Questions and comments for mayor and council

General Forums Prince Rupert Forum
1

So some of you think we need more LOW rent in Rupert?Are you kidding me?All we have is low rent,what we need is condo’s/townhouses that is a step or two up from what is here now.Get real folks!

Next are the rocket scientists who put in parking meters at Rushbrooke and Atlin.Atlin has a 2 hour grace but not at Rushbrooke.You pay from the first minute you park.So lots of out of towners launch their boats and park all over town to avoid paying.Joy,you are supposed to be the voice of the waterfront,where were you when this went into affect

The last couple of years the meter at Atlin was covered up in the winter but once again NOT Rushbrooke!JUST SAYING!

2

Agree - we need middle income apartments and condos…these are just as much in demand (if not more) than low-income housing.

3

Another solid question - what is this council going to do to enforce downtown business/property owners to clean up their act…time to start enforcing property bylaws to ensure these businesses looking clean.

I have heard a prominent 3rd Avenue business has been asked numerous times if their building could be painted (with little to no expense to them) and all 3 times they refused…looks like they would rather keep downtown looking like the slum that it is.

I will not be giving this place anymore business until their building is cleaned up…they can certainly afford to do it.

4

I wanna know: what happened to the bylaw officer? Did they eat him?

5

What we need is more affordable housing options in Prince Rupert. These will not come via big developers coming in and building townhouses or condos. Do people not look at the burden that such developments would have on our already crumbling infrastructure? A hundred more toilets flushing out into the harbour…not a very nice thought is it?

I have spoken at length with Lee about the housing issue and if you have read his platform he has some great ideas about how we can solve this issue, including densification and Laneway Housing.

Prince Rupert has its own unique issues around housing; many of our lots are smaller, we only have so many places to build and land even available to build on. Not all homes could accommodate a suite either so we should be looking at building Accessory Dwelling Units on peoples lots of a smaller scale than those say of Vancouver and not have them tied to city water (rainwater collection) or sewer (composting toilets).

Sometimes you need people who are able to “think outside the box” in order to solve a problem that is unique to our community.

BTW Sandy05, who do you think is going to rent all those fancy condos and townhouses? Port workers, camp guys that get $$$ live out allowance…it won’t be the average Joe.

6

I was not saying these should be rentals,god knows there are more than enough of those already…I was referring to people that want a place to buy,not rent ,and right now people are leaving town because these units do not exist.

7

My bad, your first comment referred to low cost rentals and my response was directed at rentals and low cost housing in general.

Honestly, the people you say are leaving town because the condos they want here don’t exist is bull. You have a good job here that could pay for such a place you wouldn’t be leaving here…

I think what you were trying to say is that the housing available here is inadequate to YOUR needs Sandy05. Give it time, once at least one of the projects gets the go ahead, you will get your condos and townhouses @ 200 and 300k.

8

He moved back to Ontario, where he was from.

9

[quote=“dafaceofanangel”]

What we need is more affordable housing options in Prince Rupert. These will not come via big developers coming in and building townhouses or condos. Do people not look at the burden that such developments would have on our already crumbling infrastructure? A hundred more toilets flushing out into the harbour…not a very nice thought is it?

I have spoken at length with Lee about the housing issue and if you have read his platform he has some great ideas about how we can solve this issue, including densification and Laneway Housing.

Prince Rupert has its own unique issues around housing; many of our lots are smaller, we only have so many places to build and land even available to build on. Not all homes could accommodate a suite either so we should be looking at building Accessory Dwelling Units on peoples lots of a smaller scale than those say of Vancouver and not have them tied to city water (rainwater collection) or sewer (composting toilets).

Sometimes you need people who are able to “think outside the box” in order to solve a problem that is unique to our community.

BTW Sandy05, who do you think is going to rent all those fancy condos and townhouses? Port workers, camp guys that get $$$ live out allowance…it won’t be the average Joe.[/quote]

The average joe IS a port worker in this city…half the city (or more) works for the port in some capacity (whether that is PRPA, PRG, RTI, Fairview, Pinnacle, CN, Quickload, Vessel Agent, CBSA, Logistics, Vessel Pilots, Coast Guard, Trucking ect), the port related companies and workplaces RUN this town and support the families of this city.

10

Let me correct you - the average Joe is not who you are referring too. Your remark comes across as quite arrogant to me bthedog. The point that seems to be lost here is that NOT EVERYONE has these high paying jobs. You will always have people who work retail etc. that support the town that you guys apparently “run”…how quickly some of you forget what it was like when YOU were working those types of jobs and now you won the lottery so to speak and you think you are more deserving than others!!!

11

[quote=“bthedog”]

What we need is more affordable housing options in Prince Rupert. These will not come via big developers coming in and building townhouses or condos. Do people not look at the burden that such developments would have on our already crumbling infrastructure? A hundred more toilets flushing out into the harbour…not a very nice thought is it?

I have spoken at length with Lee about the housing issue and if you have read his platform he has some great ideas about how we can solve this issue, including densification and Laneway Housing.

Prince Rupert has its own unique issues around housing; many of our lots are smaller, we only have so many places to build and land even available to build on. Not all homes could accommodate a suite either so we should be looking at building Accessory Dwelling Units on peoples lots of a smaller scale than those say of Vancouver and not have them tied to city water (rainwater collection) or sewer (composting toilets).

Sometimes you need people who are able to “think outside the box” in order to solve a problem that is unique to our community.

BTW Sandy05, who do you think is going to rent all those fancy condos and townhouses? Port workers, camp guys that get $$$ live out allowance…it won’t be the average Joe.

The average joe IS a port worker in this city…half the city (or more) works for the port in some capacity (whether that is PRPA, PRG, RTI, Fairview, Pinnacle, CN, Quickload, Vessel Agent, CBSA, Logistics, Vessel Pilots, Coast Guard, Trucking ect), the port related companies and workplaces RUN this town and support the families of this city.[/quote]

so 50 % or more work for the port in some way or form… 6000 people hmmm better check your math just saying…

12

[The average joe IS a port worker in this city…half the city (or more) works for the port in some capacity (whether that is PRPA, PRG, RTI, Fairview, Pinnacle, CN, Quickload, Vessel Agent, CBSA, Logistics, Vessel Pilots, Coast Guard, Trucking ect), the port related companies and workplaces RUN this town and support the families of this city.[/quote]

so 50 % or more work for the port in some way or form… 6000 people hmmm better check your math just saying…

So where are you getting your Math from Astro ?? Are you saying there are 12,000 employed folks in Rupert ?

13

so 50 % or more work for the port in some way or form… 6000 people hmmm better check your math just saying…[/quote]

So where are you getting your Math from Astro ?? Are you saying there are 12,000 employed folks in Rupert ?

No need for you to get your knickers in a twist Gracies Mom, Astro is just pointing out how ludicrous bthedog’s remark is about how half the town(bthedog’s words) work for port-related companies.

Can we get back to the topic? I think it was about rentals/affordable housing but even the original poster backtracked and said it was more about the lack of “quality” housing inventory here for those that can afford 200 and 300k properties. From bthedogs comments I’m getting that those that not have those high paying jobs don’t deserve decent housing. This isn’t about subsidized housing either, this is about AFFORDABLE housing.

14

Our City Enforcement Officer did give his notice and move back to his hometown in Ontario. He and his sweetheart loved Prince Rupert,
but after getting married in Mexico this year with many friends and family in attendance, have decided to start their family "closer to home."
As far as the Housing and Rental situation in town, I think it Sucks! There are no starter houses in town unless your starting out with 2-3 Hundred Thou.
Not everyone in town are Big Money People, though alot of people in town do have a Longshore Number and will work weekends, including city workers.
It doesn’t really matter where the money comes from, as long as a bunch of it is spent back here in our town.
Hopefully with the Election coming soon, there may be some change for the better!
Just my Opinion!

15

That doesn’t tell me why the city doesn’t have a bylaw officer. That tells me the old guy left.

You can ignore bthedog. No clue about what it takes to actually live in the NW these days. Half the city does not work for the port, and port related jobs aren’t longshoring jobs. You can say Tim Horton’s is a port related job, if you want to be ridiculous. Even working at the port authority head office doesn’t earn you the income of a longshoreman.

Plus, how does one become a longshoreman? Either your someone’s baby-boy, or through a lottery system (nepotism is also a type of lottery). Most people won’t get work with the union. I keep laughing my arse off when someone says “good paying jobs are here, you just have to look hard enough.” LOL. Yeah.

And then when does one consider: increasing costs of your gas bill, increasing hydro costs, slightly decreasing fuel costs after years of skyrocketing fuel prices, grocery prices that are going up, property tax that continues to go up, your cable bill that seems to cost more than its worth, recycling fees on simply getting your oil changed… and now rent prices that take 60% of your monthly income (if not more if you are making min. wage). So, bthedog can keep pissing on our yards telling us its just a little watering. Get real.

16

[quote=“TerriblePerson”]That doesn’t tell me why the city doesn’t have a bylaw officer. That tells me the old guy left.

You can ignore bthedog. No clue about what it takes to actually live in the NW these days. Half the city does not work for the port, and port related jobs aren’t longshoring jobs. You can say Tim Horton’s is a port related job, if you want to be ridiculous. Even working at the port authority head office doesn’t earn you the income of a longshoreman.

Plus, how does one become a longshoreman? Either your someone’s baby-boy, or through a lottery system (nepotism is also a type of lottery). Most people won’t get work with the union. I keep laughing my arse off when someone says “good paying jobs are here, you just have to look hard enough.” LOL. Yeah.

And then when does one consider: increasing costs of your gas bill, increasing hydro costs, slightly decreasing fuel costs after years of skyrocketing fuel prices, grocery prices that are going up, property tax that continues to go up, your cable bill that seems to cost more than its worth, recycling fees on simply getting your oil changed… and now rent prices that take 60% of your monthly income (if not more if you are making min. wage). So, bthedog can keep pissing on our yards telling us its just a little watering. Get real.[/quote]

I am going to disagree with you about Port related jobs. You obviously don’t have a clue how many people are employed in some way because of the “port”. I’m not talking about those who are Longshoreman. Though speaking of longshoreman you don’t have to be in the union to make good money, there are some on the lower boards who will have made $70k by the end of the year. Casuals make the same hourly wage as unionized workers. In fact there are more casuals than union members. I’m sure the folks working at the Port Authority are not making peanuts.

As for the cost of living increases the majority of communities in BC are in the same position as Prince Rupert. But what’s different from some other communities in BC Rupert’s future is a lot more brighter. We will have an LNG facility and Fairview is expanding and Canpotex is still in the picture. There will be more job opportunities, more than what we can fill with the current population. The only thing I believe at the moment is that greed has become an issue when it comes to housing.

17

I never won a “lottery”, I went to school and educated myself and paid my dues in lower paying jobs (in retail, restaurant and my current field) for years, earning valuable experience…all of which lead to my current job status. So please don’t tell me I “won a lottery”. Also, just because I want an option buy a middle-income apartment or condo does not mean I am better than anyone else, I never once alluded to that, so please don’t speak for me.

People in retail (who don’t want to be there) clearly are in retail because they lack SKILLS to obtain better employment…it is very hard to get a job in the port without some sort of trades/professional education/training. Same goes for education and healthcare, two other huge employers in this city.

Since the majority of this town does not work in retail (or low paying jobs) I will call those people the average joes, the average in Prince Rupert is a middle income job.

18

[quote=“Astro”]
so 50 % or more work for the port in some way or form… 6000 people hmmm better check your math just saying…[/quote]

I think you better check your math…6000 is half of 12000 people who live in PR…half of the working population (8000) is roughly 4000 which is about the number employed directly/indirectly by port activities in the PR Area.

19

[quote=“TerriblePerson”]That doesn’t tell me why the city doesn’t have a bylaw officer. That tells me the old guy left.

You can ignore bthedog. No clue about what it takes to actually live in the NW these days. Half the city does not work for the port, and port related jobs aren’t longshoring jobs. You can say Tim Horton’s is a port related job, if you want to be ridiculous. Even working at the port authority head office doesn’t earn you the income of a longshoreman.

Plus, how does one become a longshoreman? Either your someone’s baby-boy, or through a lottery system (nepotism is also a type of lottery). Most people won’t get work with the union. I keep laughing my arse off when someone says “good paying jobs are here, you just have to look hard enough.” LOL. Yeah.

And then when does one consider: increasing costs of your gas bill, increasing hydro costs, slightly decreasing fuel costs after years of skyrocketing fuel prices, grocery prices that are going up, property tax that continues to go up, your cable bill that seems to cost more than its worth, recycling fees on simply getting your oil changed… and now rent prices that take 60% of your monthly income (if not more if you are making min. wage). So, bthedog can keep pissing on our yards telling us its just a little watering. Get real.[/quote]

A.) You asked what happened to the bylaw officer…I answered that. You never asked why the city doesn’t have a bylaw officer right now.

B.) If you think longshormen is the only port-related job, than you need to educate yourself. Longshoreman is only one of many many professions that work in port related activities in Prince Rupert. I am talking about the thousands of people working in any of these positions: electricians, sheetmetal, millwrights, mechanics, technologists, engineers, heavy equipment operators, longshoremen, welders, computer programmers/analysts/specialists, general labourers, information management specialists, public relations officers, shipping agents, border control agents, truck drivers, locomotive drivers, rail yard workers, carpenters, boilermakers, masons, plumbers, human resources specialists, bookkeepers, accountants, accounting clerks, financial advisers/specialists, marketing specialists, secretaries, receptionists, security guards, coast guards, vessel pilots, commodity inspectors, environmental officers, safety specialists/coordinators, top level managers and others fields that work directly/indirectly with port activities in this city.

C.) I have a very good idea what it is like to live here and survive here since I have lived here for over 3 decades. Whether I somehow ended up in a better spot than where you are (if that is even the case) is not my fault/has nothing to do with me…and I won’t apologize for it. I have yet to witness anyone in my network of friends/family/acquaintance who have failed to secure a decent paying job in this city.

20

@bthedog
Yeah, maybe you are 3 decades in Rupert. It means you are likley old, likely were born to a generation when buying a home was a realisitic expectation and have the amount of capital younger generations simply don’t have. Anyway, you ain’t got a clue. Your comments prove it. You are a bury your head in the selfish sand type.

I’m fairly well off. I made a little money teaching, and have a tidy little business that doesn’t require that I work that hard in my retirement. It’s nice to be in my position. But my grandkids don’t have it as easy as I did. They struggle to make ends meet because the cost of everything continues to grow, and their wages stagnate. That’s an economy that simply doesn’t work. But people like you keep pitching your head in the sand and “i’m all right. All the people in my vast network of friends are all right. It must be that everyone is all right…excpet for those who are morally deficient. They don’t like to work hard.”

As for the port-related activity, are you telling me that the analysts, information management specialists, public relations officers, shipping agents, border control agents, truck drivers, locomotive drivers, rail yard workers, carpenters, boilermakers, masons, plumbers, human resources specialists, bookkeepers, accountants, accounting clerks, financial advisers/specialists, marketing specialists, secretaries, receptionists, security guards, coast guards, vessel pilots, commodity inspectors, environmental officers, safety specialists/coordinators are making longshore $$? Get real. They make a fraction of the longshore money and are more in line with middle-class labour. Those people aren’t super rich like the Local 505.

And you forgot: the guys at Tim Horton’s, the guys at Subway and McD’s = all port-related jobs. Port employees need to eat, right? Am I right? Yeah, I’m right.