Mackenzie-Ft. St. James Link Proposal Gets Dollars

Saturday, May 24, 2008 10:05 AM

Mackenzie, B.C. - Mackenzie ad Fort St. James are a step closer to the construction of a highway linking their two communities.

Federal funding of $474,000 has been announced for a detailed study on the proposal.

Funding will help the Districts of Mackenzie and Fort St. James study the necessary work to turn the current, seasonal one-lane connector road into a two-lane road that is available year-round. Work will include performing the preliminary costing, road surveys and planning.

Currently, a one-way trip between Fort St. James and Mackenzie is almost 400 kilometres. The current connector road cuts 200 kilometres from the trip, but is only open for seasonal, forestry use.

"The Fort St. James - Mackenzie Connector will provide safe, efficient, year-round movement of resources, industrial traffic and general trade and commerce between the two communities," said Mayor Stephanie Killam. "A potential increase in logging traffic due to the mountain pine beetle, the Mackenzie Green Energy Cogeneration facility, and the potential development of the Mount Milligan copper-gold deposit are all projects that will contribute to the strengthening of the region's economy and will benefit from an upgraded road."

The road would also be a key tie in plans for a tourism loop that would take tourists through Prince George, to Ft. St James, then to Mackenzie, and south again to Prince George.

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Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2008 10:05 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Bridge on May 24 2008 10:29 AM

Half a million on another study. Lets just move in some equipment and start building. Use some of the money collected from gas tax instead of giving it to province and municiplaties to pee away on dream projects like the olympics or bridges that arent needed.

Cheers

Posted by: invisableman on May 24 2008 10:59 AM

Oh great any other study.The buddies are hiring there buddies who already have jobs from the last study. Sounds like 17 more tie jobs and 0 steel toe jobs.Again the news is in the area lets get on the band wagon and pat ourselfs on the back.How about moving some dirt.This road was planned years ago.Now will move this paper to this side of the desk on tuesday we will read it, then put it in our bring forward file to arrange a meeting with your people to decide when we can have a round table.I've got a great idea lets move all the ties to the fort and mckenzie.Lets see how they can handle living in a town with 60% unemployment.If we do this we can drop the unemployment rate to 4%.The steel toes still will not be working but the numbers look good.This is starting to sound like Canfor is helping out.

Posted by: seamutt on May 24 2008 12:48 PM

Anyone now how I can become a professional studyer. They never seem to be out of work, pays well too. Maybe I have to get in line to kiss Campbell's shoes, oh well. I just hope the line isen't to long.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on May 24 2008 1:15 PM

Right on Bridge!...another study!!
Just build the damn thing be done with it.
How long did it take to build the Alaska highway?
The Fort St. James Chamber put in a proposal on this almost 2 years ago,and I believe Mackenzie did too around the same time.
Now watch the politicians start to take credit for the idea!
That didn't take long now did it?
We need another study to find out why the government has to attach a study to every dime they fork out!
Funny how when people start to push on them,the government comes up with all these original ideas!
In any event,this is good thing, as long as it doesn't get filed away on a back shelf somewhere!
And invisableman is right...how many guy's in steel toed boots will get to take part in the government glad handing/study?

Posted by: Wileycoyote on May 24 2008 1:57 PM

It will not be approved until the term just before the next election and then will be delayed because of the new election and then if the Liberals do not win the NDP will put it under another review to see if the Liberals review was actually a good review or not and only when 1 year before the next election will the ground be broke. Come on guys we all know better now dont we?

Posted by: owl on May 24 2008 5:10 PM

"Work will include performing the preliminary costing, road surveys and planning."

I have not got the faintest clue why it is called a study .... when you put those words together it means engineering services to me .... surveyors, planners ,and quantity surveyors .... so that when they go out to tender, they know whether it will be for $5million or $50 million, identify cut/fill, waterway crossings, horizontal and vertical curves, slopes, etc. etc .. so that the road is hopefully a safer road than those built by forestry where they do exactly as you suggest and end up killing people by the dozens later on ....

Of course, if safety is none of your concern and quality of contruction is none of your concern, and maintaining water qulity is none of your concern, then you might want to go live back in the dark ages ....

Then we can get rid of helth care, workers compensation insurance and all those social safety nets and safe many mre of our dollars ... we can also all move to Afghanistan and we will not have to dismantle any of those modern conveniences and security of person failsafe systems we are paying os dearly for.

I mean, we actually would not have to have roads then, since we won't have to go anywhere since there will be no work and we won't be able to sell our products.

;-)

Posted by: tinyapplecork on May 24 2008 5:23 PM

Hey Owl you beat me to the punch! lol My sentiments exactly :)

Is it a study? Doesn't sound like it to me either.

Posted by: justamom on May 24 2008 7:35 PM

I dont know maybe I am just skeptical. I find it convenient that suddenly there is going to be a study.

Perhaps a potential bid on both these pope and talbot mills could have everything to do with it...The Fort has a lot of timber!..
tourism..hehe...

Posted by: Andyfreeze on May 25 2008 8:02 AM

If this road/highway were to be built,the economy of these two communities would change overnight!
And other communities heading west to Prince rupert would also benefit.
The opportunities are limitless!!!
This HAS to be done, and as soon as possible!
Maybe even get it done for 2010?
Call out the engineers and get at it!
And let's not let our elected leaders file it away and forget about it!
No more excuses!

Posted by: NMG on May 25 2008 8:46 AM

This proposed piece of infrastructure could make it MUCH more feasible for wood from the Mackenzie area to be processed at facilities in the Fort and vice versa. In effect, you could "pool" the operations from both of those towns and have one cluster of industry that could make all sorts of wood related products in that area. This could allow the operations in each city to take advantage of their own particular niche, while having easier access to the raw wood. This could create efficiences and opportunities for both cities at the same time.

Of course, with the push to have the wood processed in the community it was taken from, that would not be a good idea . . . LOL :)

Posted by: Bridge on May 25 2008 10:44 AM

There is no mention of engineering services or surveyors. LIke Andy tells us how long did it take to build the Alaska Highway? How many studies did they do?

The engineers and surveyors were on site with the the heavey equiment right up their butt.

Cheers

Posted by: Harbinger on May 25 2008 2:43 PM

If they wanted to build the Alaska Highway tomorrow, it would never ever get done. New road from one ghost town to another? I will pay for that. I got lots of dough. Oops, sorry! What was I thinking? I have to buy gas this week.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on May 25 2008 2:47 PM

The Mac to Foreskin Jimmy road has more potential to pay off compared to the Wells - Purden connector. Fairly easy to build and lots of road building equipment at both ends doing nothing but looking at the next RB Auction. Build it.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on May 25 2008 9:22 PM

You are right YDPC,the Wells/Purden Connector is not priority right now.
The Mackenzie/FSJ loop IS a big priority!!

Posted by: Andyfreeze on May 26 2008 8:19 AM

My dear wife reminded me this morning that it was actually the B.C.Forest Service in the Fort who put in the original proposal on the road between the Fort and Mackenzie,with a letter of support from the local Chamber of Commerce and I would assume,Mackenzie.
I stand corrected,but if the forest service likes the idea,it has to be a good thing!
There is also a bit of power there that the government may pay more attention to!