Apparently, it could have been a 4 word address:

"I'm out of touch."

"...and explained that the ice breaking option only became available now because there is room in the Fraser River to deal with the ice."

Didn't we collectively already call bullsh*t on that?

"Kinsley said he didn't know how the rasing of River Road would have a negative impact on the ability of workers to go to their jobs."

How disingenuous: it's not about whether the workers can get to their jobs, it's whether the companies can operate.

It's simple, your worship: if the companies can't operate, there are no jobs.

But then I guess Kinsley is right - raising the road doesn't prevent workers from getting to their jobs, because then there ARE NO JOBS.

Five weeks into an issue that has made the national news, we hear from the mayor.

Now THAT'S leadership.

Well on the upside i did not see him holding a beer can, or yelling at an security gurds.

But it was still giberish to me.

Must be nearly time to go visit China isn't it....maybe he can learn how they deal with ice jams there.

Ain't he a cool dude, otherwise?

Did he mention Heidi at all?
No???
Well, how ungreatful is that?
:-)

Heidi - I hope you have a video camera and can take some good footage of the ice breaker in motion and then sell copies - I'll buy one. Maybe if there are portable bleachers around you cud sell tickets too - box seats for a million bucks to the mayor...

poor ole colin, he gets the zero amount of respect that he deserves. i just wish i had known he was going to be on tv. It would have been good for a laugh. but i will take you words for it that he made a fool of himself. i ust could not see it any other way.

This is a practice run folks. This is just a test to see how strong our leadership is. (or not) To see how we can work together as a team with a unified game plan. To test the solutions we are using to see how they will measure up. To discover who really is in charge. To discover (expose) who is really in over their heads. To see who is a team player, and who isn't.

There is a point to all of this. When the time comes to evaluate folks, to see who is accountable for their actions, (or lack of) to see who rose to the top to give direction, instruction and show leadership. This is an election year. Take an interest in this event. How has this distraction affected the running of the city? Have projects been delayed, have plans been hindered, have important issues like the city budget been taken too lightly? There are many consequences to this event. Some short term and others, very long term. Where is the money coming from for all of these extra expenses we have been incurring?

Well Mr. Mayor, Mr. City Manager, Fellow Aldermen, how do you think you have done so far? Chester

My annoyance with Kinsley (on this and most matters) is tempered by the fact that he's a dead ringer for William Shatner. Check it out: http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20050826/160_kinsley_050826.jpg

........well, better late than never "they" say....too bad in this case it's too little, too late.

Chester. Most if not all of the money spent to date, will be paid by the Provincial Government. One reason why the City was slow to respond to this situation I suspect was because they were waiting for the Province to say they would pay, after which you had men and trucks, security guards etc; all over the place.

As I stated before Brink Forest Products has two (2) plants, One on the North Side of River Road and One on the South side. All the production from the North Side is handled across River Road and stored or loaded on the South side. Part of the problem is the fact that River Road is a public road and was not built to accommodate Brinks day to day operation. I suspect that running loaded and empty forklifts across this road has been ignored for years, however now that the City wishes to raise the road it is causing Brink some serious egress problems.
Part of The Pas Lumber operation is on the North side of River Road also, and is causing them similiar problems.

The fact that they chose to locate on both sides of a public road, that is now being raised by the City is for all intents and purposes their problem, not the Citys, and I suspect that is why they are willing to spend one million dollars to have a dyking system North of their Northern operations.

I suspect the Mayor, the City, Brink, and The Pas Lumber know exactly what the problem is, however because they chose to ignore it all these years, and issued building permits for the Northern Operations they dont want to talk about it.

Mr Kinsley has cooked his goose.When do we vote

Now ,I'm really p***ed ...The Local TV station announces the Mayor's presentation is a "paid" I repeat "PAID" presentation....please already....who authorized this????????

Colin still does not get it, does he. Lets try again slowly: Some of the people from winton and brinks I belief about 150 or so are working on the river side of the temporary birm meaning that when the river floods thy now have to climb over your new temporary birm on river road.
That is maybe why it is having a negative impact!!!!!!!!!!

T.V and radio stations make money from paid advertising. If you got the cash you can get a slot. And if your city hall youve got lots of tax dollars to pay for a time slot on local T.V. to make your jibberish public.

I just really want this machine to work. Mr. LaPlante is travelling such a long way in winter to come and try to help our situation. I'm sure he asked all the questions he had to before deciding if his machine could handle the job or not which explains his good reputation. I don't care who found Mr. LaPlante at this point...well tomorrow I might care again who knows i'm tired right now :) let's get the river back where it belongs (with some deeper channels and road back to normal would be a swell idea)and get on with the clean up. Six weeks is a crazy amount of time to wait in this day and age. I wish Mr. LaPlante and company a safe trip the rest of the way here.

Kinsley is suffering from the same fate that devours most longtime politicians.
Stay too long at the fair,make a few bad decisions,and the voting public will eat you!
Do something for too long,and you begin to take it for granted!
They all begin to think they are bulletproof eventually,but as we all know, they are not.
Maybe that's not such a bad thing.
New blood brings new ideas and new people,and with that comes a whole new outlook.
Given the changes that are coming in the north over the next few years,that's probably not a bad idea!

Let see the need to raise River Road was because of the two breaches of the gabion dike - wrong

1st breach - no dikes

2nd breach - no gabion diking where the water had breached the first time or any other low spots. They had done all the dry areas first.

I am wondering what the city's/mayor's hidden agenda is?

Its seems to be all connected to the Cameron street bridge. The bridge proposal (cheap option 9mil rather than the right option 21mil)is already well over budget. I guess about 13/15mill and will end up costing, I am sure, 20mill before its done. Fixing and raising River road is/was part of that plan.

The emergency declaration allows them to have the Prov.governement under PEP pay for the temporary berm to protect the greater good and so save say 3mill. Now they have a win-win at city hall and a permanent road in place and paid for. The mayor's legacy is preserved.

Just a few hasles and some collateral damage...brilliant!!!!!

woodpecker,
thats is soooo interesting i did not know that!!!

Don`t you people ever get tired of hearing the same voices echoing in this room?

Runner46, Amen to that. I've been off this site for quite a while and now reading a few comments and YAWN, it's the same old stuff over and over and over again.
Woodpecker: are you suggesting the mayor manipulated mother nature and caused the ice jam so he could get his horrible selfish and dishonerable new bridge built for this city?
See you in another couple of months or so.

I would have liked to see the title of this article changed to: "Hizzoner Izzoner".