This year, Rupertites seem to be complaining about the rain more than usual. They say there’s been more rain than usual, causing basement seepage and preventing summertime projects like painting.

Muskeg Press decided to find out whether or not this increase in complaints mirrors the data. The graph below shows the monthly rainfall from 2008 – 2011 from January to October. The coloured numbers show the year (on the left) and the total rainfall (on the right).

The evidence shows mixed results. This year’s rainfall since July has been higher this year than in years past; however, rainfall in September and October was actually higher in 2010 than this year. Still, 2011 has been one of the wettest years, beat out only by 2008, which saw a particularly wet August.

Source: Environment Canada

Yesterday, it came to our attention that someone is using the Muskeg News name as a Twitter account. We are NOT associated with this Twitter account.

Mysteriously, all the links in this Twitter account link to the Northern View. Ah well. It only proves the old maxim that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

Anyway, we are working with the good folks at Twitter to remedy this situation and shut down the account. In the meantime, we suggest that anyone following that particular account de-friend it (or whatever it’s called with Twitter).

Yours sincerely,

Chris Armstrong
Publisher

The Prince Rupert Port Authority officially launched its new patrol boat, the Charles Hays, in a ceremony yesterday. The vessel, 12 metres long with a top speed of 35 knots, was constructed entirely in Prince Rupert by Broadwater Industries.

The new boat replaces the old patrol boat, also named Charles Hays. In an email to Muskeg News, Maynard Angus, the Port’s public affairs manager, said the new boat has the same name as the old boat because the original vessel’s name was never formally registered. Thus, the new boat can also be named the Charles Hays.

~Photo by Mike Ambach. See more of his photography at www.mikeambach.com

Calling the Skeena River one of the most hazardous bodies of water in Northern B.C., a provincial department has banned the public from going in or near the water.

The Department of Aquatic Management, a small arm of the Ministry of the Environment, has gone the extraordinary route of issuing an “Aquatic Restraining Order,” which bars anyone from stepping foot within 20 metres of the banks of the Skeena. The regulation is a part of the Lakes & Rivers Act, and has been invoked only three times in its 55-year history.

“Obviously we only use the Aquatic Restraining Order as a last resort,” said Charles Madill, an official with the Department of Aquatic Management. “We don’t take this sort of thing lightly.”

The restraining order bars anyone from going near the Skeena, including fishermen, tourists, campers, and hikers. Madill said the decision was made after officials with the ministry found high levels of carbon trioxide in the water.

“We’re now testing the water to see what could have caused this high reading of CO3,” said Madill. “It could be bits of coal from Ridley Terminals, it could be small pieces of rubber that fly off of motorists’ tires along Highway 16. It could even be from high amounts of diesel fuel that leaked out of boats.”

Madill said the restraining order will be enforced by sending 250 members of the enforcement branch of the Ministry of the Environment, as well as 100 members of the RCMP that will be detailed to the Skeena. These officials, he said, will stand sentry along the banks of the Skeena, from Tyee to Terrace, ensuring that nobody breaks the restraining order.

Environmentalists were mixed in their opinion for the decision to implement the restraining order. “On the one hand, it’s good to see the government taking action to ensure the river stays safe for future generations,” said Jan Noodle, a member of the Alpine Club. “On the other, I think it’s a little extreme. I was hoping to go fishing there in a few weeks.”

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, this is quite obviously an April Fool’s joke.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Dear readers of Muskeg News,

Those of you who live in Prince Rupert will probably have seen our print edition, which was a two-sided broadsheet, distributed weekly to 30-odd places around town. This week, we re-designed our print edition, and you should see it in your mailbox sometime this week.

The new Muskeg News is 12 pages, and contains stories that are a bit longer and more in-depth. The stories are also linked by a common editorial theme; for our inaugural issue, the theme is “the future,” which we think is quite apt. It will now be published monthly instead of weekly, and will be delivered each month to every home, business & PO Box in Prince Rupert. While the content may not be as topical as our older print editions, we encourage you to visit MuskegNews.com, where we will continue to bring you breaking news about Prince Rupert.

We would like to thank all our advertisers for their support in helping us put together this new product — the re-design would truly not have happened without their help. The best way you can show your appreciation of Muskeg News (aside from reading it) is to support the businesses who have supported us. After all, without our advertisers, there is no Muskeg News.

A huge shout-out should also go to Stuck On Designs, who, especially during the last few weeks, helped us considerably with printing the new product.

Finally, we would like to thank you, the reader, whose support has meant so much to us over the last few months. We hope to continue bringing you stories that matter to Prince Rupert, both in print and online, for many years to come.

Yours very sincerely,

Chris Armstrong
Publisher