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By Curtis Galbraith
City Hall

Highlights from Monday’s City Council meeting

Feb 9, 2021 | 5:30 AM

Update on Nauticol Methanol Plant

Council has asked representatives from Nauticol Energy to meet with the city at a future Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee meeting.

Nauticol has written to Council asking for a letter of support for its proposal to build a new methanol plant south of Grande Prairie near the International Paper mill, and that the project is in the public interest.

Several members of Council were concerned that there had not been updates since the last announcement concerning the project nearly two years ago.

There were also questions as to why the letter of support was needed. In February of 2019, the province and Nauticol announced that construction was to begin in 2020 and finish in 2022. It was also reported at the time that this would create 1,000 construction jobs and 230 permanent jobs.

Wanting a regional re-opening approach from province

Council has approved having Mayor Clayton write a letter to the province advocating for a regional approach to businesses re-opening.

This came after a presentation from the owners of Trapped, an escape room entertainment operation in Grande Prairie. The owners say right now, they are lumped in with other businesses that won’t be allowed to open until Step 4 of the re-opening plan, even though only one household is allowed in a room, rooms are cleaned between uses, the front door is kept locked, and there is only one staff member who keeps two metres way from users.

3-D Charity Hockey

Council has agreed to give the 3-D Charity Hockey Tournament $5000. The city usually gives this much in gift in kind for use of rinks and soccer pitches.

The tournament is held annually to raise money to help families with kids with serious or life-threatening illnesses cover some bills. This year’s edition, and last year’s, were cancelled because of the pandemic.

Tournament organizers did not ask for any money last year even after the cancellation. Organizers say they were still able to give out $100,000 to between 40 and 45 kids last year. Roughly the same number of kids were given $120,000 in 2019.

The next edition of the tournament will be the 20th.

Land use changes for restaurants, bars

Council has approved changes to the land use bylaw governing where smaller restaurants and drinking establishments can set up shop.

Ones that are less than 300 square metres in size are now permitted uses in areas zoned local commercial, general commercial, and general industrial.

They had been considered discretionary uses, which city administration says involved a more onerous process to get approved.

by Curtis Galbraith