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Materials Presented by KGHM Ajax on the Proposed Ajax Mine...

At last week's council meeting, the project manager for the proposed Ajax gold a and copper mine, Jim Whittaker presented an update on the project from the mining company's perspective. Just to make his powerpoint a little more accessible, I made it into a pdf file and posted it below. You will also find here a pdf of the information booklet created by the mining company. If you want to watch video of Mr Whittaker's presentation and responses to council questions, visit this page and click on the delegations link on the right hand of the screen.

Related Links: Ajax Mine website, Stop Ajax Mine website, Environmental Assessment website

There will be public open houses on the mine proposal from 12pm to 8pm on Feb 6th and 7th at the old Kamloops Towne Lodge (now the Coast Kamloops hotel), 1250 Rogers Way.

Company Presentation on proposed Ajax Mine - ppt presented to Kamloops City Council

 

 

KGHM Ajax Info Booklet on Proposed Ajax Mine

Supporting the City Council Decision seeking an Independent Review of the Ajax Mine Proposal...

    
   Ajax Mine Website         Stop Ajax Mine Website

I support the city council’s decision this week to ask the Federal Government to complete a rigorous environmental review (the independent review panel) on the Ajax Mine project. However, I also feel some legitimate concerns have been raised around how this request may impact the current review, which is already underway. I think these concerns can be addressed. A rigorous review ensures that community interests are balanced with economic development to create a winning legacy for these types of projects. The critical aspect of this entire review process is to ensure that public trust is enhanced by the final decisions which are made.

At this time, I don't have a position for, or against, the proposed project. I’m seeking information which will help me to make an informed and intelligent decision about a project that could have far-reaching benefits and impacts on our community.  I welcome your thoughts, please feel free to share yours on the proposal.

Important Community Decisions Made Tonight in Kamloops...

In quite a short (maybe half hour) public hearing tonight, City Council made some decisions I feel could have quite an impact on Kamloops:

1. Preventing banks locating their main branch outside of downtown: A couple of years ago, the Bank of Montreal decided to move their main branch from downtown to the Summit shopping centre in Sahali. I am not sure the bank even has any presence downtown anymore. City Council has now restricted banks from opening locations above a certain square footage outside the downtown core. Council basically wants the main branch of all financial institutions to be downtown. This move was designed to protect the vibrancy and viabiliy of downtown Kamloops.
2. Restricting the ability of government agencies and public utilities to locate offices in industrial areas: City planners said tonight that they have noticed that more government and utility offices are trying to locate offices in the Southgate industrial park (also in the Sahali area). If these offices need a storage component for vehicle fleets, trucks, or equipment, this will be allowed. But otherwise it will be explicitly restricted. This preserves industrial parks for industrial uses and also encourages offices in downtown and north shore business areas.
3. Allowing the creation of residential suites below commercial spaces: In our main commercial areas, this allows commercial landowners to create residential below their street level commercial spaces. Residential is already allowed above commercial spaces. This could potentially create more private housing in Kamloops and allow for more housing choice in our community and more viability and vibrancy in our commercial areas.

All in all, it was an interesting meeting to watch.

Information on Pedestrian Safety, Transit, Parks Planning, and the Ajax Mine coming up...

This coming city council meeting will cover a lot of pretty interesting stuff. The agenda provides some insight into city staff see pedestrian safety, transit promotion, parks planning, and the proposed Ajax mine's costs and benefits. Here is the complete agenda in a viewer:

 

Kamloops City Council Workshop Agenda - June 21st 2011

Entrepreneurial Programs in Kamloops That I am Keeping an Eye on...

• The folks involved with Race to a Million keep on promoting and providing amazing opportunities for Kamloops Entrepreneurs.

 

• Venture Kamloops and KPMG have partnered on an initiative for local entrepreneurs wanting feedback on their businesses. The Kamloops Business Corral (a fitting name in Kamloops!) has many seasoned, successful entrepreneurs on board as advisors. 

 

• Howie Reimer, a local radio broadcaster, is offering a training program for people interested in learning how good radio magic is made. This is a tantalizing prospect for those of us who have aspirations "behind the mike".

Around a Roundtable with (other) Kamloops Entrepreneurs...

 

Before most meetings I attend, typically, I have a bit of routine. I think to myself "it would be really great if you didn't really say much, but just really focused on listening". I'd like to think I have become better at this. I find huge value in listening to people. It is something that I have struggled with, for sure.

I was very excited to attend the Kamloops Chamber member's policy round table last week. It is awesome that the Chamber provides such opportunities for input as it has had a lot of success lobbying governments at all levels to implement or change policies and practices. There was quite a bit of discussion on commercial property taxes, offroad vehicle regulations, and airport access beautification. Many other topics came up as well. The above image is the list I made at the meeting.

There seemed to be a reluctance by some Chamber board members present to discuss the HST. It was, however, raised by some of the people present - mostly in the form of wanting exemptions for their own business types. I tried to listen intently to the points raised by others. One of the 2 items I did raise was around institutionalizing in legislation public consulation on initiatives where the government change its platform on a big ticket item like the HST. Our trust in politicians keeps on sinking.

3 Things To Watch For With Venture Kamloops....

 

Venture Kamloops' Manager of Economic Development, Anita Grover, takes notes during a rountable with Kamloops Technology Industry, in conjunction with the Interior Tech Insdustry Association.

Venture Kamloops is the economic development agency for the City of Kamloops. Although it is an arm of City Hall, it is managed at arms length from the rest of City Hall operations. Venture Kamloops' CEO reports to an independently appointed board of directors (City Hall does have some representation on this board). City taxpayers pick up $465 000 of the Venture Kamloops budget.

I follow Venture Kamloops with some interest. I see a positive role for such an economic development agency in Kamloops. Entrepreneurship is a huge part of the lifeblood of any community. We should be trying to assist the business community grow and prosper. I've struggled, however, to figure out what results Venture Kamloops has brought to our community.  I know Venture Kamloops has generated a lot of activity in the past years, and I may be missing something, but when I have heard past presentations or read past reports, measuring success has been a challenge.

Venture Kamloops has new leadership, both at the staff and at the board level, and this undoubtedly can be an exciting time for the organization. In this spirit, here are three things I would watch for in the next months:

1) Setting out some really measurable targets and sticking to them:
   Initiatives Prince George, Venture Kamloops' counterpart in PG, sets out some really tangible targets in it's annual report. An example:

 leverage the value of our budget by partnerships five times as measured through new capital investment in transportation, logistics, manufacturing and heavy industrial development

2) Focusing on a small set of key industries in which Kamloops could have a real niche:
 We can't be all things to all people, especially with limited economic development resources. What kind of businesses work the best with the priorities and characteristics of our community? There is some evidence that Venture Kamloops is starting to ask this question. I attended a round table with the technology sector a month or so ago, for example. Maybe, we have to pass on assisting certain types of businesses based on community prioirities. Perhaps, pass the businesses Venture Kamloops is unable to assist on to other organizations who are able to help.

3) Focusing on the knowledge based, clean, green businesses of the future.
The world is going through quite an economic transition. Many jurisdictions are looking to what are economies might look like in the future and building towards that. We have an amazing resource in Thompson Rivers University. The Kamloops Energy Fair showcases as growing green industry sector. Kamloops has a large and growing number of green buildings. What if we had a green building construcution material industry? If Venture Kamloops is to help build a long term viable economy for Kamloops, perhaps we need to make strategic bets on the future.

Interview Schedule for Live Online Talk Show at Kamloops Energy Fair...

Excited about talking with the people at the Kamloops Energy Fair. I will be livestreaming here. 2010 Energy Fair Interview Schedule

Mel Rothenburger Beats the ACC Drum Again...

Interesting to see the amount of recent Kamloops Daily News coverage on the Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation's continuing hopes to gasify railway ties. Three pieces this week - two articles and editor Mel Rothenburger's column.

The tone of most of the coverage seem to suggest that we lost out, and now the fine city of Prince George stands to gain. I wonder, though, whether Mel is just digging a deeper hole for himself here. Are a significant number of Kamloopsians going to now say - wow! we finally get it - this would have been a great deal for us? Or is the Daily News losing credibility and trust by providing precious column inches to a dead issue locally?

Is this really still an issue that deserves front page coverage in Kamloops? Is Mel unable to let go of the debate because, so far, he has been on the losing side? What is he hoping to accomplish? What other issues are not being covered because ACC got some more ink this week?

Why Not Come Down to the Kamloops Energy Fair?

Saturday, June 19th 2010 - Mac Island.

The below video is an amazing promo, starring some of the organizers (who it turns out are not that shy!) :

More information here...