Hello everyone,
I recently visited Prince Rupert while staying in Port Edward. We arrived in Ruport on a Thursday and witnessed the population explosion during a cruise ship visit. Things we noticed:
Cleanliness! It has been several years since we last visited Rupert and we were pleasantly suprised. No more garbage lined curbs or overflowing dumpters.
Museum - what a great resource!
Hells Angels in their club jackets! Really, in the parking lot across from the Customs terminal. Two wearing jackets with Hells Angels spelled out on their backs and one in leathers but without the club name. A northern BC resident my entire life, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before. Is it against the law to publicly wear gang ‘colours’, or am I mistaken? Is there significant gang activity in P.R.?
In Port Edward we stayed at the Kinnikinnick Campground. I am certain it is the cleanest campground we have visited in years, with excellent amenities.
Unable to catch our own crab (I think our bait was lacking odour), we purchased several from the processing facility near the commercial dock in Port Edward. A lady driving a forklift made the sale, and wrote everything up in the office. She failed to give us a receipt, and we didn’t pay any attention. BIG MISTAKE!!
Later that day, when stopped at a Conservation Road Block west of Terrace we were informed of the laws concerning the purchase of wildlife, had our crab confiscated and learned the amount of the fines for this offense ($150 + $50/crab). The CO presumed that the seller didn’t have a license to sell, or was selling under the table. When we pled ignorance of the law (I know, I know, ignorance is no defense), the CO informed us that ‘they hear that excuse all the time’.
Long story short, we ended up with a lecture, our crab, and a warning ticket thanks to the intervention of a more understanding CO. Upon returning home we queried friends and co-workers. Were they aware that if they purchased seafood - FROM A STORE - if they didn’t have the receipt in their possession while transporting the seafood (either because they didn’t receive one or because they threw it away) they could find themselves in a similar situation? None were.
The crab were not sold at a great price - we paid what we would pay in a grocery store but wanted these crabs in particular because we knew they were fresh and caught locally.
Anyways… my question - is this a common occurence? Was the lack of receipt an oversight on the part of the young lady at the processing plant, or was this, as the CO’s suspect, a illegal transaction? Lastly - why is the buyer, walking into a store and purchasing an item, the guilty party?
Anyways, a great visit to your region, some new knowledge, and some tasty crab later, and I have yet another question for you Rupertites.
Is it possible for a nonprofit group to receive a cargo container as a donation or at a very low price from the Port of Prince Ruport or Maher? What is done with damaged containers?
Thanks in advance!