash for their new homes, so as to not cause home inflation or disruptions to the local housing market… they would also need to be able to agree to receive no public services for up to five years in the way of welfare, CPP, EI, or any other form of personal economic assistance. In an ideal world we would receive those with unique craftsmen skills (bringing their business to PG), see new architecture in the city, and build strong trade and tourism relations with their country of origin.

In an ideal world we would create a win-win situation out of what is a complete catastrophe… for that we would need leadership from all levels of our elected government, and now would be the time to create the framework for making it happen… I would support that.

Time Will Tell

Interesting little bit there eagleone!
I like your scenario about how they can be model citizens as long as they agree to be second class members of the community.
Maybe if they ever needed assistance we could just put them in "interment camps".

I especially like the thing about being able to pay cash for their homes.

Let me see, they lost their belongings, their families, their community, but hey, come here and we will gladly sell you a house for cash.

And, oh yes, we have established trade link with you more than any other place on the earth. LOL. Boy, you sure don't know who the key trading partners of Japan are and what they trade with them, do you?

Very hollow offer you present. You and Peter Ewert sure know how to put your feet in your mouths.

The attached video shows the power of superheated steam, something the Japanese were dealing with in trying to cool the reactors. Do not try this at home.


http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/14/blowing-up-a-microwa.html

The human race is still an amazing species...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HiUMlOz4UQ

So, our appetite for electricity is going to continue to grow.

Wind power, is not reliable.
Coal Power, is too dirty... for us
Natural Gas power, is plausible
Hydro power, has some carbon foot print
Nuclear power, Kaboom
Wave Power, Technology not adavanced enough to economical.

So, I say, Site C, Yes.

Japan nuclear crisis, sure has made our world smaller!

It's been just over 2 years since the YXS runway expansion was completed with lots of back patting & high-fives, accompanying a photo-op ribbon cutting ceremony.

Does anybody know who many cargo jets have actually landed here since then? As far as I can tell from PGAA Press Releases, there's only been one 747 from Shanghai on Nov 17, 2009.

I find it hard to believe that lack of fuel storage capacity is the only thing holding back even semi-regular cargo flights.

They were supposed to break ground on larger fuel storage mid-October, but there has been nary a peep ever since.

The day after St. Patrick's here in PG, minus nine degrees around 7AM, two or three feet of snow still hanging around. Hmmmm? Global warming? Climate change? Maybe the carbon tax on our gasoline does work after all. Thanks, Gordon. Gordo and Arnie talked about a "hydrogen highway" once upon a time. From Californee to here in BC. Looks to me the 401 from Quebec is the "hydrogen highway" because the hydrogen is trucked in from Keebec to Squamish to run their hydrogen buses. What's the return on investment for those buses. As for the Japanese or anyone else for that matter, I don't welcome en masse movement here to PG to make it bigger. If I want bigger I will move to the Lower Mainland, and put a down payment on a $300,000 rabbit hutch. I like my town. The way it is , the size it is. Don't like the people running it, but that's the trade-off. But that's me.

We should not underestimate the resiliency and power of co-operation which are a hallmark of Japanese culture and society! They will rebuild the affected areas of their country with amazing determination and strength!

They always have in the past!

The whole west coast of Japan did not experience the destructive power of a tsunami. Just because Japan experienced yet another natural catastrophy does not mean that hundreds of thousands of Japanese people are about to abandon their country and leave for greener pastures at a time when they are needed at home to rebuild their country.

In fact, we ourselves should perhaps pay very close attention to how the Japanese deal with a disaster of this magnitude as we also are way overdue for a very large earthquake and all the destruction that it could wreak on the west coast cities and the islands offshore.

We don't have much to teach them about how to deal with such a disaster (they are more experienced than us) but we should be all ears and eyes and keep a lot of notes.

We do have an opportunity now to help with with monetary support and with any other things they may ask for.

Hmmm.

-10 overnight, streets everywhere are skating rinks. Crash at the Ferry ave and 97S off ramp due to ice. Reports on the radio say that sand trucks are on the way.

What part of this scenerio seems a little backwards?

Why is it there needs to be crashes and trucks spun out on the hills before the managers responsible for keeping our streets safe to travel on, send the sand trucks out?

Yep, its also YRB's job to do Hwy 16 and 97. Ferry ave is the city to sand it off. You would figure, that the trucks would have been out by 6 this morning to sand it off, at least the main roads like, Ospika, 15th, Foothills.

We are going to have this freeze thaw for a while, so it should just be implemented into the schedule. I think its a reasonable solution to a problem which reoccurs every spring and fall.

In Japan, their is a sense of coming together and solving the problem, even if it means personal sacrifice. Here in North America, we run away from problems. Not my problem.

I wonder if this crisis in Japan, becomes the tipping point, in which the world becomes one. Instead of 150+ private interests.

I am sure the Greenpeacers and the enviromentalists are just licking their chops right now.

I wonder if this tipping point, will result in a total relook at what direction we are heading. Maybe this is our wake up call, where we need to rethink about how we use our resources, How we create electricity. How we grow our food. How we can learn to live with less impact on our environment.

For anyone heading south this weekend, I filled up in WL beside Timmie's yesterday @ 1.169. Most stations are at 1.199.

eagleone

Which alternate universe or perfect world are you living in? Send a map.

In a few months this disaster will be a dim memory to most people who aren't living it on a daily basis. I wouldnt hold your breath about this being a tipping point because the people who make policy in this world don't give 2 cents about you or me as people. We are another resource to use up. Unfortunately, I think the only thing that will bring humaniy together (sorta) is a world wide disaster. I would like to have more faith in the human race, and if the majority was running the world I would, but the fact remains the majority doesnt run the world and the ones who do only care about themselves and thier own protection. I know that sounds a bit conspiratorial, but you tell me who you think is running the world. The politicians? The people? or the hugely rich corporations?

Wow Eagleone the global ambulance chaser,shouldn`t we at least wait till the bodies are cold before you start your mass exodus ( mosses).

I`v got this weird picture in my head now of Eagleone licking his/her chops and rubbing sweaty palms together everytime there is a natural disaster..

@Prince George & He Spoke

It is truly amazing to watch the determination and cooperation the Japanese people have when a disaster like this happens. Watching TV the other day, the people in shelters were all helping each other cook,clean, etc. Japan will be rebuilt and stronger than ever.

It is so much more different than in a place such as the USA, where much of the area around New Orleans is still in shambles after Hurricane Katrina, and it has been 6 years since that happened.

Do not get a caught up with mass media in regards to radiation. Have a read here,

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20110317/cm_ucac/aglowingreportonradiation

The reactors survived the earthquake, it was the size of the tsunami that is causing the issues by disabling the back up generators. These reactors are also 70's design. The design of reactors keeps evolving and gets better all the time. There are over 400 nuclear plants around the world many being built especially in China. Japan by the way is a world leader in nuclear plant design and component supplier. In France 80% of its electricity is nuclear.

If the world shies away from nuclear, where is the power going to come from, wind, solar, geothermo and tidal just will not cut it in the amounts needed. So that leaves coal and natural gas, that will make the greenies scream.

Oh how come we pay a carbon tax? Is carbon the issue or is it carbon dioxide? The government seems confused but that does not matter as long as we pay a tax on something for what?

Here is an interesting fact you do not hear. The cost to the U.S. for lowering the earths temperature .001 degree by 2100 will be about 1,200 trillions. So if man is raising the earths temperature and there is no proof of that, it would be cheaper and make more sense to adapt than prevent.

So how come when the Co2 levels are increasing the earths temperature has flattened and even decreased. Oh and there has been no sea level rise for five years. Don't forget we came out of a little ice age that ended around 1850.

Oh another thing how come everything so called green costs so much?

I like your comment he spoke, Have a DIL from Japan that is still missing some of her family. From the news reports it seems a lot of foreigners are heading south at least if not abandoning ship like rats. It takes something like this catastrophe to see the metal of the people!
Some run; and some stand and fight!

"Here in North America, we run away from problems. Not my problem."

Worse than that. Remember the videos of looting after Katrina hit New Orleans.

On report of a USA reporter spoke of her surprise that while people had staked out their area on a gym floor with their food around them, they still had a recycling program going.

As someone posted above, many people are already speaking about the higher level of preparedness the Japanese will have after they have had some time to work the aftermath out. They will become the world's experts at this without a doubt.

I would suggest that those who are interested to protect the West Coast of North America and mitigate the results of an earthquake and potential tsunamis that may follow might now only go to Japan to help them, but also to learn from them as they hopefully woirk together in co-operation.

This is not only a Japanese problem. This is a problem in many parts of the world and we have a pretty good idea of where those parts of the world are.

Eagleone,are you saying we should exploit the Japanese people after there lives have been destroyed?Just asking,because I wouldn't want someone doing that to me if I had just gone through what some of the Japanese people have been through!

We are all slaves to the news. I don't care if you get your information about the most recent diaster from the sensationalist fear mongerers (American media) or from the us too copy cats (Canadian media) or from NHK, or from the Beeb, or the pope,
you are hearing, or seeing, what someone else has decided you will know. Exception being youtube with cellphone videos, but how are you to know how real those are?
The only reality is what you see and hear live, in person, with your own eyes and ears. Anything else is potentially bogus. Oh, we can get a pretty good idea of what is going on by sampling a variety of sources of information, but there is no substitute for being there. In the past the nation of Japan has totally impressed the rest of the world most especially their rise from the ashes of WW2, but 65 years on, do they have the will, and the racial memory as a nation, to pull that off again? I think so.
By the way, how are things in Christchurch?
Yingjiang? Haiti? oh, sorry, those disasters are passe' no longer major headline material, relegated to the back pages, as it were.
What happened in the north of Japan was a terrible calamity, but the news will switch to the next disaster in an instant.
metalman.

...on a totally different note.

I saw a black bear on Wednesday on the island just south of the Cameron Street bridge. I called the conservation office just to let them know - there response was, "Damn - we're not taking bear calls until April."

There out there so be aware!

That response really meant "don't waste our time it's only a blackbear".

Unless you see a bear doing something to endanger someone or something, leave it alone and watch it for your own enjoyment. Why waste someones time by calling it in?

Speaking of news, the program I enjoy watching the most is our local CKPG. They report a well rounded news program and with out the theatrics and biases of Global, BCTV and the biggest stage show, CNN.

I do here by nominate Rick Mercer to run for Prime Minister!!

re: Black Bear

Normally I wouldn't call in a bear sighting - see them all the time.

But a hungry, groggy black bear in city limits - too early to end hibernation and unlikely of finding anything natural to eat....

I wouldn't consider it wasting their time where the potential for a problem bear is greater than normal.

I stand by my call!

Denaljo, not second class citizens... far from it. Equals as citizens of Canada once they earned their citizenship like everyone else. If you want to come here though it should not be to get a free ride on our social services until you have contributed to society and paid your way so as to respect the responsibility of being a contributing member of society.

We as Canadians I think have a right to maintain the affordability of our own homes. The idea of new arrivals buying new homes as a condition creates a building boom that creates jobs and employs the new arrivals in the city as well as limiting the displacement of existing Canadians from home ownership. Generosity can only go so far, and displacing Canadians from their homes like what has happened in Vancouver with highly leveraged debt is a bridge to far.

We should all remember that the Japanese have insurance too... many will rebuild with their insurance payouts... for the Japanese insurance companies to be able to make these payouts they will have to sell foreign investments like bonds and treasury investments around the world, which will cause massive money market displacements spurring inflation... this is a bad negative feedback loop that will effect the entire world financially... for global economic stability it would make far more sense if these Japanese insurance payouts (over $200 billion by some estimates) were made in economies around the world when possible settling displaced Japanese in those national economies where the funds will be liquidated from.

It doesn't take much to pay cash for a house in PG compared to Japanese standards for housing costs... it would dampen inflation pressures, provide opportunity for all involved, and most importantly promote stability to those in need as well as the global financial markets.

In no way is this motivated by a second class citizen aspect. Currently anyone immigrating to Canada under Canadian immigration law, as a spouse for example, is banned from receiving social services... they are a 100% dependent on their spouse for minimum 2-years, and often longer until citizenship is granted... trust me I know. Fair is fair and I see no reason why a Canadian spouse should be a second class citizens to Japanese migrants. If you want to give a free ride to all immigrants then you should come out and declare that... we would likely attract new immigrants for all the wrong reasons then IMO.

Gus, in many places in Asia you need minimum 35% down to buy a home and can only finance for three years maximum. Homes remain affordable in those places (ie the Philippines). Japanese homes are worth far more than homes in PG and if they where allowed to immigrate in mass to here, then homes would no longer be affordable to young Canadian families.

Facts are the Japanese are looking at $200 billion plus in insurance payouts to replace private individual homes... many of the Japanese that lost their homes and would be looking to escape Japan could easily pay for a new home in PG with insurance payouts.

As for trade links... think about it... 3 coal trains a day heading to the port of Prince Rupert heading for Japan to make steel for all the cars they in return sell back to North America. Japan is our second largest lumber market after America in dollar terms.. sure we have strong established trade links... nothing like they would have with America, or South Korea, or even China... but we do have strong established trade links and they have tremendous potential to grow even more IMO.

Prince George, the factor you seem to forget is that if they have a radiation fall out zone where the area isn't habitable for decades if not centuries.

The 30-miles zone around Chernobyl is still to irradiated for humans to live. Already they have announced that the 12-mile zone around the Japanese reactor will have to remain evacuated for decades... these people will never be returning to their homes... they will get insurance payouts and told to relocate elsewhere. This and the spent fuel tanks haven't even melted down yet... over 700 tons of spent fuel could melt down (with no containment protection) in the coming days expanding that area exponentially... to say nothing of the active reactors (which they may contain, but would be irrelevant if the spent fuel rods contaminate the whole area beyond the ability to work). Tokyo is only 140-miles away, and the winds are expected to change from west out into the Pacific, as its been since this all started, to south towards Tokyo this weekend.

One of the biggest disasters of this all is the disruption of the food chain. The food chain disruption is the real key concern for any radiation fallout, more so than simple human exposure.

All those rice fields you see will not feed another mouth for maybe a hundred years. My rice distribution operation in the Philippines has already seen costs nearly double in the last few days alone... as the rich Japanese are panic buying up all their supplies... a harbinger of things to come.

I have no doubt the Japanese are a resilient stoic people... but they can't change the fact of radiation fallout on the lands of their homes and food crops no matter how resilient they are. Simple reality that can not be changed with wishful thinking.

'Of course I am angry,' he told me through an interpreter yesterday. 'I was ignored and then badly misled, and as a result the people were abandoned here to die.

'But I was the one who told them it was safe to stay, and now I have decided that I must be the last person to leave this city. I have been in my office since last Friday, and I won't go until the last person has left safely.'

mayor of Minamisoma, Japan

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367208/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-Mayor-claims-people-abandoned.html#ixzz1H1fFEBy1


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367208/Japan-tsunami-earthquake-Mayor-claims-people-abandoned.html

Options are few to prevent Japan nuclear catastrophe

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-sci-japan-quake-nuclear-20110319%2C0%2C3085957.story?page=2