Fixed link
Powell River Regional District announced at its Thursday, June 9, committee of the whole meeting that West Vancouver-Sea-to-Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy will be in Powell River to host a community stakeholders meeting for the first round of engagement on the Sunshine Coast fixed-link feasibility study.
Sturdy will meet with City of Powell River mayor Dave Formosa, PRRD board chair Patrick Brabazon and representatives from Tla’amin Nation, School District 47 board of education, Catalyst Paper Corporation and Powell River Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, June 22.
The BC government announced the fixed-link study last fall to provide decision-makers with information on a number of options, from road alignments to bridges and tunnels. The study is expected to be completed in the fall and will provide information for a discussion on next steps.
Transportation minister Todd Stone has said the study will compare the costs and benefits of new infrastructure with existing options.
Carbon reductions
According to a recent report on climate action initiatives and progress towards carbon neutrality, Powell River Regional District as a corporate entity saw an overall slight decrease in its greenhouse gas emissions for 2015 compared to one year prior.
The regional district’s carbon footprint for 2015 was 160.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), down from 172.7 tCO2e in 2014, for a total reduction of 12.2 tCO2e.
Staff reported that of the 160.5 tonnes, about one-third came from services directly provided by the regional district, while the remaining was from contracted services.
The regional district has identified climate change mitigation and adaptation as a priority in its most recent strategic plan. According to that plan, a carbon-neutral action policy is being developed during the remainder of 2016.
