A lot has happened over the last 12 months; started the year off in pandemic mode, now that seems to have waned. Russia invaded Ukraine and we saw local support rally up and fundraise to send aid.
The Wet’suwet’en and CGL conflict took on different dynamics, sockeye salmon returned to the Skeena in droves, the best return in 20 years. And voters in BC municipalities went to the polls, which saw a few interesting races in the Northwest. All this plus dozens of other broadcasts.
We’re rolling into year four of CICK NEWS and we feel like we’re just getting started, there are endless stories to tell in our neck of the woods and hopefully our small team can do those stories justice.
Mike Sawyer, Executive Director for the Citizen’s Oil and Gas Council, said “the PRGT Project and North Montney Pipeline, along with Nova Gas’ interprovincial system, together comprise a single federally-regulated undertaking, and as such the PRGT Project falls within federal, not provincial, jurisdiction and is subject to regulation by the CER. I respectfully request that the CER issue a declaratory order and a Notice of Constitutional Question as requested.”
This from our first story of the year in January 2022 about the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline and a former Skeena resident's legal battle to have the project reviewed under federal law rather than provincial, which is still unresolved.
"We ask the salmon people to please continue to feed us," said David DeWit with the Office of the Wet'suwet'en. "Our lives, our culture, our language, our wellness comes from water and salmon, this is what the salmon ceremony is about."
Salmon have always been a staple of sustenance and culture for the Wet'suwet'en, and all that call the Skeena home, and every year they celebrate the return of the salmon. This year was especially welcome with the larges sockeye salmon run in more than 20 years.
2022 also marked another municipal election across B.C. Several communities in Northwest B.C. saw new councillors and mayors take office. In Smithers, Laura Lenorad, has a family connection as her mother was the first woman mayor of Smithers in the 1980s. Sam Raven has worked with the NDP and is currently a constituency assistant to Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen, and ran for council in a 2020 by-election. Genevieve Paterson has worked within the provincial government at a policy level for more than 15 years. All three candidates ran successful campaigns, and along with Mayor Gladys Atrill, became part of the first majority female council to be elected in Smithers.
Listen to the full episode below.