Forested areas in North Central BC will see a prescribed burn, starting Tuesday.

The Prince George Fire Centre says areas from 70 kilometers south of PG, to around 100 kilometers southwest of Vanderhoof will be a part of the controlled burn.

Fire Information Officer Jill Kelsh says prescribed burning helps restore the ecosystem, allow for younger trees to replace older ones, while reducing the chance for an uncontrolled wildfire later this summer.

The burns will only take place on days where conditions are favorable to reduce smoke.

It was a sombre scene at the corner of Queensway and Patricia Boulevard as Prince George marked National Day of Mourning. The event remembered all who were killed in the workplace. Ronda Roche, whose husband died in the Lakeland Mill explosion, says today is for everyone.

WorkSafe BC Vice President of Prevention Services Al Johnson says today gives people a chance to pay their respects.

Johnson says last year saw 128 work-related deaths.

Mounties are investigating the theft of three vehicles.

Prince George RCMP Corporal Craig Douglass says they all happened sometime late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

He says two F-350 trucks and a Honda Civic were targeted.

Douglass says though they were stolen in different neighbourhoods – including South Patterson Street, Westgate Avenue and 5th Avenue and Gillette – he says it’s possible they were related.

The 30th annual national Day of Mourning goes today across the country.

Prince George will mark the occasion with a ceremony at the Worker’s Memorial Statue on Queensway starting at noon.

The day is a time where workers, families, employers and others remember those who have lost their lives to work related incidents.

Between 1993-2012 an average 902 deaths a year occurred in the workplace according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

National Day of Mourning originally started in 1984 in Canada and is now in 80 countries.

BCAA has launched its annual worst roads survey.

Residents from across the province have three weeks to take part.

Last year Westside Road in Kelowna took top honours while PG managed to escape the top 10 unlike previous years.

In 2011 for example Ospika Boulevard topped the list while in 2012 Domano Boulevard finished second and Tabor Boulevard finished third.

You can vote at bcaa.com/worstroads or by going to the BCAA Facebook page.

Prince George City Council will decide Monday night whether or not to award a one year $6 million dollar contract for road rehabilitation work. A request for proposal from Pittman Asphalt has been submitted to do the road work for the 2014 calendar year.

Also at their regular meeting, councillors will hear from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on mail delivery cuts that are being implemented. The union is asking council to lobby the federal government to prevent the doing away of home mail delivery.

The meeting gets underway at six o’clock in council chambers.

Work on a $10 million health training facility is still in the beginning construction phase. Ground broke in January for the Learning and Development Centre located at UHNBC in Prince George. Northern Health Director of Development Services Peter Kallos says since then a lot of work has been happening underground.

Kallos says the foundation of the building is now being poured. He says the facility, that will used by Northern Health and UNBC, will be done by March 2015.

Prince George’s Mayor says last week’s decision to suspend a motel’s business licence sends a strong message. Shari Green says property owners need to know there are bylaws they need to comply with.

Green says while most businesses do comply with bylaws there are a few bad apples. She says the community will not tolerate having locations with high crime files anymore. She says those who choose to stretch the line now know what the consequences might be.

Starting Monday at 6:00 am, Northern B-C flyers can go from Prince George to Calgary via WestJet. Airport Spokesperson Lindsay Cotter says this will run as a daily service.

Cotter says an added benefit to the direct flight is the number of connections out of Calgary. She says more direct flights to the Alberta city is something residents have been asking for.

A Prince George kinesiology company has started to do pre-employment screening for some trucking companies in the area. Accelerated Sport and Spine is doing testing to see if candidates for trucker jobs can do the physical demands required for the job. Owner Davis Rodrigues says they are working with the local companies who are seeking new employees.

Rodrigues says they are testing for basic physical demands needed in the trucking industry. He says the test gives the person a score and the company hires based off a relative score.

A Prince George nurse has been recognized for her work with a local HIV/AIDS prevention program. Linda Keefe has received the Excellence in Nursing Practice Award for demonstrating knowledge in clinical decision-making and application of research. Keefe says the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program has been around since 1991.

Keefe says she was nominated by her peers for her work with the program. She along with two other nurses in Prince George received awards from the College of Registered Nurses in BC.

A $63,000 grant will be well used by Two Rivers Gallery. The art museum received the grant from the BC Arts Council for operating activities. Managing Director Peter Thompson says they also received an extra $16,000 to go towards expanding storage for their permanent collection.

Thompson says they currently have around 300 paintings in the permanent collection. He says the museum needs $75,000 to fully upgrade the space needed to house the paintings.

The College of New Caledonia’s Day Care will be kept open…for one more year. The college’s board of governors has agreed to continue on with the program at the Prince George campus. Interim President Bryn Kulmatycki says in that year, they will look at how to make the day care viable.

Kulmatycki says they have received back a lot of public feedback saying they want the day care left open. He says it costs $150,000 a year to operate.

The Prince George Legion has officially opened its doors. The ribbon cutting for the branch’s new 6th Avenue location took place Saturday. Legion President Bruce Gabrielle says the community has really stepped up to help make the new location possible.

Gabrielle says the total cost of the renovations costed around $300,000. He says the main area where many of the Legion activities will take place will be called the Juno Lounge to commemorate the World War II battle.

No progress to report at the negotiating table between the BCTF and the provincial government.

President Jim Iker spoke to the media Friday.

Iker says teachers have asked for three percent wage hikes in each year over three years and a cost of living increase.

He says no timeline has been set for stage two of job action but says that would consist of rotatating strikes meaning each district would close for one day per week.

A Prince George City Councillor is playing the waiting game on his BC court appeal.

Brian Skakun says the bigger picture is about whether or not a municipal Councillor is considered an officer, and says his case of breaching the Freedom of Information Act should be thrown out.

He says a judgment is pending and is eager to see the saga come to a conclusion.

Bear sightings are starting to be reported around Prince George.

As the animals come out of hibernation, conservation officers are reminding residents to take care of a few things.

Here’s Officer Gary Van Spengen.

Van Spengen says bears are grazing on grasses, but they will eat garbage if it’s easily accessible.

He says if you do see a bear, give it space and if necessary call the Conservation Officer Service.

Northern Hardware is celebrating 95 years in Prince George.

Kelly Green is a fourth-generation owner and says their strong relationship with the community has been their best key to survival in an age where big box stores reign supreme.

Celebrations continue Saturday where MLA Shirley Bond with Mayor Shari Green will be on hand to present a heritage award with the heritage society.

In 1919 when the store opened, Henry Ford stepped down as president of his company, World War I had just ended, and women in the united states were granted the right to vote.

It is also 45 years before the Home Hardware franchise the store is a part of came into existence.

It was one year ago this week Highglen Montessori School in Prince George caught fire. School Principal Karin Paterson says what she remembers most about the fire is seeing the smoke in the building on the afternoon of April 22nd.

Paterson says she is thankful for all the help and support from School District 57 and the community after the fire. She says its been an ebb and flow of emotion as they moved and continue to be housed in the old Gladstone School. A decision from the provincial government on whether the school will be rebuilt is yet to be announced.

Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen is doing what he can to find justice for the victims of two mill explosions in Northern BC.

This after a recent meeting with survivors of the Lakeland mill and Babine Forest Products mill disasters.

Cullen says he’s amazed there’s still unsafe mill conditions in the province and that the investigation of both mill tragedies has led to so little in the way of results.

Farmers and supporters got to air their concerns and learn a little more about how Bill 24 affects them.

UNBC Associate Environment Professor David Connell held an open session Thursday night discussing proposed changes to the Agricultural Land Reserve.

He says he heard mixed opinions.

Some spoke on the bill giving farmers more flexibility while others argued that the changes would undermine their ability to protect their land.

Connell says he will take this public input to BC’s Agriculture Minister.

The business licence for the Willow Inn has been suspended for one year.

This after council met Thursday to hear an appeal from owner Philip Danyluk.

Mayor Shari Green was not impressed with his testimony.

The Willow Inn, formerly known as the Homeland Inn, first had its licence suspended last November.

This after council heard from police the motel generated around 250 calls for service from March 2011 to October 2013.

Remote areas of BC will see faster internet service.

The province is spending two million dollars to make satellite -based high-speed internet more affordable for residents in areas such as McBride, Valemount, and McLeod Lake.

Under the “Network B-C” program with Xplornet, anyone living in a remote area without an internet connection can receive up to 50%towards installation and set-up.

Technology Minister Andrew Wilkinson says BC has challenges getting access to everyone that other provinces don’t.

The province has set a goal of getting everyone in the province connected to high-speed internet by 2021.

Many people in Prince George know spring has arrived when the Canadian Home Builders’ Home Show is in town.

The 37th annual event runs this Friday through Sunday at Exhibition Park.

Terri McConnachie with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of Northern BC says there will be something for everyone.

McConnachie says over 75 hundred people attend the Home Show every year.

Everything opens at 3pm Friday.

Be safe when using your ATV’s this spring.

That’s the message from Northern Health Injury Prevention Coordinator Lynette Hewitt.

Hewitt says from 2006 until 2011, Northern Health had 33 ATV related deaths.

She says over half of those deaths can be attributed to drug and alcohol use.

In light of these disturbing stats, she’s asking riders to take the proper precautions including wearing an approved helmet, eye protection and footwear.

Employees from a local insurance company are donating blood in Prince George today.

Porter and McMillan Insurance has become the blood clinic’s latest Partner for Life, encouraging their employees and clients to donate blood.

CEO Nicole Federucci says it’s important to get more people to give blood.

Federucci says they hope to have a good following throughout the year, and their clients can donate blood on behalf of the company.

Partners for Life with Canadian Blood Services are advocates for donating blood in the community.

It wasn’t all about the wins and losses.

The words of PG Cougars V-P Brandi Brodsky when reflecting on her many years with the team.

She says she most enjoyed her work helping out in the community.

Brodsky doesn’t anticipate any issues when the WHL Board of Governors meet next week to vote on the proposed sale of the team to PG businessman Greg Pocock and former Cats Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis.

Her father Rick Brodsky moved the Cougars to Prince George from Victoria back in 1994.

The NDP is demanding the provincial government provide shuttle bus service along the Highway of Tears.

This after a group of their MLA’s toured the infamous stretch of road from Prince Rupert to Prince George this week.

Maurine Karagianis says leaders in smaller communities are growing frustrated.

She says the next step is to raise the issue in the legislature next week.

A College of New Caledonia student is hoping to win the title of Miss Teenage Canada this summer.

18 year old Kyla Arnett, who grew up in Mackenzie and graduated high school in Prince George, was named Miss Teenage Northern BC this year.

Arnett says she didn’t get into the pageant for beauty reasons.

Arnett says the majority of the percentage of your grade comes from how well you communicate your message and platform.

She says if she won Miss Teen Canada, she would be able to spread her message to a wider audience and help reduce the stigma around mental and physical disabilities.

Arnett will be up against 64 other competitors during the five-day event in July.

Over 100 people walked through Prince George’s streets Wednesday afternoon honouring the 2nd anniversary of the Lakeland Mill explosion.

People wore signs mentioning those who perished in the explosion, and also calling for an inquiry.

Marueen Luggi, who lost her husband in the recent Babine explosion, organized the walk.

The walk made its way by MLA Shirely Bond’s office and Worksafe BC.

NDP leader Adrian Dix also took part.

Oh no, not again.

The reaction of PG parents to the start of strike action by BC teachers.

Here Chairperson of the District Parent Advisory Council Sarah Holland expresses her frustration.

Holland says the Prince George School District is just one of a handful of districts in BC where recess has been cancelled.

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce held an info session Tuesday for business owners offering clarity on Multi Material BC’s recycling program.

CEO Christie Ray says the Chamber hasn’t supported MMBC’s plan, over affects it would have on some industries in PG.

She says the program would cost the newspaper industry in BC $10 to 14 million and the effects of that slash will be felt here in PG.

Ray says the PG chamber is using connections through the BC Chamber of Commerce to ask the province to consider changing MMBC’s recycling program to lessen the strain on local business.

It was exactly two years ago Wednesday that two people were killed and 22 injured after the Lakeland Mill exploded in Prince George.

To mark the sombre occasion a march has been organized by victims and their families.

Bruce Germyn was at work the night of the blast.

Germyn says the march will start at 1:00 pm at the Bay and will wind up at the Prince George Courthouse where a number of people are expected to speak.

A Prince George couple has won $1 million in the lottery.

Spokesperson Chris Fairclough with the The BC Lottery Corporation says Emily and Wilfrid Tremblay plan to buy a house in Vancouver with their winnings, so they can be closer to their family.

He says the March 8th winning Lotto 6/49 ticket was purchased at the Superstore.

Two new modular classrooms have arrived at Giscome Elementary. School District 57 Superintendent Brian Pepper says construction on a new community centre is also taking place.

Pepper says the two modulars are expected to hold up to 30 students each. He says currently they have around 20 students registered at the school. A final price tag for the modulars and community centre is yet to be announced.

The University of Northern BC is one of Canada’s greenest employers for the third straight year.

UNBC has been recognized once again for its green initiatives, and Sustainability Manager Kyrke Gaudreau says the university is committed to becoming “Canada’s Green University”.

Gaudreau says this is how everyone will need to be living in a few years, and they want to show leadership to that path.

UNBC is just one of four universities on the list, with only 50 employers on the list in total.

A Prince George group is celebrating Earth Day Tuesday.

REAPS Executive Director Terri McClymont says they’re doing so by registering people to take part in this weekend’ annual spring clean-up.

McClymont says they’re still looking for volunteers to help clean-up Bear Road, which is just up from Walmart and for people to tackle first avenue from Victoria to Carney Hill.

She’s hoping to attract 3,000 volunteers and says you can register by phoning their office or by sending them an email.

Phase one of job action begins Wednesday for BC teachers.

School District  57 Superintendent Brian Pepper says administration will be responsible for all supervision outside of the classroom, including crosswalks and playgrounds.

However, Pepper says teachers will still meet with parents and do report cards.

The BC Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government also return to the bargaining table and resume contract negotiations, Wednesday.

The Prince George Airport Authority has received money back from Fortis BC after some recent upgrades.

Operations Manager Jamie Smith says they replaced half their boiler systems with more energy efficient ones.

On Tuesday Fortis BC gave the airport a cheque for $33,452 as part of the company’s Efficient Boiler Program.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Director Sarah Smith says the rebate is based on the energy savings from the replacements.

The airport plans to use the money saved to do research on wildlife in and around the grounds.

Growing medical marijuana will be limited to industrial and rural parts of the area. This comes after The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George has approved a new bylaw to regulate the production of the plants. District Chair Art Kaehn says the construction of production facilities has been limited to less than a dozen parcels.

Kaehn says the regional district does plan on re-looking at the bylaw to see if any changes need to be made. He says that is expected to happen in the near future.

Don’t panic if you see black smoke coming from the Prince George airport Tuesday.

This as the Prince George Airport Authority conducts fire and certification training.

It’s scheduled to start at 8:00 am Tuesday and will continue all week wrapping up on Friday.

YXS says in the past these fires have sparked concern and calls to local fire and police agencies.

You may have enjoyed a food filled Easter weekend but not everyone is so lucky – including seniors.

Spokesperson Bernie Goold of the St. Vincent de Paul Society says new statistics show that more and more pensioners are utilizing their services.

Goold says the working poor also make up a large chunk of their constituency, noting many have lost high paying jobs and are now earning $10 less an hour than they used to.

Overall she says her organization served 93,000 meals from March 2013 to March this year.

NDP MLAs are touring the Highway of Tears this week, starting in Prince Rupert.

Maurine Karagianis, Jennifer Rice, and Carole James are pushing the government for safe public transportation along the highway.

Karagianis says they want to meet with community leaders between Prince Rupert and Prince George.

Karagianis says they hope to see a shuttle bus, or increased service through Greyhound or the health bus.

Karagianis, Rice, and James will be in Prince George on Wednesday.

BC residents are being encouraged to sign up as an organ donor. A 48 hour campaign from BC Transplant is trying to get 48,000 people signed up. Spokesperson Peggy John says while 85% of the province supports organ donation, 19% have registered.

John says people can register to be an organ donor at transplant.bc.ca. She says you can specify whether you want all your organs donated or just certain ones.

The wheels are turning on a new strategy to help boost mountain bike tourism in Northern BC.

The plan’s been put forward by the Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association.

Executive Director Martin Littlejohn says it includes the following market research.

12 communities & regional districts are taking part in the project will runs from April through October.

A structure fire in the Hart has left one family with out a home.

During the noon hour Pilot Mountain Volunteer Fire Department was called to a house fire on North Kelly Road.

The home was fully engulfed when crews arrived and no injuries occurred in the blaze.

Crews from Salmon Valley, Ness Lake and Beaverly were called to the scene to help.

The house is a write-off and a cause is being determined.

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce is continuing to get ready to head to China. This fall, the chamber is planning a familiarization tour to the country to introduce Prince George residents to its culture, history and people. CEO Christie Ray says this is part of the cities ongoing efforts to build relationships with China.

Ray says so far they have 11 people signed up to go on the Chamber’s China trip. An information session is being held on Wednesday at the Chamber office for people to learn more about the excursion.

It will soon be that time of the year. The time when bears come out of hibernation and start eating. Northern Bear Awareness Society President Dave Bakker says while no sightings have been reported yet, its best to be proactive.

Bakker says its best to look at how secure your waste containers are. Also to look for any fruit buried under the snow that can attract bears into your yard.

One BC group says they have an alternative to the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Eagle Spirit Energy Holdings has unveiled a proposal for a state-of-the-art pipeline connected to an upgrader in Alberta or BC. Chairman and President Calvin Helin says their solution meets the requests of First Nations in Northwestern BC.

Helin says the pipeline would have minimal impacts on coastal and inland waters. He says so far they have signed a number of agreements with area First Nations for their pipeline proposal.

The Exploration Place is taking people on a trip through the Arctic. A new exhibit entitled “1913-1918 Expedition Arctic” shows the highs and lows the trip through the terrain. Deputy Director Amanda Tisseur says the display shows what it was like in the far North.

Tisseur says the exhibit is on loan from the Canadian Museum of History. The exhibition runs until June 1st.

High school students in Northern BC have the chance to take in a unique type of summer camp. The University of Northern BC and Emily Carr University have teamed up to off the Emily Carr Summer Studio for Teens. UNBC Continuing Studies Coordinator Lisa Haslett says the program allows students to experiment with their creative side.

Haslett says the two week program takes place at UNBC in July. She says to register or get more info head to UNBC Continuing Studies website.

Students at the College of Caledonia have renewed a bus pass program with the city. Eric Depenau, Student Union Chair, says at a referendum held earlier this year, students voted 54 percent in favour of renewing the universal bus pass.

Depenau says the bus pass program gives CNC students unlimited access to the Prince George transit system. He says it also includes a pass to the Aquatic Centre and the Four Seasons Pool.

If you are thinking of getting live baby chicks, ducks or rabbits for Easter, you may want to think twice. That coming from the North Cariboo SPCA, who don’t recommend buying animals as presents. Assistant Branch Manager Sarah Thompson says buying a pet for someone else is never a good idea.

Thompson says rabbits, chicks and ducks are a large committment as they will get bigger. She says to talk with your family seriously before buying a pet.

A new location means more opportunity for the Prince George Community Foundation. This week the agency moved into its new place in the lower level of the Coast Inn of the North hotel. President Ray Noonan says their previous location at Studio 2880 was a bit out of the way.

Noonan says the new office is a place for staff and for donors to drop in. He says the community foundation works to generate donations to help local charities.

An RCMP Youth Program has seen some recognition. The Venturers and Rovers program has been given the Canadian Cancer Society Youth Achievement Award. Special Constable Davy Greenlees says the program is a joint venture between Scouts Canada and the RCMP.

Greenlees says the Venturers and Rovers group received the award for doing security for the Prince George Relay for Life for the past few years. He says currently they have around a dozen people enrolled in the program.

As you get ready for Easter dinner this weekend, Northern Health has some food preparation tips to keep in mind. Environmental Health Officer Neelam Hayer says studies have shown 31% of turkeys have tested positive for salmonella.

Hayer says to handle food properly to prevent the spread of bacteria. She says to properly thaw out a turkey, put it in a fridge and not room temperature. She says to also not wash the bird as splash water can carry bacteria.

Canfor is holding a job fair for careers in the forestry sector.

Communications Manager Corinne Scavness says Canfor is hiring for a variety of positions across operations in Chewynd, Fort Saint John, & Mackenzie.

The job fair is this Tuesday from 9 a-m to 3 p-m, at Trend Mountain Hotel in Tumbler Ridge

Mounties are on the lookout for a robbery suspect.

Prince George RCMP say the heist happened at around 9:00 Wednesday night at a fast food restaurant on the 2300 block of Westwood Drive.

Police say the lone male suspect held up the business with what appeared to be a hand gun and fled the store on foot with a small amount of cash.

With the aid of a police dog, mounties later recovered a jacket and pellet gun believed to be used in the hold-up.

Here Corporal Craig Douglass provides a description.

Douglass asks anyone with information to call police.

The BCTF is set to issue 72 hour strike notice.

President Jim Iker attributes it to little progress being made at the negotiating table.

He says it will begin Wednesday April 23and will be administrative in nature.

Iker says it won’t impact report cards or extra-curricular activities but warns things could escalate if progress isn’t made at the negotiating table.

The main sticking points include salaries, class size and composition and the proposed 10 year contract put forward by the government which teachers say is a non-starter.

The union received an 89 percent strike mandate six weeks ago.

The College of New Caledonia is celebrating its largest grant ever.

Here’s CNC’s Randall Heidt with the details.

Heidt says the money will allow researchers to determine the future effects of climate change, future technologies to help forest companies, and ways to innovate and help the forest industry as a whole.

The Prince George RCMP are finally ready to move into their new detachment.

The building on Victoria Street will officially be open to the public on April 28th.

Corporal Craig Douglass says between April 22nd and 27th they will be in the process of moving from the old detachment to the new one.

Douglass says the new building has a lot of extra space, everyone will be in one building, and their processes should be refined and fine tuned.

After the move, the old detachment will be decommissioned, and the City will then have to decide what to do with it.

The Easter Long Weekend is just hours away, and RCMP traffic services want you to stay safe if you’re hitting the highway.

Staff Sergeant Pat McTiernan says motorists need to prepare for long trips.

He advises you to be well rested and have food, water, and blankets on you, just in case.

BC’s Ministry of Transportation says an average of three people are killed every Easter long weekend and 670 injured in 2,300 crashes throughout the province.

Three music fans are chained up to the Vista Radio headquarters with hopes of scoring some concert tickets.

Jason, Tanja, and Travis are competing for a pair of tickets to Alice in Chains playing at the BCNE this August.

They started the competition to see who would last the longest at 7 a.m. Friday, and have 9 hours and 43 minutes to endure. The forecast calls for rain.

UNBC has announced its 2014 honorary degree recipients.

They are Architect Michael Green, best known for his work on the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George, and Nancy Turner, a Hakai Professor in Ethnoecology.

Communications Manager Matt Wood says the degrees are handed out each year.

UNBC

Green and Turner will recieve their degrees during convocation ceremonies next month.

PG’s Dennis Straussfogel will run in his fourth Boston Marathon Monday.

He also took part in last year’s tragic race and says it’s one of the reasons he’s decided to return.

Straussfogel says he isn’t apprehensive about his safety arguing it will likely be the safest place in America that day.

He is one of seven locals scheduled to take part.

There were no injuries after a fire on the 1 thousand block of Central Street yesterday afternoon.

Prince George Fire Rescue says just before 3:30 crews responded to an apartment fire where there was heavy smoke and extensive flames coming from a suite on the north side of the building.

The occupant of the suite and other tenants had already evacuated.

It took firefighters about an hour and a half to bring the blaze under control.

There is extensive damage to one unit, and several adjacent apartments have smoke and water damage.

Crews have not estimated a dollar loss yet, and investigators will be on scene today to determine the cause.

Students at UNBC are focusing on exams and party time, right now but that’s about to come to an end … it’ll soon be time to find a job.

Student Career Centre Coordinator Maria Trujillo says there seem to be more jobs out there for new grads than previous years, but final stats haven’t been assessed, yet.

She says they have services from coaching to resume building to help students learn the art of presenting yourself, which she says can be just as important as your degree.

Some advice she has for students building their resume is to mention their time management and presentation skills learned in class.

Enbridge has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with trade unions representing pipeline construction on the Northern Gateway project.

The MOU guarantees 2100 person years of work on the project between four unions .

One of those unions is the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe fitters and their International Rep Rob Kinsey says with the 209 added conditions for approval, initial estimates on how much work it would take were probably not accurate.

Kinsey says one major goal of the company is to hire as many locals and First Nations to work on the project, should it go through.

A new development in the disappearance of Prince George resident Lucas Degerness.

Wednesday the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s MissingKids.ca program say they recently received a call from a male identifying himself as Lucas Degerness.

Director Christy Dzikowicz says the call has renewed hope Degerness is alive but also “concern for his safety and well-being.”

14 year old Lucas disappeared back in June 2007 the day after spending the night at a friend’s home.

He was carrying a large camouflage backpack.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact MissingKids.ca at 1-866-KID-TIPS or police.

Prince George RCMP are searching for youth suspects after a number of buildings were vandalized with graffiti around DP Todd Secondary School.

Just before 11pm on April 3rd, the AIM-HI building, DP Todd, and Heritage Elementary School were all spray painted.

Corporal Craig Douglass says they are now looking for five youth suspects.

Douglass says the former Highland Elementary School on McDermid Drive was also vandalized with graffiti sometime between 11:30pm and 7am on April 11th and 12th.

Several vehicles and a boat were also vandalized.

If you have any information please call the RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

The St. Vincent De Paul Society is looking for more volunteers to help out with their Easter dinner this weekend.

The meal is being served on Sunday at the Sacred Heart Auditorium from 11am to 1:30pm, and spokeswoman Bernie Goold says they need volunteers between 10:15 and 2.

Goold says they are currently short 25 volunteers.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the society.

If you’re considering selling your home, now is a good time to do it.

BC Northern Real Estate Board president Ken Laursen says the market is hot right now in Northern BC.

Laursen says the number of M-L-S sales in March was up around 20 percent from March of last year.

He attributes the increase to the resource boom and low mortgage rates.

One person is in hospital with severe injuries after a collision on Highway 97 yesterday afternoon.

Prince George Regional Highway Rescue say the two-vehicle crash at Highway 97 and Summit Lake Road North involved a loaded tractor-trailer and a pick-up truck.

The pick-up had been wedged between the tractor-trailer and the ground, with the driver pinned in his seat.

Highway Rescue was able to extricate the driver of the pick-up and he was taken to hospital.

Gas prices have been fluctuating rapidly over the last couple of weeks, and heading into a long weekend, could they increase again?

Dan McTeague with the website “Tomorrow’s Gas Price today” says no, but they won’t go down either.

McTeague says however that the high prices won’t last long, as demand for gas could lower as people walk away from their vehicles or don’t drive as much.

Gas in Prince George for the most part is sitting at 129 a litre, but some places are as high as 142.

After more than 30 years in Prince George, Dan Rogers is moving on.

The former municipal politician, who served one term as mayor and 12 years as councillor, has accepted a new job in the Okanagan.

Rogers says he leaves with many fond memories including his role in bringing the Canada Winter Games to town along with the Aquatic Centre and the Multiplex, now known as CN Centre.

He starts his new job next Tuesday.

The President of Lakeland Mills’ parent company spoke to media on worker safety and the Crown’s decision to not press charges following the deadly blast.

Looking in hindsight, Greg Stewart says they could have done a better job controlling wood dust levels that lead to the 2012 explosion, though he says workers were given every opportunity to refuse work if they felt unsafe, and notes Worksafe described their mill as clean.

He says he has no plans yet to meet with the families of those who died or were injured.

Stewart says he failed his employees and maintains all accidents should be preventable.

The new Lakeland Mill will open in this fall and will employ around 100 people.

The process to decide whether or not members of Prince George City Council deserve a pay raise has begun.

It was initiated Monday by the city’s finance and audit committee.

Here’s councillor and committee member Cameron Stolz.

Stolz says council will then decide whether or not to raise council’s pay based on the recommendations they receive.

He says potential pay increases would not go into effect until January 1st, 2015 – or after the next council is elected.

18 new parking spots.

That was the subject of debate at Prince George city council Monday night, as they move to creating a lot for easier access to a senior centre.

David McGraw, President of the Elder Citizens Association says rezoning the lot on 9th avenue will be a huge support for his members.

Several letters and emails, along with a petition of over 240 signatures were presented in support, but residents also turned out to discourage council, citing noise, traffic, and snow removal concerns.

McGraw invites any residents against the parking lot to come to the centre to see what they have planned and see how it would benefit the neighbourhood.

One Lakeland Mills worker is speaking up and out about the need for a public inquiry into the Prince George sawmill blast. 46 year old Bruce Germyn says an inquiry is needed to find out what happened in April 2012. He says there were many occasions when employees reported unsafe working conditions.

Germyn says he and many other workers are still dealing with the mental and physical effects of the sawmill explosion. On Monday provincial crown counsel announced they will not seek charges against the company who owns Lakeland Mills.

Some cities lay claim to being a “city of champions” or a “tournament city”, now Prince George wants to be known as “The Volunteer Capital”.

City council voted Monday night to work with Enhance PG to create a strategy that promotes the city’s volunteer-heavy culture.

Councilor Lyn Hall says the 2015 winter games will be a national-level event to show-off the city’s volunteers.

Enhance PG says the city ranked #1 in the most recent “BC State of Volunteering Report” at 62% of citizens over 15 volunteer in some capacity.

Prince George city council will be repealing the bylaw that charged a fee for secondary suites.

The bylaw required owners of secondary suites to pay a business licence fee for each suite and city staff say they are working on changing the bylaw based on feedback from building owners.

The vote was split 5 to 4, with Mayor Shari Green sitting on the un-supportive side.

She says there is already $186,000 collected from owners and now council must decide what to do with it.

The repeal must be brought into effect over three meetings, which is the same amount of time it took to put it in place, the earliest date is May 26th.

If council wants to proceed with this idea, Green says it will then take three more meetings with a new, altered plan.

As spring weather starts to set in, you may want to think about growing your own vegetables. That coming from Northern Health Dietician Loraina Stephen who says one way to start your own garden is to plant all types of seeds.

Stephen says you should also plan on how to store what you grow once the season is over. She says you can either freeze, can or store for later use once it is fully grown. She says growing a garden gives families home grown foods for a longer length of time.

A request for a coroner’s inquest into the Lakeland Mills explosion is expected to happen. This after charges will not be pursued by provincial crown counsel into the explosion. Here’s Jobs Minister Shirley Bond.

The April 2012 explosion saw the death of two workers and injured 20 more.

Canadian Blood Services is encouraging PG residents to give blood as we prepare for the Easter Long Weekend.

Territory Manager Amy Erickson says blood donations typically dry up this time of year.

Erickson says on average someone in Canada required blood or blood products every 60 seconds.

To help,she says you can give blood at their clinic on Westwood Drive Wednesday’s and Thursday’s from 10 to 6.

For more information visit www.blood.ca.

No charges will be laid in the deadly Lakeland Mills explosion.
The crown says based on the available evidence, there is little likelihood of conviction.
The same decision not to lay charges played out in connection with a similar blast in Burns Lake.
The Lakeland explosion killed two workers and injured 22 two years ago this month.
Jobs Minister Shirley Bond and the NDP have planned news conferences for 1:00 pm Monday to react to the crown decision.

Prince George City Council meets tonight (MON) with a motion on residential rental properties on the agenda.

Councillor Frank Everitt has submitted a motion asking city staff to review the by-laws on residential rental properties.

It also includes an option of repealing a motion passed earlier this year, that has people with rental units needing to purchase a business license.

Everitt argues implementing a business licence fee creates inconsistencies between residential properties.

Council will also hear from the Enhance PG committee on branding Prince George as “The Volunteer City.”

The meeting gets underway at six pm in council chambers.

Its that time of year again. The time when Girl Guide Cookies are being sold to those needing an extra sugar rush. Local Public Relations Advisor Tamara Sweet-Letts says cookies are their biggest fundraiser of the year.

Sweet-Letts says this year Girl Guides are sending 70 members to a camp in Enderby. She says cookies are being sold for five dollars a box at various retailers in the city.

Just what happens during a logging truck rollover will be explained in a set of sessions being held this week. The BC Forest Safety Council is holding “Anatomy of a Rollover” workshops this week at four communities in Nothern BC. Director of Transportation Dustin Meierhofer says they will look at case studies of logging truck accidents.

Meierhofer says while the sessions are directed towards truckers the public can still learn from them. The workshops will be held in Vanderhoof, Prince George and Quensel this week.

Sessions will be in Vanderhoof on the April 15th, Quensel on April 16, and Mackenzie on May 29. To register, call 1-877-741-1060 or email [email protected].