Moresby Tank Removal Project moves forward; Port Edward to receive more than $1M from Ridley Tax

Prince Rupert’s city council awarded the Moresby Tank Removal Project to Sumas, a B.C.-based waste management company, at Monday’s meeting.

Since the late 1970s, the city has been trying to decommission a number of Second World War storage tanks located in Moresby Park after purchasing the tanks and piping from the Department of National Defence.

The feds rejected any re-mediating responsibility of the area arguing the conditions of the sale clearly stated that the city was to pay for any costs related to the tanks or their removal.

There are currently three tanks on the site. Tank 3, the closest to Anchor Inn, will be removed while the fate of the remaining two have yet to be determined.

On Sept. 3 council approved to utilize all $725,000 from capital funds accrued in 2011 for the project. An additional $100,000 will be set aside for contingency purposes which will be funded out of the unrestricted surplus, not affecting taxpayers.

$1.25M going to Port Edward

The environmental assessment was completed earlier in 2019 and construction is expected to commence later this year.

The City of Prince Rupert will be paying the District Port Edward more than $1 million this year due to the new taxable property on Ridley Island added to the 2019 tax roll.

In 2018, the Ridley Island Tax Sharing Agreement cost the city more than $878,000 from their fiscal expenditures budget. While presenting the July financial variance report, Chief financial officer, Corinne Bomben said the city added an additional $374,000 to Port Edward’s payments for a total of $1.25 million. Although the increase was included in the 2019 budget.

Senior housing included in tax exemption

At Sept. 3 special council meeting the city approved an amendment to the Permissive Tax Exemption policy which first omitted a sub-clause related to seniors’ housing.

Not-for-profit operators of seniors housing the option to apply for a permissive tax exemption in the upcoming cycle.

Jenna Cocullo | Journalist

Jenna Cocullo