Two New Directors Appointed to Prince Rupert Port Authority Board
The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) announced today changes to its Board of Directors. The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport for the Government of Canada, has confirmed the appointment of Hilary Cassady. The City of Prince Rupert and District of Port Edward have confirmed the appointment of Lee Brain.
Ms. Cassady is a User Appointee, selected in consultation with the Port User Nominating Committee. Ms. Cassady has an extensive corporate background, having served in executive and senior roles for Danone in Asia and Europe, as well as Bentall Kennedy and QuadReal Property Group in Canada. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant with an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University and an ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. She also currently sits on multiple Boards of Directors, including the British Columbia Lottery Corporation where she was formerly the Chair of the Human Resource committee. Her three-year term commenced March 25th, 2024.
Mr. Brain is a Municipal Appointee and was selected by the City of Prince Rupert and District of Port Edward. He previously served as Mayor of the City of Prince Rupert for two-consecutive terms and currently works as a facilitator, mediator, and community engagement specialist. Mr. Brain completed the Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue Facilitation & Mediation program, in addition to a Certificate in Innovative Leadership, at Simon Fraser University. His three-year term commences May 1st, 2024.
“On behalf of our staff, I congratulate and welcome Hilary and Lee,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “Both were born and raised in Prince Rupert, and each bring unique experience and skills to PRPA’s Board of Directors as we continue to activate the port’s ambitious growth plan to strengthen its role as an economic engine for the community, region, and all of Canada.”
Mr. Brain will replace outgoing Board member John Farrell, whose term finishes at the end of April 2024. Mr. Farrell was appointed by the City of Prince Rupert and District of Port Edward in 2015 and served as the Chair of the Board’s Human Resources and Compensation Committee.
“We extend our gratitude to John for his commitment to the Board of Directors, particularly during a period of unprecedented development and growth at the Port of Prince Rupert,” said Stevenson.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority’s Board of Directors is comprised of seven people. Three of the Board members are appointed directly by each level of government—municipal, provincial, and federal—while the balance is appointed by the federal government in consultation with the Port User Nominating Committee. Board members are appointed for a term of no more than three years with a maximum tenure of three terms.
January 4, 2024
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is proud to officially release its 2022 Sustainability Report. PRPA is building a better Canada by growing trade, and partnerships mean everything to us. This means vital trade, thriving communities, and sustainable development. In this report, we address the importance of our sustainability commitments, such as the environment, our values in regards to our people, our community including economic and employment development, and governance.
EFFECTIVE AUGUST 23, 2022
PRINCE RUPERT, BRITISH COLUMBIA – One of Prince Rupert’s most vital community hubs has undergone a significant transformation on both the interior and exterior through a partnership between the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s (PRPA) Community Investment Fund and the Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert. The investment has been designed to make it easier for community members to access the more than 30 educational, cultural, social, health and wellness, and recreational services offered there. Two additional projects were completed this year to upgrade the Friendship House’s main building on Fraser Street in Prince Rupert, greatly enhancing programming and making the facility safer, more efficient, and more accessible for the thousands of people who use Friendship House services each year.
On the east side of the building, the exterior facilities have been completely overhauled, to create an enhanced outdoor play area for the benefit of the Friendship House’s Preschool and other programs. The newly renovated Children’s Discovery Garden features a new large wood-framed shelter, sandbox, landscaping, planter boxes, wooden walkways, pea gravel, and grass that surrounds the existing playground equipment. Adding these natural surfaces creates greater developmental opportunities for children as they explore the outdoor environment.
On the building’s north side, a new Food Service Room and connecting patio were added to complement the existing Community Kitchen, which was built through a prior Community Investment Fund project. The reconfigured room and outdoor terrace are outfitted with dining tables and chairs, to create a café-like setting. These renovated areas are designed to be multi-use spaces, accommodating several different activities and programs including the Youth Catering Program, which provides local youth with the opportunity to gain employable culinary skills by hosting events in the space. The new Food Service Room also aids the Friendship House’s food security programs, offering a more welcoming space for weekly food hamper distribution and serving community meals.
Beyond broadening and enhancing culinary training and food security services, the Food Service Room and patio provide a new space for cultural and social services, including the Elder Youth Mentorship Program. This initiative brings together different generations to learn traditional First Nations’ teachings and practices, particularly around harvesting and preparing traditional foods and medicines. These newly updated spaces also serve as a safe and accessible area for passengers using the Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW) Van, to sit and enjoy a coffee while they wait. The EVAW program offers twice-weekly shuttles to Terrace for a nominal fee, helping people without access to a vehicle reach medical and other important appointments.
“These newly enhanced spaces serve many purposes and help our organization continue to improve the services and programs we provide,” said Anna Zanella, Executive Director of the Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert. “Working together with the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s Community Investment Fund, we are generating new opportunities for North Coast residents of all ages, to connect with one another, expand their abilities, and gain knowledge.”
“PRPA partners with the Friendship House of Prince Rupert because it is an integral part of the community, providing vital and inclusive services that support youth, adults, families, and seniors from communities all over the North Coast. Our investments will ensure that their staff and volunteers can continue to evolve and enhance the ways they develop and deliver programs and host community events and improve the experience for people participating in them,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority.
Over the past four years, the Community Investment Fund has collaborated with the Friendship House Association of Prince Rupert to modernize the non-profit organization’s main facility in several ways. The Fund contributed $155,000 to these two latest projects, bringing PRPA’s total investment to over $438,500. Previous projects include:
• Second Floor and Stairwell Upgrades (2022) – $126,830
• Front Entrance & Lobby Upgrades (2021) – $62,500
• Community Kitchen Upgrade (2019) – $94,172
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ABOUT THE PRINCE RUPERT PORT AUTHORITY’S COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND: The Community Investment Fund is financed by a share of the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s annual net income that has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents of the North Coast. By investing these funds into community projects, led mostly by dedicated local volunteers, the Port Authority has been able to share its financial success with the communities that enable it. Since 2010, more than $17.5 million has been committed to the Fund, helping to bring more than 100 local projects to life. Each of these projects has filled an important role in supporting recreation, health and wellness, arts and culture, youth, education, the environment, and other needs in the community.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Katherine Voigt
Manager, Corporate Communications
Prince Rupert Port Authority
250 627 2594
kvoigt@rupertport.com
Port investment to create jobs, spark economic recovery
People who live and work in northern B.C. will benefit from a provincial investment of $25 million that will improve and expand operations at the Port of Prince Rupert.
This will support B.C. and Canadian exporters’ competitiveness and opportunities in international trade.
“Our investment in the Port of Prince Rupert will help create new good-paying jobs in our region, while improving western trade corridors and helping Canadian importers and exporters get goods to market,” said Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast, on behalf of Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “It will support regional businesses and provide the necessary infrastructure to boost our provincial economy to help build back stronger from the hit of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an important investment in the future of Prince Rupert and of B.C. as a whole.”
The project, led by the Prince Rupert Port Authority, will improve and expand infrastructure at the Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform. The project, spanning more than 28 hectares (70 acres), will create a platform to enhance the port’s capacity for transloading B.C. and western Canadian natural resource products for containerized export by sea to international markets. Transloading is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another.
Once built, this new platform will increase the port’s export transloading capacity from 75,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to over 400,000 TEUs annually. The completed project will come with new and updated rail tracks and dedicated roadways to and from the Fairview Container Terminal. It will also feature new offloading and storage facilities plus related large-scale equipment.
“Metlakatla First Nation participates in many aspects of the growth of the container business at the Port of Prince Rupert through our agreements, port infrastructure construction projects and entrepreneurial ventures like Gat Leedm trucking, the largest container trucking operation in Prince Rupert,” said Harold Leighton, Chief Councillor, Metlakatla First Nation. “The development of the export logistics platform is another opportunity to continue our shared success through both business and employment opportunities.”
The project is expected to provide substantive economic benefits, including supporting regional businesses and creating 200 jobs in transloading, plus an additional 2,000 jobs in areas such as warehousing, longshore work and trucking.
“We thank the B.C. government for investing in the development of the Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform, and its recognition of the value it will create for B.C. export industries and the communities that economically rely on them,” said Shaun Stevenson, president and CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority. “This pivotal project presents an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable economic recovery, improved competitiveness, and greater diversification and stability throughout northern B.C.”
The project is funded through a mix of public and private investment, including a $49.8-million federal contribution through the National Trade Corridors Fund and a $25-million provincial contribution as part of StrongerBC, B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan.
Learn More:
For more information on the project, visit: https://www.rupertport.com/logistics-platform/
For a video: https://vimeo.com/406062740
StrongerBC, B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/
Government of Canada’s National Trade Corridors Fund:
https://tc.canada.ca/en/programs/funding-programs/national-trade-corridors-fund
The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) announced today its investment of $161,372 into the first five salmon enhancement and sustainability projects under its new Skeena River Salmon Enhancement Program, launched earlier this year.
“The Prince Rupert Port Authority recognizes that a healthy salmon population is vital to not only the community of Prince Rupert, but to the entire Northwest region,” said Shaun Stevenson, President & CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “We take our commitment to our communities and our environment seriously, and it is our privilege to partner with organizations and to contribute dedicated resources to the betterment of the Skeena River and its salmon populations. Our organization wants to be part of a local solution to address some of the critical challenges that are facing Skeena salmon.”
The five projects are outlined as follows:
Project Name: Skeena River EstuaryDissolved Organic Carbon Study
Proponent: Skeena Fisheries Commission
PRPA Financial Contribution: $33,425
Project Summary: The Skeena Fisheries Commission is an aboriginal organization that focuses on fisheries management, science, and conservation in the Skeena Watershed. This 3-year project consists of establishing a detailed monitoring and sampling program for dissolved organic carbon and organic matter in the Skeena River estuary, which play an important role in food web function and are directly relevant to salmon health, productivity, sustainability and habitat condition.
Project Name: Gitanyow Lake Sockeye Salmon Assessment
Proponent: Skeena Fisheries Commission
PRPA Contribution: $25,500
Project Summary: The Skeena Fisheries Commission is an aboriginal organization that focuses on fisheries management, science, and conservation in the Skeena Watershed. This project will conduct a year-round limnological survey (study of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characteristics of inland waters) of Gitanyow Lake to identify factors that may be limiting Kitwanga sockeye salmon.
Project Name: Kitwanga River Chum Salmon Enhancement Study
Proponent: Gitanyow Fisheries Authority
PRPA Contribution: $12,000
Project Summary: The Gitanyow Fisheries Authority provides fisheries, wildlife and overall environmental expertise and services for the Gitanyow people. This project will conduct a feasibility study to address declining Kitwanga chum stocks in the Gitanyow River and evaluate possible outcomes to enhance salmon stock, including the feasibility of a hatchery.
Project Name: Kispiox River Watersheds Temperature Monitoring Initiative
Proponent: Gitxsan Watershed Authorities
PRPA Contribution: $22,960
Project Summary: The Gitxsan Watershed Authorities’ mandate is to oversee and steward fisheries and other natural resource issues on the Gitxsan territories. This project aims to understand areas of thermal stress and refugia in key Skeena Salmon streams in the Kispiox River, enhancing current water quality and quantity research to inform fisheries management planning aimed at protecting fish during times of environmental stress.
Project Name: Lower Skeena River Pound Net Feasibility Study and Construction Project
Proponent: Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries
PRPA Contribution: $67,487
Project Summary: The Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries Stewardship Program was initiated to conduct scientific research and monitors the condition and use of marine resources within the traditional territory of the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation. This feasibility study is part of a longer term proposal aimed at the installation and operation of a selective fishing tool that will provide further research opportunities related to stock identification and salmon run information in the Lower Skeena River.
For more information on PRPA’s Skeena River Salmon Enhancement Program, our other Community Investment Programs, and how you can apply, please visit our Community Investment page here.