2012 07 16 Press Release - Final
Transcript of 2012 07 16 Press Release - Final
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City of Fort St. John
2012 07 12 Draft Press Release Page 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City to take a coordinated approach to protecting community interests if Site C is approved
[DATE] Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman announced today that the City of Fort St. John will take a
coordinated and proactive approach to protecting the communitys interest if the proposed Site C Clean
Energy Project is approved. She is inviting the community to help.
Ackerman acknowledged that the decision to approve the dam rests with the Provincial and Federal
governments, not with local municipalities. However, she said that, as the municipality that will be most
impacted by the project, the City carries a special responsibility to take an active role in community
information gathering and localized consultations.
The City is neither supporting nor opposing the Site C project, said Ackerman. Our first priority is to
protect the interests of our community. We plan to use all of our influence and jurisdiction to ensure the
communitys interests are protected if the project moves forward.
Ackerman said the City will formally present the communitys interests to BC Hydro this fall in the form
of a position paper. The paper would include a statement of community interests and objectives to
assist BC Hydro and the decision-makers to identify key areas of concern and potential benefits for the
City.
Our evaluation of the Site C project will be based on the high standards set out by the United Nations
World Commission on Dams. It states that communities should be better off after the project than
before it, said Ackerman. We will also be considering the needs of our neighbours in the region and
others impacted by this decision.
The City is inviting the community to help define and develop the interests and objectives. Ackermansaid the City has undertaken extensive public consultation on matters of community direction in the
past. Council is using the Vision 20/20 strategy, Official Community Plan and Citys Strategic Plan as
context for identifying the communitys interests.
In addition, she said the City plans to consult with the community over the next couple of months to
ensure the interests and objectives Council identifies accurately represent the needs of the community
as a whole.
We recognize it may not be possible to incorporate all views and interests into the final position paper,
but we are committed to focusing on what is best overall for the City of Fort St John in the short and
long term.
Ackerman explained that the City has created a background document called Lets Talk Site C and two
videos. They provide information on the Citys approach and outline a number of suggested objectives
that Council has identified so far.
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City of Fort St. John
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We are putting these draft interests and objectives forward as suggestions to get the dialogue going,
said Ackerman. Were hoping community members will take some time to review the information and
then get involved in the discussion.
In addition to finding information on the Citys web site, Facebook and Twitter, community members
can access relevant documents, view videos and participate in a community survey atwww.placespeak.comunder the topic Lets Talk Fort St John.
The City is also planning to hold informal chats in the park where community members can discuss the
issues face-to-face with the Mayor or City Council members. In September (date to be confirmed),
Council plans to host a public meeting so community members will have another opportunity to discuss
the issues and provide input on the Citys interests and objectives. See box for more details on how to
access information and participate.
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For more information, please contact:
Lori Ackerman, Mayor
250.787.8150
Where to access information & participate
Citys websitewww.fortstjohn.ca Placespeak.com/LetsTalkFortStJohn
Twitter @fortstjohn
www.facebok.com/fortstjohn
Chats in the Park with Mayor and Council anytime
between 9 a.m. and 12 noon:
July 31 in Kin Park
August 2 in Matthews Park
August 7 in Pickell Park
August 9 in Duncan Cran
August 14 in Concorde Park August 16 in Princess Crescent Park
August 23 in Matthews Park
http://www.placespeak.com/http://www.placespeak.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.fortstjohn.ca/http://www.fortstjohn.ca/http://www.fortstjohn.ca/http://www.facebok.com/fortstjohnhttp://www.facebok.com/fortstjohnhttp://www.facebok.com/fortstjohnhttp://www.fortstjohn.ca/mailto:[email protected]://www.placespeak.com/ -
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City of Fort St. John
2012 07 12 Draft Press Release Page 3